trainchaser

So, yesterday morning, after reading another owner's observations on his new Specialized Crosstrail Comp Disc here on the hybrid forum, I went to the 'Spesh' website to take an online peek and started making comparisons to my own bike which can often be a dangerous and expensive thing to do. Later that morning I just happened to be near my local Specialized dealer and went in to look at a 2015 Crosstrail Comp Disc in person. Seeing as I was the owner of a Crosstrail Sport Disc, I inquired if they took trade-ins. "Yes", the guy said, "and we'll offer you a good dollar for your bike as they're quite popular" I took a new Comp Disc out for a spin and was immediately sold, went home and brought my 2013 Sport Disc in, we worked out the deal and I left with a new ride on my bike rack.

They may look similar but that's basically all they have in common. The lighter aluminum used in the Comp frame, the compact double chainring with ten speed cassette and the higher spec all Shimano componentry combine to give this bike a vastly better feel and ride than what my Sport disc provided. I've had it out several times now and it's really is a much nicer handling bike. One of the bike mechanic types at the store told me the Comp and Expert models are a full 5 lbs lighter than the Elite and Sport Disc models and I can definitely feel it. It's not just lifting the bike but how much nicer the handling feels. It's so easy to fling this thing around compared to my Sport Disc that often felt ponderous in its handling. The brakes seem to have more 'feedback' to them and have more than ample stopping power. The gear changers feel very precise and there's quite a difference between using a twin vs a triple chainring, I used to think that was all hype but now I know why they're saying the triple chainrings will soon be museum exhibits - not my words but those I've read by others on these forums. Other little things make it nicer too, like internal cable routing and the remote front shock lockout that I'll enjoy instead if having to stop and change it manually.

I'll have to wait and see if I can tell a difference in how the newer shock with its 'custom Multi-Circuit Damping' works and feels but it seems to do an admirable job so far. I did replace the grips on the new bike with the Ergon GP5's I had on my Sport Disc along with changing the seat for the older one as well, the stock Targa is too narrow for my physique.
I only have one thing to carp about and that is the choice of the color scheme for this bike. Why all black? It is virtually black on black with a few small touches of gray sprinkled to alleviate the black totality. The factory could have saved money by not bothering with attaching the name as you can't even see it on the bike.
With that picky little point off my chest I can say that I'm eagerly looking forward to spending some quality time with my new quality bike, I'll keep you all posted.

ColdCase

Nice... how did your LBS route the front brake hose, via the little clip on the fork or via a wire tie to the cross brace? Seems like there is different routing on all crosstails, just like different bars. I was wondering why my LBS wire tied the tube to the cross (fender) brace thing and I moved it to the clip to be more like the photos (looks neater to me). But I can see where the brake tube in this position rubs against the stem, probably not a good thing in the long term. Haven't been back to the shop to ask them.

trainchaser

Hi, mine has the brake line via the clip on the top of the fork. Not sure I see just how it would interfere or rub against the stem, I'll have to keep my eyes open for that while riding and let you know. cheers, enjoy your new ride...!!

prj71

Has this been verified anywhere? I assume it's because of A1 aluminum vs. the M4 aluminum or are there lighter components on the Comp?

I just recently bought a Crosstrail disc ($600 model) because it was what I could afford, but I wouldn't mind upgrading it in a year when I have some more $$$ available.

trainchaser

Hi, the bike mechanic I was working with weighed them in the store so they know the actual differences. The M4 aluminum alloy is lighter and I'd assume that some of the higher line components are lighter as well, both the Comp and the Expert have compact double chainrings as opposed to the larger and heavier triple on the other bikes so they're lighter for no other reason than there's less metal being used. The rims and the seat tube are distinctly different and maybe they use lighter handle bars, the only thing that appears to be the same throughout the line are the tires.

prj71

Thanks for the info. Guess I'll upgrade to the lighter bike later.

What I found interesting about my crosstrail model is that it that all of more expensive crosstrail bikes have a lower stem angle and lower rise bars. Mine stem is 10 degrees with 25mm riser bars. The rest of the line is 6 degree stem with 15mm riser bars. I like the fit on mine better.

travbikeman

Thanks for the info! Although I really like my Sport disc, I have pondered the upgraded versions with the 10 speed rear cassette and all the other upgrades that come with it.

I totally agree though with the triple chain ring though. I've tried the granny gear once and have never used it since. Complete waste in my opinion.

ColdCase

They also have different up sweeps. Seems like every model has a different combo of stem angle, rise, back and up sweep.

trainchaser

...not sure what the reasoning is for this, not sure you'd ever be able to find out, they also make changes from year to year as well, I was looking at the 2014 Comp and the drive train component specs are totally different from the 2015. As for the handle bar difference I'm finding the new Comp to actually fit me better, the lower rise and less sweep allow me a more stretched out position which is probably good for me as I'm long in the torso. I also adjusted the seat height up by a half inch and that has improved the fit as well.