TerryLi

Anyone know when and why specialized changed the frames on these bikes? Just bought a 2017-framed bike after also riding a 2016 framed bike. I noticed in this process that the earlier bike (mechanical disc) had narrow stays heading into the cassette while the newer bike which was also hydraulic disc had wider stays. I also noticed that the headset on the earlier bike was over an inch shorter than the newer bike. Made me wonder when these changes occurred and for what reason they were done. I believe the both bikes were 2016 versions but one was built in June and the other in October. So it appears the frames changed sometime in that period.

Also, the older frame had external cables while the newer frame had cables that were routed into the frame.

Doctor Morbius

Unless someone with insider knowledge posts an answer, any response you get will be conjecture.

My guess is the bike manufacturers are trying to figure out which components matched with which frames will yield the highest margins.

Skipjacks

One thing for CERTAIN, is that any changes were done for a specific reason.

It costs a lot of money to make a design change and retool a factory to accommodate those changes.

So if they were willing to do that, they had a good reason.

The two reasons a company makes design changes are...

1) It's cheaper to do it the new way
2) It improves the product, therefor increases sales / brand quality