Specialized 2016 range

Giraffoto
Giraffoto Posts: 2,078
edited September 2015 in MTB general
The last two years we've had our friend Foy to comment on the new range of Specialized bikes, but since he's obviously sitting this one out I'll step up . . .

Bad
Rockhopper specs for this year are on a par with Hardrock specs for last year
The Hardrock spec has gone down to 7-speed Tourney and steel handlebars
No Crave in the UK!

Good
They all come with Specialized tyres
Fuse range looks very new and interesting
Top of the range models just get better and better
Smartweld technology
Edited to add: Handy compartment in the downtube on the top of the range Stumpjumper (07/09/15)
Specialized Roubaix Elite 2015
XM-057 rigid 29er

Comments

  • I heard the pricing will be dropped to put ze Germans out of business.
  • Overpriced but not all rubbish. Stumpjumper, enduro and demo are all very good bikes as long as you get one of the better builds.
  • kajjal
    kajjal Posts: 3,380
    The problem is the pricing, the bikes are OK but only worth buying second hand, on sale or if you are very tall.
  • I understand them being more expensive than German direct sales bikes but I don't see why they're so much more expensive than Trek or Giant. Their pricing is closer to Santa Cruz and while I think their full suspension frames are as good as Santa Cruz frames I don't think Specialized have a premium brand image like Santa Cruz.
    People keep buying them though so I guess it makes no sense for them to drop their prices.
  • We have joked at work that maybe Specialized are trying to send the Concept stores bust with their line up of sub-£2000 mountain bikes
  • They might be dreadful value but they sell by the shed load to people who don't know better and trust the Specialized brand. Most sell on cycle to work and never leave the tarmac (or garage) anyway.
  • lm_trek
    lm_trek Posts: 1,470
    Great range of bikes, but too expensive. Saying that bike prices seem to be rapidly rising every year. I was tempted to get the new camber but the basic model kicks off at £2k, when compared to a canyon nerve you just get more for your money and more choice, I can spend £1.5k on a good Nerve 650b'er and have money left over for a dropper post and a few nights in scotland to ride the bike.

    The other thing that's shows the dealers think the bikes are over priced, I contacted my LBS about this years camber evo as I wanted a small, they told me they couldn't get one but would offer me a new model at the discounted price of the 2015 model. I've never known that before!
  • There is certainly some extra value in a Specialized frame compared to a Canyon. The Canyons I have tried were a bit flexy and rather dull to ride. Specialized make some excellent frames. Still over priced though.
  • foy
    foy Posts: 296
    They were discounting the 2015 range from the beginning of april by 20% so it look like they have had a terrible year as this has never happened before in the companies history. The lower end bikes are terrible value for money, for example the rockhopper range now use A1 aluminium tubes which have been specced on the hardrocks for over 20 years now.
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Apart from a Tora equipped Hopper a few years ago, the entry level Spesh have been crap - and now they are even worse. But they sell because of the name. But it's not just Spesh, many others are bad, if not quite so bad as the Hardrocks and Hoppers. I know someone who took that 7 speed, tourney equipped, XCT forked bag of sh*te over the Rockrider 560, because 'Specialized have the quality'.
  • lm_trek
    lm_trek Posts: 1,470
    Just look at this years range the cambers start at £2k, yet out on the trails you still see the lower spec 26ers from 2012, they started at £1k for the basic one's back then, Less and less new speshi's seen in the wild as they are starting to price themselves out of the market.

    While not wanting to start another canyon thread, I am a convert to there bikes, we have 3 at home at the moment and the newer frames are great, as much as in my heart I want a new camber as my next bike in my head I know I can get a better spec'ed canyon at £500 less than the speshi.
  • kajjal
    kajjal Posts: 3,380
    I am guessing they will do the same as previous years. Price very high initially to catch those with money or little idea of what they are buying. Then the fake sale to catch some more and finally the sale we have now which brings the price closer to where is should have been in the first place.
  • In my opinion, Specialized bikes generally ride a lot better than their spec sheet would suggest they should. They do make some excellent frames. The Canyons I have ridden felt like the fancy parts were held back by the rather flexy frame and dead feeling rear suspension.
    Specialized are overpriced but I still see a lot more of them than Canyon/Rose/YT etc. Specialized probably make a lot more per bike so can afford to shift less units than they used to.
    You can usually find them discounted if you shop around.
  • sheepsteeth
    sheepsteeth Posts: 17,418
    I think specialized are very much a veblen brand.

    They are expensive because they are popular and they are popular because they are expensive.

    People could easily pick up a "better" bike for the same money but brands like voodoo and boardman dont have the same cachet as specialized.

    thing is, most people who ride bikes dont use this forum and as such buy either what they see most of or whatever the salesman advises them. most people dont analiyze bikes and their performance to the nth degree. they just get out and ride them. there might be a lesson there somewhere.

    Shocking news story: specialized are a business not a charity, they dont care about riding or riders, they care about money.
  • kajjal
    kajjal Posts: 3,380
    My current bike is a specialized Carve as being very tall they have the right size for me. It rides very well and I bought it after briefly looking at the specs of rockhoppers which seemed poor long term value for money at the time in comparison.

    Judging a bike purely by the spec sheet is not a good idea.
  • I think specialized are very much a veblen brand.

    They are expensive because they are popular and they are popular because they are expensive.

    People could easily pick up a "better" bike for the same money but brands like voodoo and boardman dont have the same cachet as specialized.

    thing is, most people who ride bikes dont use this forum and as such buy either what they see most of or whatever the salesman advises them. most people dont analiyze bikes and their performance to the nth degree. they just get out and ride them. there might be a lesson there somewhere.

    Shocking news story: specialized are a business not a charity, they dont care about riding or riders, they care about money.

    The magazines love them year in year out as well which helps. Everytime a picture of the latest Stumpjumper Pro appears on the front cover of MBUK winning trail bike of the year etc. Specialized must rub their hands together with glee and send them out another freebie test bike.
    http:\\www.thedecliningcyclist.wordpress.com
    One mans battle with mediocrity and his declining physical powers.........
  • The new Stumpjumper is ideal this time of year. The little stash compartment is ideal when you come across a patch of magic mushrooms on your route.
  • The new Stumpjumper is ideal this time of year. The little stash compartment is ideal when you come across a patch of magic mushrooms on your route.


    Would need to be a big patch before I stopped eating as I went along. Lol
  • The new Stumpjumper is ideal this time of year. The little stash compartment is ideal when you come across a patch of magic mushrooms on your route.


    Would need to be a big patch before I stopped eating as I went along. Lol

    Obviously I only pick them so I can safely dispose of them before some misguided young person decides to misuse them.
  • lm_trek
    lm_trek Posts: 1,470
    On the subject of the new stumpy, I went and had a guilty look at the new speshi's in my local concept store, the stumpy 29er is such a nice bike to ride. There is just something about the bikes they may be under spec and overpriced but they do have a unique feel to the ride they just feel well sorted in every area.

    They have a range of fatbikes which surprised me, especially in an inner city concept store, I expect to see them in trail center shops but not as you walk in, they also sell a boat load of road bikes, the amount all labelled up sold in the shop was at least over 50!
  • On the subject of the new stumpy, I went and had a guilty look at the new speshi's in my local concept store, the stumpy 29er is such a nice bike to ride. There is just something about the bikes they may be under spec and overpriced but they do have a unique feel to the ride they just feel well sorted in every area.

    They have a range of fatbikes which surprised me, especially in an inner city concept store, I expect to see them in trail center shops but not as you walk in, they also sell a boat load of road bikes, the amount all labelled up sold in the shop was at least over 50!

    You were surprised that a Specialized Concept store stocked the whole Specialized range of bikes and in all specs and sizes? I'd be surprised if they didn't.
    supersonic wrote:
    I think we can judge this by spec lol:

    <span class="skimlinks-unlinked">http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/hardrock-disc-650b-2016-mountain-bike-ec120964</span&gt;

    Like a trip back to 2001.

    What price is that in the UK - I click on the link and it says 333 quid on my screen in Canada but I am thinking there is some tax missing on that number and some other costs! Pretty cruddy spec though for sure.
    Closet jockey wheel pimp whore.
  • What price is that in the UK - I click on the link and it says 333 quid on my screen in Canada but I am thinking there is some tax missing on that number and some other costs! Pretty cruddy spec though for sure.

    It's £400. Same price a lot of stores are selling last years Pitch Sport for.
  • The new Pitch is an embarrassment to the name, it's everything the original never was
    Current fleet
    2015 Transition Scout
    2012 Nukeproof Scalp
    2016 Genesis Latitude
    2012 Transition Double
    2012 Transition Trail or Park

    2006 Trek SL1000
    2017 Fly Proton
    ???? Create Polo Bike
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    The new Pitch is an embarrassment to the name, it's everything the original never was
    Everything or nothing?
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • The new Pitch is an embarrassment to the name, it's everything the original never was
    Everything or nothing?

    Makes sense to me.
    The old Pitch was a great bike.
  • I have o agree with rockmonkey here..

    Protect the children from abusing the shrooms.. and that a bike is more than a spec sheet. have tried a couple of these direct sales bikes and they have been extremely well specced for the cash and ridden poorly. And the budget specialised may suffer badly but on the higher end the bikes just ride so much better than the spec..
  • Giraffoto
    Giraffoto Posts: 2,078
    Specialization makes perfect, since the start up from 2010, we have been dedicated to the research & development, manufacturing and trading of carbon bicycle rims. Our rims is 
    1. Secured by the genius Toray 700
    2. Supported by the stable and professional R&D team
    3. Equipped with the advanced manufacturing and test machines
    4. Controlled by the EN quality standard. 
     
    We can provide the OEM/ODM service for your carbon fiber bicycle rims for the road,mountain,snow and track,etc application with our complete in house production line, we also can provide the consultation for the rims structure, mould design and new technologies.
     
    To provide the value added services, we also buy the genuine brand hub, spoke etc then build the wheelset as customer request, the maximun deviation is only 0.2mm.
     

    As our reliable and stable quality, we already win the good reputation in the industry and achieve the significant growth every year then start to build our own brand “Bola”. We will keep our flexible services and long term quality commitment, as we deem our successful business comes from your recommendations

    Can you paint your carbon rims different colours? I quite fancy a set of red carbon rims.
    Specialized Roubaix Elite 2015
    XM-057 rigid 29er