Video: The Pro's Closet Museum Series - Ned Overend

Nov 8, 2015
by Jonathon Gage  



We took a close look at Ned Overend's 1992 Specialized Stumpjumper M2, the bike he rode to the lead in the NORBA National point series, along with two World Cup victories that year. Check out our article on Ned's bike here.


MENTIONS: @TheProsCloset / @Specialized



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TheProsCloset avatar

Member since Feb 17, 2014
20 articles

111 Comments
  • 39 9
 That was super fun!
I love hearing history and about biking, thats rad!
But, I have to really ask, are bigger wheels that much better?
Im still loving 26" and thats not going to change for me anytime soon.
I was at my LBS here in Japan yesterday and the owner got his son a new 27.5 DH bike just because thats
all thats being produced now. I really have to ask, if its necessary, because as it looks the trails are getting smoother
at bike parks not more gnarly!

Ned you rock bro!
RideOn!
  • 29 3
 Yes, Ned just told you they are faster.
  • 10 8
 IDGAF about faster, my bike is fun and as long as it's fun I don't need a new one. Ned however is still a legend. PS why am I here it's Sunday? I'm going for a ride.
  • 13 24
flag RoboS (Nov 8, 2015 at 9:06) (Below Threshold)
 Bigger wheels are not always faster, take this video just like another marketing bull$hit to make you want to purchase new bike with bigger wheels.
  • 6 2
 Well, pedals were turned, drops were dropped, climbs were trundled. Today was a good day.
  • 17 4
 Bigger wheels are faster. They may give you two or three seconds. Too bad 99,99% of us mortals on the internet are two or three minutes behind... You may as well not give a damn @nikoniko. If you have a chance try good bikes with big wheels, they all have certain flavor, but looking at your videos you should rock 24 or 26, air under tires is good for you Smile
  • 2 0
 You're right Waki ... god, I agreed with something Waki said for a change ...
  • 1 1
 Thank you Waki!
Im perfectly happy at the moment!
Im still rocking 26" wheels from 2006 just replace spokes when the break and the wheel set keeps on rolling!
hahahhaha air under tires is good, thats awesome!

RideOn!
  • 3 0
 26" and 27.5" are fun. 29ers are fast. Thats why I have a 29er hardtail for an XC bike and a 27.5 transition scout as a trail bike. Are 29ers faster? For XC, yes. However, the 27.5 transition is a more fun bike to ride. Is one better than the other in every application? No.
  • 1 0
 Its all bullshit, thats why the mars rover rolls on small wheels, (They tested 26" MTB wheels too) robotics.caltech.edu/~pablo/axel/docs/f1702_3.pdf
  • 2 1
 Be careful with mentioning inches when it comes to Mars missions...
  • 2 0
 They used studded tires, should have tried Minions!
  • 2 0
 @dirtybikejapan, that might very well be the worst article ever to reference for the wheel size argument. That is a two wheeled side by side vehicle that uses a winch that they are trying to make crawl over obstacles, versus a two wheeled single track vehicle that we want to "flatten out" obstacles.
  • 1 0
 That's him, the reason why I work, live, play, eat, shit, sleep and get up the next day to ride again. Thanks for being that living legend. Only my children take front seat to that....,.
  • 2 1
 26 is fastest on descents. Bikeradar is the only mag to have tested it objectively using the amount of oxygen used by the rider on their test runs
  • 2 0
 Bikeradar test is a lost case. The reality is we will never know which wheel is fastest because bikes evolve and in MTB you cannot make a case for/against some factor by isolating it. Things become facts when research is done and scrutinized with sceintific method, with experiment replication being the most important bit. It becomes a FACT the moment an independent researcher takes same method and gets very similar result. That's how science works. But we prefer fancy articles quoting unfinished researches, don't we? Nutrition and fitness world is plagued with it. Someone writes an article after 2 years of work, it gets published in science journal, then some The Sun journo takes it, people read it and take it as scientific truth while 3 years later it gets proven wrong but nobody hears about that. Research can take anywhere between 3 year and forever and after it is done, the bikes are very different. So when the lad from Bikeradar (I still admire him, large portion of marketing claims have no publishable experimental background what so ever) finishes his job with it, the 275 and 29" bikes will be improved so much that results will be different. The bikes he tested are nothing compared to a latest 29er like Enduro 29 or Kona 111 or Canfield Riot. Only XC racing bikes barely evolve. Latest bikes have better geometry, better suspension, better tyres, dropper posts. While top racers play on the edge of what's possible within laws of physics, average cyclists don't, yet they still evolve. Average Joe who rides for 3 years is much better rider than a dude who rode for three years starting in 2001. There can be no real science in a sport like MTB and marketing departments exploit it to the max.
  • 3 2
 @fatenduro , This is neither the time nor the place, this is about Ned Overend. I'm sure there are many other places where you can start your pissing contests......
  • 2 1
 It's props to niko for still riding 26. Sounds like you're trying to start something @endurorlite. Keep insulting people and you will. Anyhow Ned rode 26 in his prime. There's something about old people needing bigger wheels and getting all self righteous when you point out it ain't all it's cranked up to be. For the record 20 is the best wheel size, and bmx has the best suspension ever made.
  • 1 3
 BaAHAHA @fatenduro!!! This is a article on Ned Overend and you want to start an argument on wheel size? Check that shit at the door, son.....
Oh and BTW f*ck whatever wheelsize, look to the future, innovation forever!!!! Or you would still be riding a kick scooter, you do know that thats where the bike started from right? a f*cking kick scooter ....WTF!!!
  • 3 0
 I have been on 26" wheels for 15 years now as a free rider! But, Im clueless to bigger wheels!
Its all fun for me when Im shredding down steep rocky lines clearing everything and ending with a big smile on my face!
I just thought it very weird in the interview how he brought up bigger wheels when Ned obviously made his glory to fame on 26wheels. But, I listened to his words, now that Im older, the bigger wheels allows me to go over things smoother without beating up my body. So, yes maybe he has moved on. Waki I know has been on all wheels sizes so he speaks from his personal vides and actual experience. I personally have yet to even ride a proper 27.5 or 29 bike so I have no idea of the actual ride performance benefiting over the other. I also watched the bikeradar video and realised, oh! 26 is better than the media makes you believe so, I then decided to just keep on rolling on what I have!
The truth lies in your own personal happiness and gusto for what you ride! hahahhahha
Innovation will always be there, sometimes improving things to a jaw dropping reality and other times not.
For many reason, BMX does have the best suspension ever made, human strength in correlation to knee and elbow movement! hahahha Awesome!
A good friend of mine who has a 29er bike told me about how no matter what he does there is a noticeable flex.
Is this good or bad I don't know but for him he said its not inspiring! I myself as a big dude who likes to jump and flick my bike around, I need solid wheels! My current 26inch wheels are Alex rims 24, about 30 bucks a rim, I have been rocking them since 2006, they have been warped a tad and have broken spokes here and there but overall they have been fantastic!
RideOn!
  • 1 1
 Agreed, go out and RIDE YOUR BIKE!!!! It doesnt matter what the wheel size is, just remember to have fun. Ned Overend is a living legend, no matter what size wheels he rides.
  • 2 0
 Niko you are not missing out. It's what you do with the bike that matters and you my friend surely can enjoy yourself on it! While there is improvement and mew potential one still has to manage it. Following trends, thinking that it will fill you is like teenagers watching porn thinking they will get better at shagging, as if choice of position and creativity had any value in the extremely complicated process of satisfying a woman. First you need to convince one to shag you, then you need to do good pre work and then you need to last long enough and that aside of the obvious includes also some good core strength and hip mobility. Where's that in porn? Hahahah
  • 1 0
 hhahahhahahahahha I love porn!!! Thank you buddy! RideOn!
  • 27 0
 its been almost a year since i last looked at pinkbike and you whiny shits are still complaining about wheel size. glad im not missing anything.
  • 4 0
 Yup. Welcome back.. Not much has changed.. Although to be fair, there's been a new series of epic rants on rear hub widths just to keep things diverse.. ;-)
  • 2 0
 cant wait for the same whiny shits in 2035 complaining about how hard it is to find 26" wheels
  • 3 0
 The other day I was remembering how people used to rant about how 9 speed is worse and they were going to stock up on 8 speed components. That was obviously some time ago... Some things never change.
  • 1 0
 I'm still running 8 speed to this day, on all 3 of my bikes... Razz
  • 16 1
 @HaydenBeck nailed it.
Ned has been racing Mountain Bikes professionally for 30 years. Let that sink in because it's longer than most of you have been alive and certainly longer than 99% of us have been riding mountain bikes. If he has an opinion about equipment for XC racing, it's probably valid and not just marketing hype. Did he make a comparison to the M2 he raced in '92 and his '15 epic? Yeh! they both represent the best XC weapon available to him in their respective times so it is a reasonable comparison. If they were reviewing one of Tinkers old M1000's you wouldn't throw a tantrum if he compared it to a new Scalpel. You don't like Specialized, great. Now get over it.
  • 3 4
 Yes... Good comparison about cannondale.... Except the only company that does this bullying in specialized.
  • 12 0
 Love the narrow, narrow bars. I remember emulating that... Cut the bars down so they would "fit through the trees better" and be "lighter" and then you end up crashing like a dummy because you had no control. My bars were probably hipster narrow back in 1992. Fashion trendsetter.
  • 17 7
 I was riding back then and can tell you that the wheel size was NOT the reason for crashing over the bars.

1. The forks were not very good and had maybe 2-3" of travel.
2. The head angles were really steep:70-72 degrees was normal.
3. The handlebars were super narrow, combined with 100-120mm super long stems.

4. The brakes didn't really stop you, they would just lock up tires until you slid into the big rock, out of control, and went otb.
5. Tires were much narrower back then, combined with the brakes control on the downhills was vague at best.
7. He forgot to mention the part about how modern full suspenison bikes basically eliminate any one wheel size being better than any other wheel size.


I do love the articles, but the marketing is strong with this one.
  • 19 8
 Nerd Overend, I loved it, but I'm sticking with my 26" until I have enough money for my next bike, maybe in 2018.
  • 15 29
flag buspilot (Nov 8, 2015 at 0:47) (Below Threshold)
 Right there with you..shame Ned had to say that in order to fulfill his obligations to his sponsors.
  • 29 5
 Bunch of numpties you two are.
  • 6 17
flag buspilot (Nov 8, 2015 at 1:08) (Below Threshold)
 Go team Specialized
  • 26 5
 Dude, let it go. This isn't a conspiracy theory. You think he mentions wheel size in his interview because of his sponsors? ????????
  • 15 20
flag mtnbykr05 (Nov 8, 2015 at 7:31) (Below Threshold)
 Those competing in "rough downhills" have been on 26" wheels up until a few years ago and not one 29'r DH bike has competitively on the WC circuits, AND Nino Schurter, the current XC world champ, is a promoter of the smaller wheels. So yes, this does sound like the garbage Specialized forces their riders to push.
  • 9 4
 It also sounds like every person who walks into my shop after visiting a Specialized shop. They've been convinced the 29' is better and small wheels are just for child's play. They've also been duped into needing the Brain shock, and an Epic is the perfect trail bike. Even for those who have never competes and 60year old men who would need a 50mm riser bar, max spacers, and riser stem to combat the race-focused geometry so his spine can make it though the ride.
"Oh, the shop didn't tell you the shock needs service 1-2 times a year and that will run you $200 and 3 weeks without your bike?"
  • 10 2
 Einstein said that key to happyness is finding an activity that has wave length similar to the wave length generated by your anxiety. Riding a trail, putting weight up and down to avoid obstacles, generste momentum is a wave of certain length. It depends on your skill and sensitivity, as well as on the shape of the trail itself. Now different bikes with different amount of travel or different wheel sizes Generate and recieve various wave lengths... Find your flow - it may be possible without changing your bike, just tune in...
  • 8 1
 mtnbykr05 Nobody produces a 29" DH bike.

95% of the pro XC field race 29".

If you look at the wheelsizes EWS races use, 29" are far fewer (as most companies don't make long travel 29") than 650b yet 29" has still won a number of races.
  • 5 3
 The funny bit is that according to my latest talk to a Trek employee, it seems that 650B along with plus sizes are now phasing out 29ers in sales. People don't give a damn what is fastest, they are interested only what is latest. Anyone above 175cm tall who tried a 29er knows that they are fricking fastest in 90% of applications. Just get carbon rims and as light tyres as you can live with, and you can clear everything, you carry momentum almost like a DH bike and have all the grip in the world. It takes riding blind a hell of a twisty trail with uphills full of tight corners, in order to slow down the big wheels.

BTW, 29ers from Specialized are particularly good.
  • 3 1
 @jclnv "95% of the pro XC field race 29" but Nino always wins on 650b Wink
  • 6 0
 Umm I'm pretty sure a guy like Ned "The Lung" Overend isn't worried about sponser obligations. This is somewhat comical.
  • 2 1
 Nino always wins because courses have got more tech and he's as fast up as Absalon but he's the better descender. If Fumic was as fast on the climbs as Absalon Nino would be second. A lot.
  • 1 0
 Nino is a beast
  • 4 1
 Any wheel size is fine, Im not picky, and so are the bikes wich carry the Specialized moniker.. However bogus statements from corporate hand puppets just aren't as cool. More bike less bullshit please.
  • 3 0
 Above comment not aimed at Ned specifically.. He is a legend no doubt
  • 1 0
 Guys 29 inch wheels undoubtedly make short travel xc racing bikes faster. I know there is a lot else that has changed, but the increased momentum and rollover is ideal for xc racing.
  • 1 1
 @Waco That Einstein comment is pretty deep! I do own a 26 a 27.5 and a 29r I tell you what. learning to ride what you have will make the biggest difference! the more I switch between bikes the slower I go. ...imagine that.
  • 1 0
 Anyone figure out how rim brakes worked on that tensioned rear wheel? I mean if it is supposed to flex would it not roll along an elliptical orbit?
  • 2 0
 I'm not hating on 29'rs. I've ridden my share, and speed and traction are huge noticeable improvements. I would love to own a short travel, aggressive, 29/27.5+, FS 29. What I'm getting at is this "bike check" sticks of corporate marketing typical of Specialized. I've worked at several Specialized stores over the years and I'm not hating on their bikes, although I thought the old demo rode like a pile of poo, I currently ride a Spec, Stumpy Evo 650 (my 26" stumpy rode better) and I think they have a killer bike between the Camber, Stumpy 29, and Enduro 29. However, I like my bikes easier to flick about, and therefore as my go to bike I've chosen the smaller wheelsize, and as you can see, so have many DH riders, Enduro riders, and a handful of really good XC riders. What I will tell you from working amongst the Specialized worshippers, is that they are very narrow minded as to what their customer should ride, and 4/5 times it's a bike like the Epic. They consider bikes like the Camber and Stumpy to be long travel, pseudo downhill bikes, and the slackness in your head angle is just to give you an illusion you are further back on the bike. The same could be said the other way, as those that are aggro rider but has no intentions of sending it huge or going lap after lap in the bike park also shouldn't be riding a Demo. In the end, most people are just happy riding their bike, usually no matter what it is. However, what I like seeing most is a rider truly enjoying their ride, because they aren't struggling to control their bike because it's not a sharp steering, ridged, harsh ride. Confidence in their bike and its capabilities because the bike has geometry that provides stability and traction for ups and downs. Comfort during long hours in the saddle because the geometry is neutral and balanced between the front and rear, and lower maintenance so the rider can ride more often, with less out of pocket costs. When the rider has all this, they are more likely to enjoy the ride, go further, ride MORE trails, and do it more often.
  • 1 0
 Fair enough.
  • 12 0
 More of these please
  • 10 2
 Pinkbike: where twelve year olds comment about how they know more about mountain bike design than Ned Overend.
  • 7 0
 TPC is such a great series. Loved it.
  • 4 1
 Been a fan of Ned, Tomac, Tinker, et al since the late 80s after going to Mammoth. One of Ned's trademarks, beside his speed and mental toughness, was the big cheek mole. Did not know it was gone til this video! Always looked at the guy's leg speed and finish line salutes. On an unrelated note I'm going to get some barends...
  • 5 0
 No need to rush out and get them just yet, Ned's over ends.
  • 3 0
 I was racing and working at a bike shop during this era. Times have changed, for sure. But, it seems to be that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Tomac, Overend, Tinker, Weins, Furtado (who is awesome!) and others were my heroes back then. Great video! Love to see the old tech vs. the new tech and Ned's discussion re. racing back then, etc. Need more of this!
  • 5 1
 I did enjoy the vid and remember those times fondly. But it did also give the impression that 26 is sooo 1992. Ride what you got and enjoy!
  • 3 1
 For XC racing yeah big wheels are better. The only problem with 26 now is that it is essentially abandoned. It is already hard getting tires in that size here in Whistler. This summer a guy I know went to every shop in town and could not get a tire he wanted.
  • 2 0
 Those are the bikes I started on. Can't help but wonder what my joints would feel like if a had a full suspension bike back then. 35 MPH on a hard tail down a mountain is fun but at the end of the day you were so sore you could barely walk.
  • 1 0
 Lol "riding one of these bikes is today is sketchy". I've been racing my 1998 Stumpjumper M2 all summer long in my collegiate race conference. Though it does have a new solo air fork, which helps dramatically. I am finally selling it though and moving up to a 29er.
  • 2 0
 “He's 37 with the body of a 27 year-old!” bahaha what a complement! 'Hey- he's not that old!'

This kind of content is great. As much as I love watching 20 year olds hucking to dubstep, it's cool to see some classics.
  • 3 0
 Still can't accept that guy cut off that stache. He was so intense with that big mo and sport shades. Seems so friendly in the video, not bad ass at all.
  • 3 0
 Awesome video, PB! Love the nostalgia trip...brings me back to my days of drooling over the pages of Mountain Bike magazine as a 12 year old. Keep up the awesome work Smile
  • 1 0
 My first mtb was '93 M2 Stumpy. I loved that bike so much, did hundreds of epic rides on it. Upgraded every component several times, parts didn't last long back then. With the exception of Marzocchi Bombers (which used motorcycle technology), suspension forks were pretty crap, lucky to get a season or two before they self destructed; seals crapped out continually, the steerer tube, crown, stanchions, and lowers all flexed like crazy, and most forks (ie. RS, White Bros, etc) employed tiny, under engineered damping cartridges which frequently shat themselves.
  • 2 0
 I stopped by the Pros Closet - super nice people and this was one of the bikes shown to me. I hope they do Tinker Juarez's bike soon - it's both cool and hilarious (lots of crazy ano).
  • 3 2
 Racers of that era were far more hardcore than the racers of today. Technology has made it easier for riders to be faster today while back then it really was the rider which was the most crucial factor in winning the race.
  • 4 1
 Um, the rider is still the most critical factor in racing. Go to any race at any level these days and this is painfully obvious.
And total BS about the racers of that era being 'far more hardcore'. Those guys were no doubt beasts, but the sport has progressed a lot since the 90's. There are plenty of hard men & women out there right now.
  • 3 0
 I think riders have definitely upped the technical skills since the 90s, but you have to hand it to the early racers, they were pioneers and rode on bikes that we would call downright suicidal nowadays. They learned to compensate and work with things like steep angles, high seats, fidgety steering, and shitty brakes.
  • 2 0
 Sure, the rider's skill is important, and today's riders are highly skilled. But man, if you've ever bombed a gnarly downhill on an oldschool XC hardtail like an M2 Stumpy, with it's long top tube, steep head angle, spongy v-brakes, and noodly 3" fork, you'd have a newfound respect for the racers of yore. Also, many of these guys raced DH and XC. Generally speaking, they were tough as f%$k, they had to be. Could you make the same generalization about mtb racers today? Probably not.
  • 2 0
 I don't disagree about that at all. Hell, my first mtb was a 24" wheeled royce union with U Brakes in like 1987. I remember thinking how sic V brakes worked when I first slapped those on my Bridgestone MB-1. Those bikes were designed for dirt roads basically and were super hard to ride on any tech. I was more addressing the comment that back then it was more rider than bike. It has always been about the athlete more than the gear in basically every sport. Considering folks are on a somewhat level playing field equipment wise at least.
  • 3 0
 Memories of my early days. Ned is awesome! Thanks for the years of inspiration!
  • 1 0
 2.38....... Definitely a bit of a Weird AL Yankovic look goin on....... Wink

What a rider though.. Them downhill sections looked sketchy as f*ck though..... Big Grin
  • 3 0
 Do a review on Sean palmers m1?
  • 1 0
 Yes please, and a comparison with the new M16.
  • 2 0
 Look at the spark that still in that mans eyes. Riding keeps you young! At heart.
  • 3 0
 great video! really enjoyed it
  • 2 0
 That was fun. I've seen his photo a million times, but I've never heard him talk. The dude inspires.
  • 2 0
 the good old days...i miss them. i loved my gt zaskar.
  • 1 0
 And to think my dad gave this bike to me at college and I planned to convert it to single speed.
  • 3 1
 Bring back the flex wheel
  • 3 1
 Loose spokes do the same effect ^^
  • 1 0
 And I'm just sitting here, considering which full suspension bike buy for the next sezon.
  • 1 0
 minha Caloi Aluminiun era igual a esta Specialized.... legal a historia do Ned Overend!!!!!!
  • 2 0
 the dude still races
  • 1 0
 just saw him in the grocery store, im pretty cool
  • 1 0
 That's what I was riding up until this year.
  • 1 0
 Also known as 'end overend'. Can a pro mtb racer have a cooler name??
  • 1 0
 I didn't realize that rear wheel was a form of suspension. Neato.
  • 2 0
 Ned,great!
  • 1 0
 E-caps
  • 1 0
 "the lung" thanks eh
  • 4 5
 I was expecting to reminisce instead I got a sales pitch. Ned is really drinking the Kool-Aid.
  • 1 1
 I'd like to hear how juiced up they all were back then....
  • 1 2
 Badly packages advert from the Big s. Not very subtle.
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