Product news: With the new Rockhopper, Specialized is presenting a mountain bike with a revised frame concept and a refreshed equipment list that is impressive. All in all, the hardtail mountain bike comes in the three model variants Expert, Elite and Comp 2x and comes with a total of nine different colors. The price of the hardtail mountain bikes starts at 699 euros in the Comp 2x version.
Specialized Rockhopper 29: model overview and technical data
The three models differ mainly in the suspension fork and the drive. In the Expert and Elite versions, an air-sprung RockShox Judy is used, in the Comp 2x entry-level model only a steel-sprung SR Suntour fork. The highlight is definitely the 12-speed SRAM Eagle circuit in the Expert model.
| Specialized Rockhopper 29 | Consultant | Elite | Comp 2x |
|---|---|---|---|
| frame | A1 premium buhtet aluminum frame, internal cable routing, 135x9mm dropout, exchangeable dropouts | A1 premium buhtet aluminum frame, internal cable routing, 135x9mm dropout, exchangeable dropouts | A1 premium buhtet aluminum frame, internal cable routing, 135x9mm dropout, exchangeable dropouts |
| Gabel | RockShox Judy, Solo Air, 46mm offset, 80/90/100mm travel (depending on frame size) | RockShox Judy, Solo Air, 46mm offset, 80/90/100mm travel (depending on frame size) | SR Suntour XCM 29, steel spring, 46mm offset, 90/100mm travel (depending on frame size) |
| Stem | Stout, 31,8mm, 6° rise | Stout, 31,8mm, 6° rise | Stout, 31,8mm, 6° rise |
| Links | Stout Mini Rise, 9° back sweep, 15mm rise | Stout Mini Rise, 9° back sweep, 15mm rise | Stout Mini Rise, 9° back sweep, 15mm rise |
| Claw | Specialized Trail Grips, lock on | Specialized Trail Grips, lock on | Specialized Trail Grips, lock on |
| Brake | Shimano BR-MT200, hydraulic disc brake 180mm/160mm | Shimano BR-MT200, hydraulic disc brake 180mm/160mm | Shimano BR-MT200, hydraulic disc brake 180mm/160mm |
| Front derailleur | - | - | Shimano Altus FD-M2020 2-speed |
| derailleur | SRAM SX Eagle, 12-speed | Shimano Deore, Shadow Plus, 10-speed | Shimano Alivio RD-M3100, 9-speed |
| Gear levers | SRAM SX Eagle, 12-speed | Shimano Deore, RapidFire Plus, 10-speed, gear indicator | Shimano Acera, Rabidfire Plus |
| in Kassetten | SRAM PG-1210 Eagle, 11-50T | SunRace 11-52T | SunRace 0-speed 11-36T |
| Crank | SRAM SX Eagle, powerspline | Stout 1x | Stout 2x |
| chainring | 30T | 30T | 22 / 36T |
| Rims | Aluminum, offset design, tubeless ready, 25mm inner width | Aluminum, offset design, tubeless ready, 25mm inner width | Stout Alu, disc-only, double-wall, 25mm inner width |
| front hub | Shimano HB-RM35, Center Lock, 9x100mm, quick release | Shimano HB-RM35, Center Lock, 9x100mm, quick release | Shimano HB-TX505, Center Lock, 9x100mm, quick release |
| rear hub | Shimano FH-RM35, Center Lock, 9x135mm, quick release | Shimano FH-RM35, Center Lock, 9x135mm, quick release | Shimano FH-TX505, Center Lock, 9x135mm, quick release |
| Tubes | Specialized Ground Control, 60 TPI, 29x2,3" | Specialized Ground Control, 60 TPI, 29x2,3" | Specialized Ground Control Sport, 29x2,3" |
| Saddle | bridge sports | bridge sports | bridge sports |
| Seat post | Aluminum, 12mm offset, 30,9mm | Aluminum, 12mm offset, 30,9mm | Aluminum, 12mm offset, 30,9mm |
| Price | € 1.199 | € 999 | € 699 |
The geometry is identical for all models and is of course tailored to the respective sizes. Due to the relatively short chainstays and the flat steering angle, the hardtail should be agile and manoeuvrable even on trails.
Geometry Specialized Rockhopper 29
| SM | MD | LA | XL | XXL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stacks (in mm) | 607 | 616 | 626 | 640 | 654 |
| Reach (mm) | 405 | 425 | 445 | 465 | 485 |
| head tube (in mm) | 95 | 95 | 105 | 120 | 135 |
| Steering angle (in °) | 68,5 | 68,5 | 68,5 | 68,5 | 68,5 |
| Bottom bracket height (in mm) | 310 | 310 | 310 | 310 | 310 |
| chainstay (in mm) | 440 | 440 | 440 | 440 | 440 |
| Wheelbase (in mm) | 1105 | 1128 | 1152 | 1178 | 1203 |
| Top tube horizontal (in mm) | 585 | 643 | 667 | 667 | 667 |
| seat tube (in mm) | 360 | 400 | 450 | 500 | 560 |
| Seat angle (in °) | 73,5 | 73,5 | 73,5 | 73,5 | 73,5 |
The price-performance ratio is definitely right and the highlight in the Expert and Elite models is definitely the air-damped RockShox Judy suspension fork. This can be perfectly tailored to the driver and thus takes driving fun to the next level.
The SRAM SX Eagle is another highlight of the Expert model. With an unbeatable bandwidth of 500% (10-50T) and without a front derailleur. This makes them particularly low-maintenance and the cockpit is tidier.
All further information about the new Specialized Rockhopper 29 is on www.specialized.com a DAK Bungalow.