Specialized Stumpjumper 15 Pro: How have they improved one of the best mountain bikes of all time?

[@rubbermoetroken]

This video perfectly captures why I went for the S-Works Stumpjumper '15 frame kit. I paired it with an Intend setup (Flash USD Fork + Hover Opt shock), and honestly, I think the Genie shock is way overhyped. Let’s be real: 90% of the rear-wheel progressiveness comes down to the pivot geometry, which is absolutely brilliant. With the Hover Opt fitted, my suspension setup has reached another level-no joke. The almost total lack of stick friction is a game-changer. I’ve been riding since 1987 and have seen trends come and go. Coming off a 2020 Stumpy, I wasn’t expecting a night-and-day difference. Boy, was I wrong. This bike is a revelation. Rear-wheel traction? Insane. Descents feel like riding on a magic carpet, and yet, climbing is incredibly efficient-none of that "pedaling through mud" feel. It’s grippy, even on slick roots. I no longer have to obsess over traction; the bike just fixes it. Now, it’s all about picking my lines. The difference compared to my old Stumpy was immediate and striking. It took some tweaking to get everything dialed in (sag, pressure, etc.), but once I hit the trails-wow. Those first rides were packed with “WTF just happened?!” moments. For me, this is the pinnacle of trail bikes. Maybe it’s my age speaking (over 50 here), but this thing has me blasting through trails at absurd speeds. Let’s just say the 25-year-olds around here are struggling to keep up. Fingers crossed I survive the adrenaline overload!

[@catg9196]

Seems like the RS with the megneg air can. With options to put spacers for the negative and positive side of the air can.

[@DR_mountain76]

How would you compare the Stumpy 15 and the Hightower v4. Since the Stumpy reduced the travel and Hightower increased theirs.

[@flybyguy1450]

How would you say this compares to the new fuel ex?

[@danielray1558]

Great review Guy. You’ve spent a bit of time on the Druid V2. To me they both fill the same niche on paper despite the difference in travel. How would you compare the two? How would you choose between the two

[@GuyKesTV]

Druid is a kilo heavier and there's more growl from the roller so it's not as efficient for long / fast pedals. The geometry of the Druid isn't as long, slack and low either. Stumpy suspension is a lot more neutral too so the whole bike is more relaxed and passive in feel. Stumpy doesn't have that insanely addictive WTAF fired from a canon across the craziest trail sections or ride up everything like your tyres are made out of glue vibe that the Druid has though

[@alexdalton6390]

How does this compare to the fuel ex gen 6?

[@YanDoroshenko]

Are you going to review the alloy version? It seems to be out for some time now.

[@The.JZA.]

I suppose with the ability to tune the air volume in the Genie can, you can customise the ride to the trail but ultimately you are making a tradeoff and you will never find a setting that is perfect for all trails (as with any suspension tuning). So you can either have a fully plush and active shock with less pop OR a very poppy and taught shock which is less plush or somewhere in between. I think it's smart to ship the bike with one spacer because it gives you that super plush feeling right off the bat and then you can customise from there. I should get my Expert model next week (fingers crossed). Can't wait to try it out.

[@paulharrison9570]

Hope to see you review the alloy version soon

[@GuyKesTV]

@@paulharrison9570 hopefully getting it later this month

[@CourtyardPigeon]

I have the 2022 Stump Pro and I love it.....I really like the color of this new one and some of the small changes, but for $9k again I think I'll just hold onto my 2 year old bike...

[@YanDoroshenko]

Came home 15 minutes ago from riding my Evo. Can't see a way how it could be improved. Maybe with a better rider.

[@GuyKesTV]

If you don’t feel the burning need to adjust your shock a lot then Evo basically gives you everything this bike does

[@johnnnewmex]

For me the Evo suspension was too soft and could have been a bit more efficient pedaling but I agree it was/is an excellent piece of engineering. And I liked the longer chainstays on the Evo.

[@GuyKesTV]

@@johnnnewmex You'd love what you can do with the Genie shock then, glad we finally found someone who wouldn't be fine just sticking with Evo 🤣

[@brian6speed]

Charley Murray is winning enduro races on the Evo this year.

[@mudkayak6305]

more seat tube insertion, centered shock and linkage

[@thestrengthfactory.]

Love the look of this bike. Really hope they do an alloy one too.

[@MP19861]

Me too. I only buy alloy. It's just safer and lasts longer.

[@GuyKesTV]

Patience is a virtue 🤫

[@flow2tech]

@@MP19861 Thats simply not true .. My cousin still rides a 2011 santa cruz blur i sold him in 2014 that i rode the living shit our of... He still shreds it to this day as a weekend warrior... Thats a 2011 carbon bike.. Carbon has come a long way since then and it's still going..

[@MP19861]

@@flow2tech I hope you're right. I've had the opposite experience.

[@The.JZA.]

If you look closely in the marketing videos, you can actually see an alloy one in one of the shots. It's coming.

[@paulgrimage]

Pivot Switchblade, Firebird, or this Stumpy. Some are saying SB is not great geo and FB pedals just as well and is more capable down and worth the slight efficiency hit. Seems like a tank but could probably get it close to the SJ weight. Pivot seems to build more refined bikes with better QC. Coming off a 2018 Mach 5.5. Thoughts? Want 29. My bike has served me well. Climb a fair bit but also dabbing my toes into bike park/mtb adventure vacations. 🤔

[@GuyKesTV]

@@paulgrimage to be honest with you mentioning climbing and efficiency as key areas I think you might struggle with the stumpy. It climbs fine but not with the same crisp, clean feel of a Pivot. I’ve not ridden the Firebird I’m afraid but the Switchblade would definitely be on the outer edge of its comfort zone with park style riding. One other bike I’d maybe look at is the Santa Cruz Hightower. Go for the latest V4 one if you want more bike park vibe that still pedals well or pick up the V3 at a discount if you want a more lifted/Pivot style vibe for really attacking the climbs. You get internal storage and a lifetime warranty for less money with SC too. Hope that helps

[@kevincross9206]

Spesh always seemed to get knocked, but the Stumpy is a classic - love it or hate it. The fact that they can improve it model on model has to be applauded.

[@GuyKesTV]

Very true, and the team who work there are all super decent and their customer service is second to none. They’ve certainly made some heavy duty corporate decisions in the past though and I’m one of plenty of people who’s had a legal letter served on them 🤣

[@kevincross9206]

@@GuyKesTV whoops! 🤭. I used to work in the trade, and their warranty cover was legendary (positive).

[@GuyKesTV]

@@kevincross9206 I used to work in a Spesh dealer in 1990-92 and we hated how generous their warranties were even with clear abuse cases 🤣

[@princeofzion]

Love your bike review vids!!! Travel is similar to the Hightower. How do they compare?

[@joeysmith5392]

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this too!

[@egpro39]

Wow, beautiful bike. Wheres the trails? Looks amazing.

[@GuyKesTV]

Cowichan Bay in Canada

[@Milessongs]

Nice high notes, Guy! More singing….?😊

[@GuyKesTV]

I think you're alone wanting more singing from me mate 🤣

[@YanDoroshenko]

​@@GuyKesTVHe's not.

[@ferencvarju651]

I’m a bit sad that it lost its unique look, it kinda looks like every other mountain bike now. seems to be a killer trail bike anyway. 👌

[@kentao4]

Hi Guy. I know how you feel about the regular previous stumpy. I currently own the stumpy evo but searching for something as a bigger rider 6 ft 2 and 220 lbs. does this big pedal better than the regular stumpy? I went from 2019 stumpy that sucked at pedaling single track for a long time to an epic evo where I wanted more travel then to the stumpy evo which pedals better than the 2019 and not as good as the previous epic evo. As a quiver killer for someone who rides mostly single track but has access to trails like on this video, would you go with the 15, grab a previous stumpy pro on sale 2700 usd off (that’s a lot of a discount), or new epic evo? I can have ONE bike. I’m over 40 so big drops aren’t really it for me right now but if I do one every once in a while, the bike has to handle it. And if I go previous stumpy pro, would changing to a different rear shock change your mind on the bike? HELP! Sidenote: none of the shops in my area have all of the bikes available in s5 so I can’t compare them. I need someone who has ridden them all. I want something that doesn’t bob much when pedaling but can take 5-8 ft drops without issue.

[@GuyKesTV]

@@kentao4 what’s your issue with your current Evo? I’m thinking that with lighter but still tough wheels (like Traverse II) would be my choice. New Epic Evo is awesome but that flex stay rear end would have a job staying controlled if you got a drop / jump a bit wrong at 220lbs. Front end is defo stiff enough though

[@kentao4]

@@GuyKesTVI think it’s is sluggish. If I want to pedal more than maybe 8 miles, it’s a lot. I’ve even put carbon controls on it. It’s still heavy! It’s a lot of bike for where we moved to. Where I’m at, there’s no significant reward of pointing back down. It’s ALL pedaling. Definitely over biked. The 23 stumpy has carbon traverses in its stock config. I would simply use the controls on that. Use the traverses when I get to the function stuff.

[@GuyKesTV]

@@kentao4 I don’t think you’ll find the Stumpy 15 much of an improvement TBH but your answer makes it sound like the Epic Evo will suit you really well. That’s an absolute joy to pedal

[@kentao4]

@@GuyKesTV thank you sir!

[@GuyKesTV]

@@kentao4 no worries chief, let me know how you get on 🤘🏻

[@nl3712]

Tough day in the office? Those trails looks AWESOME

[@GuyKesTV]

Amazing couple of days, trails were incredible

[@clipsandstrapsjounal]

That sounds a lot like an old fox AVA sleeve from years ago, but a few steps on.

[@GuyKesTV]

Yes, and a similar sort of thinking to DRCV by Trek but done a lot simpler

[@xj96jeeping]

How does it compare to the status?

[@IIISentorIII]

🙈

[@Doggepp]

Looks very nice, and probably very fun to ride! I had hoped they made two versions, one even burlier than the last gen Evo, since they no longer sell the Enduro. But, I guess I have to look elsewhere for a burly bike!

[@GuyKesTV]

New Enduro has to be incoming soon

[@Doggepp]

@@GuyKesTV Haha, you probably know that more than me. I am a spesh fan, have their current epic 8, and had a stumpy evo up until recently. Want an enduro bike now, but if they dont release one for this season, i'll have to go with something else unfortunately

[@GuyKesTV]

@@Doggepp I’m not rad enough to be on the insider list for Enduro, but I’ll see what I can find out 👍🏻

[@rookieboy9203]

@@GuyKesTVThe product lifecycle on the Enduro has to be a record. Even the Enduro team has ditched that bike.

[@bpisan]

Ditching the Evo model just reinforces my opinion they should have ditch the Epic Evo as well and went back to the Camber model. Epic>Camber>Stumpjumper>Enduro

[@marksandoval5361]

They do produce the Camber but it is now called the Epic 8 (not Evo).

[@nl3712]

That actually makes a lot of sense

[@GuyKesTV]

Yeah, when you put it like that it's weird they kept Epic Evo but ditched Stumpy Evo

[@peterhayden3037]

Epic>Chisel FS>Stumpy>Enduro

[@mitchsargent5543]

I've watched probably 10 different reviews and asked the same question without one response, "Is this new shock better than an air shock with a piggy back? Or why is it better (other than just being lighter)".

[@GuyKesTV]

Sorry Mitch, missed this. The 'gain' here is being able to change the way the first 70% of the stroke feels. Basically you can set it up so it mimics a standard can, a larger can or get close to a coil feel depending on how many spacers you have in there. If you're not interested in that though and are happy with how your chosen piggy shock feels then there's no 'gain' there though. In terms of how it handles heat it actually doesn't work as well as a piggyback because it obviously has less oil volume. Specialized say they never got it hot enough to make a noticeable difference in testing but I can't confirm that as I've not hammered it down an alp repeatedly. They've spent a lot of time on the shock design and materials to minimise drag and TBF it feels really good in terms of smoothness. Any new design is potentially going to introduce new reliability / manufacturing issues, but then Fox piggyback shocks don't exactly have the best reputation there either. In short, it's only 'better' if you want more adjustability in stroke feel and can't get that with your bike in another way. You could say the same about the amount of geo adjust on the frame too. So if you're like, nah, not for me, take a look at the Canyon Spectral and save yourself a bunch of cash as that feels super similar to the new Stumpy before you start messing around with things. You're now going to ask me if that spring loaded steering thing on the Spectral is 'better' aren't you? 🤣

[@mitchsargent5543]

@@GuyKesTV Thanks so much for the reply. That makes a lot of sense!

[@highlandhillwalkin]

the geometry is very close to the Whyte s120 , even looks like one.

[@GuyKesTV]

Yep, that bike was so far ahead of it's time, though the S-150 was even closer

[@highlandhillwalkin]

@@GuyKesTV yes I'm only saying as I have the s120 and when I seen the new stumpjumper it looks identical to mine so I checked the geometry , I wonder how the s150 with the latest fork and shocks would compare with this stumpjumper.

[@GuyKesTV]

@@highlandhillwalkin that’d be a really interesting video to do. Ill see if I can find a 150 in good nick 👍🏻

[@Lenser]

Why doesnt the Trance X get even a fraction of the attention the Stumpjumper gets?

[@marksandoval5361]

Specialized decided to combine the 130/140mm travel Stumpy and the 150/160mm travel Stumpy Evo, so they created the a 145/150mm travel new Stumpy. Who could of seen that coming besides everybody. In my opinion, they should have just kept the 150/160 travel Stumpy Evo and dumped the 130/140 travel Stumpy. They should have at least made the new Stumpy come stock with a 160mm fork. Is the new Stumpy better than the old Stumpy Evo? I'm doubtful. Specialized just dumped the Stumpy Evo which was one of the best Trailbikes Specialized ever made. There's an old saying, if it ain't broke don't fix it. Mountain bike companies only need 2 Trailbikes. The first would be the 120/120 travel Downcountry bike. The second would be the 150/160 travel All-mountain bike. Anything in between is a waste of bike.

[@YanDoroshenko]

Good is the enemy of great. Which also means great is the enemy of good. But I don't disagree. I love my Evo to death and personally would also prefer the 160 fork on the new one.

[@rookieboy9203]

Totally agree but I have not ridden this 15. I love my EVO LTD and can’t find any reason logical reason to buy this product yet I probably will.

[@GuyKesTV]

It’ll be really interesting to see how it sells compared to EVO

[@Intentsrig]

Gotta disagree. My regular 140/130 stumpy is my go to bike for most trails. It’s under 28lbs but has the geometry to handle rougher/ steeper trails. Not at the same speed as a full on enduro bike of course. It’s just so versatile.

[@MBerning4009]

@@Intentsrig this exactly

[@jimc5696]

All those words and comments - yet not a single thing he didn’t like? Not even one??

[@GuyKesTV]

It's a pretty hard bike to fault in my opinion. Obviously the wireless only routing isn't for everyone and you might not want the adjustability of the geo and the shock in which case save yourself some money and buy a Canyon Spectral. The only really weird choice was the textured paint which made putting frame protection on a nightmare but I don't think that made it onto production bikes. If you want to hear me put the boot in on a Specialized then check out the Epic World Cup reviews but otherwise they're doing some really good bikes this year. Pretty ballsy too when most people are just waiting for all the discount bikes to finally get sold through the system before launching new stuff

[@proProcrastinatooor]

Nobody cares about the bike, tell us more about the Specialized socks)

[@GuyKesTV]

What those creamy ones? BIG regrets about wearing those, had to dump some video clips as they looked so bad 🤣

[@proProcrastinatooor]

Yea creamy is no go. They look white on my device. ​@@GuyKesTV