With the "Elite", Specialized is launching an enduro bike for dirt and bike park specialists.
Specialized's "Enduro" in the course of time: After the Americans had positioned the bestseller as a genuine all-round concept in the first few years, the range of use for the 2005 model shifted strongly towards freeride: With 150 millimetres of suspension travel, powerful wheels and a weight of around 15 kilos, the uphill characteristics were severely curtailed. With the "Enduro Elite", Specialized is taking up the original concept again this year - with reduced suspension travel at the front and rear. Nevertheless, the "Elite" is not a "people's enduro". The heavy wheels have remained and the bike from Morgan Hill has also been given a shiftable chain guide. This defines the range of use in a different direction - towards the bike park. Of course, for the usually finely shaped lines in the parks, a lot of movement in the suspension tends to be a hindrance. But the shock is also new, as is the case with all "Enduro" models. Instead of the "5th Element", which caused the rear end to sag a lot this year, a Fox "DHX" is now used. And you can feel that this was a good decision after just a few metres: the rear suspension now compresses harmoniously instead of bouncing with every pedal stroke. The Rock Shox "Pike" fork adapts to this characteristic. The full suspension travel can be utilised both at the front and rear without the suspension bottoming out too often. The geometry, on the other hand, is as we know it from the current "Enduro" models: you sit very balanced in the bike instead of on top of it. This allows the bike to be pushed willingly into the tightest berms and always conveys a great deal of confidence, even at high speeds. With its compact geometry, the bike is also easy to control in the air.
Actually, the "Elite" would even be great for touring - with this geometry and the balanced suspension, you could easily cover metres in altitude. However, the bike loses this bonus due to the heavy components and the high overall weight.
CONCLUSIONS: The "Fox" damper drastically improves the suspension. In this version, the "Enduro" is an ideal play bike at a fair price.
