Mountain Biking - Tried a Stumpjumper FSR for a day and...

...I hated the thing. Total crap for climbing, I had to have my nose 2 inches from the bars to keep the front wheel from coming up on every pedal-stroke - The cockpit felt ridiculously short (I rented a 19" - I'm 5'11.5)...The first part of the ride (Tahoe Flume) was lots of climbing so I waited for the descent to pass judgement. And I still didn't like it. Felt mushy, sluggish, and unresponsive. The shop I rented from set it up for my weight, so I don't think improper setup was the problem. For as much as I hear people talk about how great the FSR stuff is, that was a real let down. I went on a ride earlier today and borrowed a friends '97 Hardrock and liked it immensely better. Maybe I'm just a hardtailer for life.

Here is the one I rode:

http://www.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/2006/bikes/06SJFSRComp_Blu_l.jpg
http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=12790

Perhaps it just isnt the right bike for you, I liked the one I rode and I also liked the fuel 80 from trek that I tried out . Both felt like confident bikes to me, The shop probably gave you an in general setup for your weight but they cant set it up for your style of riding, If I was you I would try again and adjust it to the way I like it. Not many fsr bikes will climb like a hardtail anyway, perhaps that is what your used to?

Good thing I went on the Fuel =D

That's odd, the Stumpy FSR is the only full suss I've actually liked, let alone been able to tolerate! Granted they did a lot of work setting it up for me on the test ride, but I really had fun with it. I tried a Fuel EX 8 and.. hated it ;). That puts it mildly.

Regardless, I still like hardtails better. Local shop has a hardtail Stumpjumper Comp disc that they keep marking down. It goes below $1000 and it's MINE.

Good think I went on the Fuel =D


Good thing I went for the Kona :D

LoL

I have to ask a couple of questions:

Have you ever owned a dually, or ridden one longer than a spiratic day here and there?

If all that you're used to is a hardtail (HKEK, Bruiser) then I'd say you need to give it a couple of days before you make a decision. Reason being is that you will eventually get used to the "squishy" feeling that you've never felt before and not notice it anymore. As far as having to keep your nose 2" off the bar...try scooting forward or standing up next time. I'd probably increase the preload in the suspension too.

If you had the shop set it up for rider weight as you say...then you are not experienced enough to be able to judge this bike. (no offense intended) I'm not defending it...per se. I don't own any Specialized bicycles. I just say that because it would be a cold day in hell when I let the LBS set up my suspension to "rider weight" and be content. Dual suspension is a very personal thing.

I have a 5" travel trail bike and I have it set up just a teeny bit squishy because I love to look out and see little rocks / roots, but not feel them at all when I roll over them.

For climbing, I scoot forward instead of down close to the bar. I'm forward just far enough that my back tire doesn't break loose. Where was the "Propedal" switch set at?

I have ridden the Stumpy that you are talking about and it's a nice ride. I'm sorry you didn't like it. Since you're so used to hardtails, maybe you should check out the Giant Anthem. It has a more stretched out cockpit and shorter travel.

The whole world can't be wrong. It seems like everyone else loves it.

See if you can take it out for more than a day at a time.

Cheers!

You should have tried out an Epic. We got one in the shop a few days ago, the thing is sick, with Specialized's Brain. Rides like a hardtail until you come up on a bump :)

Hey Matt, are the Epics heavy? What is the weight on those things?

Hey Matt, are the Epics heavy? What is the weight on those things?

They're not heavy at all. We have the Epic rim brake, I'll weigh it today and get back to ya.

Cool thanks. I'll come back here and look for your reply. :)

Sadly there aren't many shops around where I am who are running demos. I would love to try out an Epic, FSR or something full-squish from Kona, GT, Trek or Giant........

The only bike of that caliber I've tried was the Cannondale Prophet. Not bad but it didn't handle as well as I expected for a 2500 dollar bike. A second opinion might be in order here though..........

Yet another bike that has gotten rave reviews from everyone whom I have talked to that's ridden it. Maybe it's just not the bike for you. Maybe it handles the way it's supposed to, but it doesn't fit your style / comfort zone.

The longer travel Prophet, Stumpy, Reign, Dakar XLT and such are probably a little slacker than alot of hardtail people are used to. They are used to steeper, quick turning and snappy rides and expect a 5" travel bike to behave the same way. Hardtail riders would probably be happier on a Rush, Epic, Anthem, Dakar XC shorter travel quick handler with a longer cockpit and laid out like a racer.

The shorter more relaxed cockpit is for bumpin' around the woods doin' small hucks, as is the longer travel and slacker angles.

Chelboed makes some good points, it took me many rides before I worked how I wanted the shock set up, I actually like it pretty stiff and responsive and have the propedal set on the highest (stiff) setting... it soaks up the hits, but I can also feel what the bike is doing...

My FS of choice was the Giant Anthem 2, but I built up a superlight for $600 cheaper(money won)... I use it mainly to race & although I love the look of hardtails & the kind of purist thing about them (I ride my HT often) - on technical, knarly terrain the FS is faster & more fun (I feel)...

I alter my preload to my mood. Right now I have it squishy, but on days that I feel more efficient and strong...I add 10psi to my rear shock and 6 clicks of preload on my fork. It seriously becomes a COMPLETELY different ride. You'd be surprised at the difference from 155psi to 165psi in how much more efficient the rear end becomes.

It still soakes up all the medium and big hits...I can just feel the trail a tiny bit more.

With the more relaxed squish setup that I'm running right now, I'm riding on a cloud.

Cool thanks. I'll come back here and look for your reply. :)

Weighed in at about 23.5 lbs.

Weighed in at about 23.5 lbs.


:eek: NO WAY!!!

that is very light !!! what size was it ?

Weighed in at about 23.5 lbs.

Something isn't adding up, A stumpjumper hardtail weighs 24, my Epic comp is 27. I must have some Missouri blood in me Matt.... Show me!;)

try a bigger size...my daughter rides a SJ FSR and tells me its the best bike she has ever had under her...fits perfectly, climbs like a goat, and flys down th hills through the roots and rocks we ride up here...she has tried her SO's Trek Liquid, her mom's Santa Cruz Blur, and my Ellsworth Id and tells us that the SJ is the pick of the litter.

so i guess its a personal thing...here's the one she rides with us:

Weighed in at about 23.5 lbs.

That doesn't sound right, was that with pedals? A lot of people spend a lot of money on their epic's to get them that light. Most stock epics I have seen come in in the 26 - 29 pound range. They are not known to be a light bike until you get to the top of the line epics. Then you are going to be paying $5,500 - $7,000.

My friend's Epic feels about 1 or 2 pounds heavier than my 26.5 pound Trek.

try a bigger size...my daughter rides a SJ FSR and tells me its the best bike she has ever had under her...fits perfectly, climbs like a goat, and flys down th hills through the roots and rocks we ride up here...she has tried her SO's Trek Liquid, her mom's Santa Cruz Blur, and my Ellsworth Id and tells us that the SJ is the pick of the litter.

so i guess its a personal thing...here's the one she rides with us:


... can i be a part of your family?

and if so, what bike would i get? ;)

I bought a 2006 FSR Stump in April. I thought, which the trails I rode, I needed an all-mountain bike. I bought the FSR to replace my 2002 Gary Fisher Sugar 3+ which is a cross-country bike. I'm not disappointed in the FSR - it's a dream descending (love the Pro-pedal shock and Fox fork) but I'm having trouble climbing as well and it's because I bought too much bike then I was ready to handle. I find myself more and more riding my Stumpjumper M4 HT which is lighter, quicker and a true climber. My dream would be to climb with the HT and then have someone waiting on the top of the hill with the FSR so I can ride it down.

Again The FSR is a good bike but the longer travel takes some getting use to. I just need to keep working at it and hopefully my skill will match the bike's!!!

My friend bought an S-Works Stumpy FSR recently. It was damn hard riding with him the first month. He went from a hardtail 29er to the Stumpy. He was cussing up a storm and was a general drag there for a bit. He's getting better with it, but for the most part, he's back to where he was with the 29er. Hopefully another month or so of riding it will help him get to the next level which is what he was looking for. There is something to be said about test riding before you buy. Especially when you drop major cash like my friend did.

I bought a 2006 FSR Stump in April. I thought, which the trails I rode, I needed an all-mountain bike. I bought the FSR to replace my 2002 Gary Fisher Sugar 3+ which is a cross-country bike. I'm not disappointed in the FSR - it's a dream descending (love the Pro-pedal shock and Fox fork) but I'm having trouble climbing as well and it's because I bought too much bike then I was ready to handle. I find myself more and more riding my Stumpjumper M4 HT which is lighter, quicker and a true climber. My dream would be to climb with the HT and then have someone waiting on the top of the hill with the FSR so I can ride it down.

Again The FSR is a good bike but the longer travel takes some getting use to. I just need to keep working at it and hopefully my skill will match the bike's!!!

I have a 2005 Stumpy FSR 120 and, until I found out what the travel adjustment on the fork was for, I found climbing to be a chore. With a high front, it tends to lift the front on every pedal stroke. With the long fork and slack angle, it even climbs worse than my old rigid Miyata Ridge Runner, which was never a stellar climber;) When I lowered the front end to half travel or less, it climbs much, much better. It even climbs better than my hardtail (which is the same as yours).

I can easily see why Tag1 had problems.

I have a 2005 Stumpy FSR 120 and, until I found out what the travel adjustment on the fork was for, I found climbing to be a chore. With a high front, it tends to lift the front on every pedal stroke. With the long fork and slack angle, it even climbs worse than my old rigid Miyata Ridge Runner, which was never a stellar climber;) When I lowered the front end to half travel or less, it climbs much, much better. It even climbs better than my hardtail (which is the same as yours).

I can easily see why Tag1 had problems.

+1 on the fork travel adjustment.

I have the 06 StumpyFSR comp. Depending on trail/number of climbs I have the fork set about 100 or 90 on the travel. When I test rode the bike climb might be an issue. These bikes are almost wheelie machines. Last bike I remember having such easy at wheelies/manuals was my old Schwinn Scrambler when it still had the banana seat.

+1 on the fork travel adjustment.

I have the 06 StumpyFSR comp. Depending on trail/number of climbs I have the fork set about 100 or 90 on the travel. When I test rode the bike climb might be an issue. These bikes are almost wheelie machines. Last bike I remember having such easy at wheelies/manuals was my old Schwinn Scrambler when it still had the banana seat.

I spent my first hard climb with my nose touching the stem to keep the front end down. Then I read the manual and a bulb went off in my head! I climb much better now ;)

I don't do so good with wheelies every since I poked the brake lever handle of my brother's bike through my leg below my right knee. I was only about 9 at the time and our country doctor didn't think that kids younger than 22 or 23 felt pain so the old bastard tried to sew it up without numbing it! I think he got one stitch out of 5 before the screaming got too loud for him. Kinda put me off trying to learn to wheelie.

The next someofa***** that tried to do something to a open wound on my knee without numbing it first nearly go his head kicked in! If a nurse hadn't grabbed my leg before it hit his head, I was gonna put him through a wall! Damn that hurts!

I flipped the Stem on my '05 stumpy FSR Comp, and it made a big difference in climbing, which was nice because the manitou black fork isn't much for tuning. The bike requires a good match between front and rear suspension settings, but when you get it right, it'll climb like a goat. The bike favours spinning in a climb, as opposed to standing, but that may be because I'm too big (heavy) for the stock fork.

Propedal works like a charm; hooks up on nearly any terrain, (wet sand, pea gravel, rubble) and stays hooked. Roots, rocks not a problem, but an ability to lock out the fork would help when making momentum shifts while climbing

I do have the fork adjusted down so I don't have the bouncing/bobbing problem some do on climbing. I think the bike is a tad heavy for me and I just don't (yet) have the strength to push this bigger bike up the hills. It's just a matter of time and adjustment and I figure by fall, I won't have too much trouble.

I do love Propedal. Pretty much the shock stays there up or down hill. I tried full squishy downhill once and it freaked me out. Guess I need to get use to that as well. Little by little - of course, doesn't help I keep riding the HT (which I do love so it's hard to put away).

But I think it's a good bike. Many of my friends and other folks I've met, ride one of the FSRs and love the bike. Eventually once I start riding the bike more, I'll upgrade the wheels and brakes, put on a King headset and go full XT, but for now my basic FSR is a good ride for the money.

You guys quit yer griping. Do a 5 or 6 mile climb on my Bullit, then that stumpy will feel like a road bike.

26 lbs for a full suspension bike!!! I have a 37 lbs hardtail and it rides like rocket, imagine epic!!

That doesn't sound right, was that with pedals? A lot of people spend a lot of money on their epic's to get them that light. Most stock epics I have seen come in in the 26 - 29 pound range. They are not known to be a light bike until you get to the top of the line epics. Then you are going to be paying $5,500 - $7,000.

I guess the shop's scale is tweeked. I'll re weigh it in the morning, and make sure it's the scale.

Any bike you ride once you will not like. It always just fells different. Also any stock size of bike will never fit you correctly, sure you can make do. But something as simple as a stem change may make the difference between a bike sucking, and it fitting you like a glove. These are all things to consider when taking a bike on a demo ride, and why most shops don't offer this service. Say the tires the bike comes with are 1.9" race tires when you are used to 2.3" knobbies. Well OF COURSE it feels different. And with any suspension bike it take a week(if not longer) to set up the suspension correctly. You don't simply put in air and call it done.

That's odd, the Stumpy FSR is the only full suss I've actually liked, let alone been able to tolerate! Granted they did a lot of work setting it up for me on the test ride, but I really had fun with it. I tried a Fuel EX 8 and.. hated it ;). That puts it mildly.

Regardless, I still like hardtails better. Local shop has a hardtail Stumpjumper Comp disc that they keep marking down. It goes below $1000 and it's MINE.

Rockhopper for me, almost done I agree about hardtails. nothing climbs like a hardtail. It will be done end of next week :)

Does anybody know about the GT idrive bike designs that are meant to reduce the effects of suspension bobbing? Has anybody put one of these bikes to the test?

I just bought a Stumpy FSR Comp Medium and had no problems climbing with it. I like it alot. It handles pretty well and is pretty fast.