Specialized StumpJumper VS Transition Spur! The Shootout between Downcountry and Trail Bikes

Comparing a 120mm front and rear Spur to a 140/130mm Stumpjumper, what makes each one better, and even each one worse? Check out Dialed MTB's first rides one each of these bikes here:
• 2022 Transition Spur |...
• 2022 Specialized Stump...

[@Cj-nd3nv]

Hope you get to read this - Great vid, probably the best comparison vid, I've seen. Do the same format comparison between the Spur and its brother, the 2023 Smuggler!

[@dialedmtb]

Hey! Thank you I appreciate it! I would like to but I don’t have the Spur anymore sadly.

[@nl3712]

Thanks for the comments about the Stumpy’s climbing - much appreciated

[@dialedmtb]

Of course! Hope you enjoyed the content!

[@tinshield]

I have a 21 S-Works Stumpy I built up with XT, Fox 34 and We Are One Agent wheels. I have to say, it's the best bike I have owned, period. Long endurance rides are amazing on this bike and the front rear balance is fantastic, as is the geo. Bike excels in the New England singletrack I ride. Spur looks great but the lack of a flip chip would give me pause. I prefer a bit higher on the bottom bracket as there's lots of roots and rocks where I ride. The Stumpy is 5mm higher than the Spur in the high position.

[@dialedmtb]

You have a sweet bike!! But yeah the stumpy is for sure and awesome bike!!

[@nl3712]

Great feedback, thanks

[@lukelandis8129]

1200+ miles on my Spur so far. Still love it! I have overwhelmed it a few times on some really rocky trails in VA, but for Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio it kills. Perfect blend of XC and Trail.

[@dialedmtb]

Yep I would 100% agree with the bled of XC and Trail! It is an impressive bike for sure!

[@ivorubic204]

Great review as always!!! Thanks for giving your time to us! One suggestion, it would be great if you could put the numbers like times in the table (display on the screen when talking about it), also when comparing some of the specs of the bikes so that is easier to compare bikes in our minds :)

[@dialedmtb]

Thank you! I appreciate the feedback and will try to come up with something for the next one!

[@discostu333]

So basically more or less identical descending times but with noticeably better climbing performance + a more involved and fun ride going down. Yeah, there's a reason why preorders for the Spur are now backing up into 2023. Transition absolutely nailed it.

[@dialedmtb]

Yeah they definitely got this bike just about perfect! Transition is putting out all amazing bikes right now and I can’t wait to see what they have next! Possibly a new smuggler or something between the Spur and the Sentinel!

[@Notyourslave69]

I sell both at my shop and have ridden both. I would take my 22 SWorks SJ over the Spur.

[@user-xq5rp9fm1p]

@@Notyourslave69 why is that? I'm pretty torn between these 2 bikes...

[@Notyourslave69]

@@user-xq5rp9fm1p The extra 20mm in the front and 10mm in the rear feels so much better.

[@rlsedition]

@@Notyourslave69 Depends on where you ride. It's a trade-off for extra weight.

[@GokkunGuru]

Both are excellent bikes. Love the carbon frames.

[@dialedmtb]

100% both are amazing bikes!

[@nicholashines7686]

Man I want a Spur< great review. I just sold my Stumpy pro. I am waiting to see what Yeti does with the SB 115. I hear they are about to re-due all of their frames.

[@dialedmtb]

The Spur is awesome! But yeah I think the new yetis will come out in the August to October time frame and I think it will be a 120 this year. Should be rad!

[@fathertime209]

Two bikes I'm looking at.. thanks for the comparison. What area are you riding in? Looks fun!!

[@dialedmtb]

Can't go wrong with either one! But I am in Boise, Idaho!

[@clintondavies8098]

Why did you change the carbon wheels to aluminium? 🤔 and the axs to cable? 🤔 On the stumpjumper

[@dialedmtb]

AXS went on another bike, still X01 so I still think it works super well. as for the wheels, the carbon wheels that come on the stumpy pro are pretty heavy. the ones I put on there are about 1/3 of a pound lighter then those heavy carbon wheels that come on it.

[@clintondavies8098]

Another fantastic review great trails looked at the stumpjumper Pro yesterday no time to ride it are the sram g2 rsc brakes that bad? thats what's putting me off this bike I'm running shimano xt at moment keep the videos coming 😎

[@dialedmtb]

I appreciate it! I just come from a motocross background and I really like stronger brakes. So no the G2’s are not horrible and I bet 90% of people love them. Just to me I 100% prefer Shimano or Magura brakes.

[@clintondavies8098]

I come from a motocross background too so I know what you mean thanks for your advice 👍

[@mikemaldonado5499]

I have owned many of the top brand bikes i was able to finally get a transition spur and hands down the spur blew my mind incredible in all riding conditions and terrain. I have no interest of riding any other bike again. Every time i ride it it impresses me more every ride.

[@dialedmtb]

Yeah it’s a pretty dang rad bike!!

[@eric44707]

I’m enjoying your comparison videos. How would you compare those bikes to a similar spec pivot trail 429?

[@dialedmtb]

Thank you, I appreciate that! But sadly I have not been able to ride a trail 429 yet but from what I know I would say it would slot about perfectly in the middle of these two bikes for both the climbs and descents. I would assume it would be the most poppy and playful out of these 3, and would climb almost as well as the Spur, and better than the Stumpy. On the descent I would think its going to be more stable and planted than the Spur and be pretty similar to the Stumpy, especially if you get the enduro build.

[@rickymo76]

Great comparison/review! I'm in market for FS cross country/trail bike and my local shop has a Spur in stock...My size. Thing was beautiful and all reviews I've seen are real good. Might have to grab it! You ride it with stock aluminum wheels? If I get it I would be real tempted to throw on some carbon hoops :/

[@rickymo76]

My background was XC racing, mostly S works Epic FS (years ago) so thinking the Spur will be plenty plush compared to Epic from years back!

[@dialedmtb]

Hey! I think you would absolutely love the Spur, I ended up putting on the Ultralite 280 24 Hole Industry 9 carbon wheelset, Raceface next SL cranks and AXS. It is the fastest “trail-ish” bike I’ve ever ridden! Definitely has a lot of XC in its roots but just as much Trail. I have a final review coming in a few weeks and I think I actually said that I think this bike is for someone who is used to XC bikes or used to race and wants something that’s just a little more on the trail side without giving up too much climbing capabilities!

[@rickymo76]

@@dialedmtb Wow yea sounds sweet! Looking forward to next review, thanks man!

[@dialedmtb]

It should be out this month!

[@dialedmtb]

The new video dropped today!

[@christianjimenez6004]

Could you please let me know if both bikes use the same kind of wheels ?. Front hub 15x110 mm spacing and rear hub SRAM XD 12 mm thru-axle 148 mm spacing . Good review. Thanks a lot.

[@dialedmtb]

Yeah they are both the same size hub spacing front and rear, just like you said! Thank you!!

[@christianjimenez6004]

Thanks buddy. Cheers.

[@dialedmtb]

Of course!

[@eric44707]

Man I need a comparison video between the stumpy and the smuggler. Any input would be appreciated. I’m buying soon and can’t decide. No comparison videos in KZbin

[@dialedmtb]

So I have a bunch of comments on that if you want to browse through those. But they are SUPER similar. The Stumpy is just a tiny bit better of a climber, and the smuggler is just a tiny bit better of a descender. For the price right now I would for sure go with the Stumpy. The sales they have on it right now are super good.

[@dialedmtb]

I would also say the fit and finish of specialized is nicer than transition, plus the in frame storage is nice as well.

[@Jacob99174]

Man those mtb’s are DIALED!

[@dialedmtb]

Haha yeah they are! Thanks!

[@padraicbateman]

Climbing times mean nothing unless you're doing several rides in the same conditions (especially wind) with a power meter and same tires, and still I doubt you'll see any difference in the uphill when all this conditions are met since the extra weight would make no difference in such a short stretch of climbing

[@dialedmtb]

The Spur should be a faster climber in pretty much every scenario then the Stumpy.

[@padraicbateman]

@@dialedmtb Nope, that's what you'd want it to be but it doesn't match reality. At equal power and tires there would be basically no difference between both bikes. Given the stack heigh, the Spur would allow you to have a lower cockpit thus better aerodynamics in a XC situation but with the current setup you're not taking advantage of it so the difference between both bikes is negligible

[@dialedmtb]

So you have rode both bikes?

[@hotdealwire]

Yeah, other reviewers that mentions the spur and stumpjumper say the SJ is the better climber. Mtbyumyum is super picky about climbing efficiency and says the SJ is among the best in class for short travel trail bikes (he mentions the pivot 429 and the Ripley). Your claim that the Spur is 10% faster is probably wrong - you should test a few more times if you can.

[@dialedmtb]

For me the Spur was faster on every single climb. But each reviewer is different. But It would be absolutely crazy if anyone besides Jason (mtb yumyum) actually climbed faster on the same level build of each of those two bikes. The Spur should be faster one every climb, but the stumpy should be faster and more comfortable on pretty much any descent

[@ericbecker5755]

Where are you riding? Looks like some nice trails. I just got a 2022 S-works stumpy a d would love to try it out there.

[@dialedmtb]

Oh awesome! I bet you’re loving it! But this is at Eagle Bike park which is in Eagle just outside of Boise, ID

[@clintondavies8098]

Great review how does the transition spur compare with the yeti sb 115? 🤔

[@dialedmtb]

The Spur is definitely a lot better then the SB115, the SB115 needs a big change this year to be up there with the rest of the newer 120ish travel bikes coming out right now.

[@user-rj9ui3sz8u]

Im thinking of selling my Spur for a Stumpjumper as I want a little more comfort/plushness especially in the front. I find the front fork on the Spur not very forgiving in chunky stuff. What are your thoughts? thanks in advance.

[@dialedmtb]

I 100% agree, and I think that is why Transition has changed the forks to a Fox 34 now over the RS Sid. If you can get descent money for your spur and get a Stumpy on sale I would recommend it for sure if you're okay with giving up a tiny bit on the climbs.

[@user-rj9ui3sz8u]

@@dialedmtb I'm glad then if only giving up a tiny bit on the climbs. I think that's a good trade off. I also did a lower fork service and found out there was no oil in the fork! So now the SID is feeling better, not plush or anything but its more compliant. So far though I haven't got 1 phone call for my Spur. I guess there are too many sales now, darn it. Want that Stumpy!

[@dialedmtb]

Yeah the used market is tough right now, You will lose some money for sure now, its not like 2020-2022 anymore sadly.

[@clintondavies8098]

On the flat and down hill sections did you run the suspension wide open? 🤔

[@dialedmtb]

Both bikes were ran in the complete open setting on the suspension

[@JoshTaylor]

Try again with control tires? Great review!

[@dialedmtb]

I used the tires that come on each bike. No one wants to spend thousands of dollars on a bike then have to spend another $200 on tires.

[@JoshTaylor]

@@dialedmtb I think people considering an expensive and in demand bike such as the Spur likely already have their own pedal and grip preferences they transition over to their next bike. Same with tires. Browse a FB owner groups to see folks immediately swapping out tires on their new bike -- at leas that's what I see on the Stumpjumper and local riding groups. Anyway, enjoyed your content. Subscribed. Keep doing you!

[@dialedmtb]

Maybe one day one of the tire manufacturers will sponsor one of my “VS” videos haha. But yeah I do think it would be cool to do that, it’s expensive for me to do it and I have to buy everything I use, and also same as what I said, I also do like comparing them with what they come with as well. The tire combo on the spur would probably make the stumpy a little faster on the climb, would be interesting to do it for sure! But thank you, I appreciate it!!

[@JoshTaylor]

@@dialedmtb Will the wheels swap over as-is?

[@dialedmtb]

@@JoshTaylor I have to change the rotors. But then it would be putting heavier wheels on it. The spur has heavier wheels but lighter tires, and the stumpy in this video has lighter wheels but heavier tires.

[@TwowheeledadventureVT]

Have you reviewed the following V3?

[@dialedmtb]

I have not, I wish I was able to get one of those though!

[@sa1OO]

What do you think, a guy who is 5'9 and a half should get? a spur M or L?

[@dialedmtb]

Dang that is tough. If you’re riding more straight and fast terrain maybe a large. If it’s a little tighter and not quite as high of speed then probably a medium.

[@sa1OO]

@@dialedmtb haha got it. Probably M but I'll see. Also, how is the handling in the tight ,twisty spots? Is it easy to maneuver and is it sporty in those areas? I've heard ppl say it's not as sporty in tighter areas as a ripley but its really good bombing downhill. Is that Accurate?

[@walterkasper467]

What psi did you use on the stumpjumper. Front and rear Thanks

[@dialedmtb]

For suspension I ran what the Specialized suspension calculator said. For tires I ran 24 up front and 26 in the back.

[@walterkasper467]

When I used the recommended psi in the rear I had to much sag. When I went up in pressure to recommended sag it climbs much better had to go up about 15psi for 175lb rider Thanks for the great videos

[@dialedmtb]

Haha yeah you definitely still have an awesome bike!! No need to change any time soon!

[@MrVenomist]

specialized epic evo or transition spur?

[@dialedmtb]

Dang I haven’t been able to ride the Epic Evo, I think it would be a cool bike but I feel like I’d lean more towards the transition Spur or the Rocky Mountain Element

[@christianjimenez6004]

Would you take the stumpy or the spur to Moab trails ?.

[@dialedmtb]

So I have never been there but I’ve heard and seen videos of the trials. If it was me, I’d take the Stumpy for sure.

[@christianjimenez6004]

@@dialedmtb I have a dilema trying to chose between the Spur or the Stumpy pro . I live in Park City, Utah pretty much I ride on local trails 90% I don't jump or do any tricks but I like to climb and descend . Any suggestion?. I love your reviews. Thanks a lot 👍

[@dialedmtb]

Hey thank you for the support and glad you enjoy the videos! But honestly I would not have the Spur as my only bike. I would say its like 70-75% XC and 25-30% Trail. I like a more trail feeling bike for the comfort and fun of going down the hill. The stumpy pro on sale right now for like $6200 is absolutely an amazing deal and I would go with that. If price wasn't an issue I would go with the new Smuggler and put a light carbon wheelset on it. (Or even put a light carbon wheelset on the Stumpy also for better climbing since the carbon wheelset it comes with is not the lightest at all).

[@christianjimenez6004]

I think I'll go for the Stumpy, yeah I wish I have the money for the new transition bike but I'm pretty sure SJ is going to suit really well. Thanks again bro , you're the best 🤟🤟.

[@dialedmtb]

Yeah I’m excited to get out on the Smuggler to see if it’s better than the Stumpy. The Stumpy was such a good bike and the Geo is super similar between the two.

[@clintondavies8098]

It makes you wonder why these manufacturers are putting rubbish brakes on high end bikes? 🤔

[@dialedmtb]

The G2 RSC isn’t a low end brake, it’s just not as powerful of a brake as I’d like. I like SRAM’s drivetrains but not their brakes. A lot of people do like SRAM brakes though..

[@shamrock4840]

How do you get - pay for all these bikes?! Lol do you buy and then sell ?

[@dialedmtb]

Yep I buy them myself then sell them. My favorites stay around for a while longer though.

[@XCRiders]

On the spur you can’t concentrate to talk well It’s as if your pushing more effort

[@dialedmtb]

I was just going off of my heart rate, like I said in the video. Nothing super scientific.

[@SuperJimmy971]

What would make these bikes cost so much , 8k?!?

[@dialedmtb]

Carbon everything, wireless drivetrains and high end components. No you do not need any of it.

[@SuperJimmy971]

Forgot the carbon.

[@XCRiders]

Is the shocks and forks open?

[@dialedmtb]

On the climb no, on the descent yes.

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

👌👊😊 Subscribed

[@dialedmtb]

Thank you! I subscribed to you also!

[@JakeBrookesBiking]

@@dialedmtb thank you very much 👊😊