Market: Specialized has made several changes to its portfolio for the upcoming season. In addition to many revised components and bikes, there are also new developments to admire. Below, we've compiled some bikes and components that have received a facelift or are completely new.
Rumor Expert Evo
The female counterpart to the Stumpjumper . Specialized doesn't want to spoil the downhill fun for female mountain bikers, so the Rumor Expert Evo comes with one centimeter more travel than the regular Rumor . With optimized linkage and numerous features designed to maximize riding enjoyment for women, Specialized presents this little black beauty.
The Rumor Expert Evo 's geometry has been made significantly more aggressive by the new linkage, resulting in a slack 68,4-degree head angle designed to provide excellent stability. The Rumor Expert Evo leaves nothing to be desired in terms of components. The suspension is a mix of RockShox and Fox components, while the brakes are from Shimano. The package is rounded out by the SRAM X01 drivetrain and 29-inch carbon wheels from Roval. The bike weighs a mere 12,6 kilograms and costs €4299.
2FO - shoes
First spotted at the Downhill World Cup, Specialized's 2FO shoes will be available in stores next year . The 2FO will be offered as both a flat pedal and clipless shoe. The shoe has been under development and continuously tested since 2008. The final version is said to be distinguished primarily by its quick-drying material. No sponge-like materials were used, so the shoe should absorb only minimal water.
When it came to the rubber, they didn't hesitate and brought in the specialists from their in-house tire department. Together, they developed the Slip Not compound, which is designed to offer both consistent performance and optimal grip.
The click version has been reinforced in the cleats area so that better power transmission could be achieved. The adjustment range of the cleats has been increased by a full 40 millimeters. The driver is thus offered significantly more positions and everyone can try them out. In order to be able to click in better, the sole of the click shoe has been provided with a slightly firmer rubber in the area of the cleats. This should make it easier to find the pedals and click in faster.
The flat pedal shoe weighs 395 grams and the click shoe 450 grams. The shoe is priced at 119,90 euros and 139,90 euros respectively.
Boomslang.
The new 2FO shoes required a suitable pedal. The Boomslang pedal took some time to develop, but now it's showing its best side. The pedal offers a platform of 110 x 108 millimeters and features 22 aggressive pins per pedal.
For emergencies, four pins have been integrated into the pedals as replacements, so that if one or more pins are lost, they can be retrofitted immediately.
To protect the axle and bearings from dirt, a clever feature has been incorporated at the outer bearing point. A small flap, if you can call it that, is held in place by the pins. Unscrewing this flap provides access to the axle, allowing complete disassembly of the pedals. The Boomslang pedals are priced at €129,90.
It was
The Era is a completely new design, geared towards the relentless XC competition of women. Like the Rumor Expert Evo, the S-Works Era comes in a sleek black finish and is equipped with top-of-the-line components. Up front, the new RockShox RS-1 fork, like the Fox shock, features the proprietary Brain system. This system automatically adjusts the suspension travel depending on the conditions, ensuring optimal performance whether climbing or descending.
The bike is completely tailored to the wishes of women. The front has been designed much lower and the top tube also offers plenty of legroom. Depending on the frame size, the spring travel varies minimally between 95 and 100 millimeters. The bike weighs a mere 10,25 kilograms and costs a whopping 8499 euros.
diverge
With the Diverge, Specialized has added a new road bike to its lineup, positioned thematically between the all-rounder Roubaix and the cyclocross rocket Crux. The Diverge is a gravel bike, meaning it's designed to take you off the asphalt and explore picturesque dirt and forest trails. The bike features a comfort-oriented geometry and the familiar Zertz inserts.
Furthermore, it is designed for use with disc brakes, allows a higher gear ratio than the Crux , and the use of tires up to 30 millimeters wide.
F
Fat bikes are enjoying ever-increasing popularity. Last year, the company already had a bike with these chunky tires in its lineup: the Fatboy . The Fatboy is offered in three versions and comes with either a rigid carbon fork or the RockShox Bluto suspension fork.
The Specialized Ground Control tires, with a width of 4,6 inches, provide immense traction and excellent shock absorption. The Fatboy starts at just under €1799. The top-of-the-line Fatboy Pro costs €3599.
More information about the bikes, components and the rest of the products can be found at www.specialized.com