Specialized Enduro Expert EVO Review
TESTED
Specialized Enduro Expert EVO
BY: Mike Kazimer
When Specialized announced they would no longer be producing the venerable SX Trail, it seemed like another nail in the freeride coffin. But then the Enduro EVO was announced, a bike that picks up where the SX Trail left off and goes a step further, with modern amenities like a dropper post and a press-fit bottom bracket, as well as a revised suspension layout. With 180mm of coil-sprung travel front and rear and plenty of standover clearance from the manipulated downtube, the Enduro EVO is designed to conquer the burliest trails imaginable. As tested, our size large bike weighed in at 35 pounds without pedals. Available in S, M, and L sizes, the Enduro Expert EVO retails for $5600 USD. Specialized also offers a base model version that shares the same frame but has a different component group, and retails for $3200.
Specialized Enduro Expert Evo Details
• Purpose: Freeride
• Frame material: M5 aluminum
• ISCG 05 mounts
• Rear-wheel travel: 180mm
• FSR suspension
• Weight:35lbs (without pedals)
• Sizes: S, M, L (tested)
• MSRP: $5499 USD
Frame Design
The Enduro EVO frame is constructed from Specialized's proprietary M5 aluminum alloy, and features a tapered headtube, press-fit bottom bracket, ISCG 05 tabs and a 142x12 rear thru axle. For 2013, the frame sees a number of tweaks to the
The frame has internal routing for the dropper post cable, and the rest of the cables run along the underside of the frame, with the rear derailleur cable going through a specially designed chainstay protector. Running cables underneath a frame often draws consternation from riders who claim that their brake and derailleur cables will get smashed against rocks, but in reality, it's relatively uncommon to take an impact of that magnitude squarely on the bottom bracket. If you're regularly bottom bracket casing on rocks or logs (not a recommended riding technique), other components (chainrings, crankarms) tend to take the brunt of the impact first. The Enduro EVO frame even has a spot to mount a water bottle cage, an increasingly rare amenity, particularly on a bike with 180mm of travel.
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 Specialized's FSR suspension is designed to remain active even under heavy braking. Note the custom yoke at the rear of the shock, a feature that allows cartridge bearings to be used instead of bushings, although it does limit the number of rear shock options. |
Suspension Layout
Not surprisingly, the Enduro EVO uses Specialized's FSR suspension design. This Horst link design places the rear pivot in front of and below the rear axle, making for an active suspension design that is relatively unaffected by braking forces. Previous iterations of the Enduro had a tendency to remain in the middle of the rear shock's stroke when climbing, which made for a less responsive ride feel. The changes to the suspension kinematics for 2013 were specifically made to address this, intended to make the bike both an efficient climber and an efficient descender. The Enduro EVO uses a coil sprung rear shock as opposed to the air shock found on the non-EVO Enduros, a specification choice that corresponds with the bike's intended usage.
Regarding the suspension, there's no quick way to adjust the compression settings on the rear suspension. It's more of a 'set and forget' affair with this bike – once you get the settings dialed in you probably won't be tweaking them very often during a ride unless you like stopping and playing with Cane Creek's special adjustment tool. We set up the Double Barrel rear shock using the base settings recommended by Cane Creek to start. We decreased the high speed rebound damping slightly to give the bike a little more pop, but stuck with the rest of the settings, finding them to have a good balance of pedaling performance and big hit suppleness.
Regarding the suspension, there's no quick way to adjust the compression settings on the rear suspension. It's more of a 'set and forget' affair with this bike – once you get the settings dialed in you probably won't be tweaking them very often during a ride unless you like stopping and playing with Cane Creek's special adjustment tool. We set up the Double Barrel rear shock using the base settings recommended by Cane Creek to start. We decreased the high speed rebound damping slightly to give the bike a little more pop, but stuck with the rest of the settings, finding them to have a good balance of pedaling performance and big hit suppleness.
Key Components
To ensure it can handle whatever terrain it is subjected to, the Enduro Expert EVO gets a Kashima-coated FOX 36 Van RC2 up front with 180mm of travel, and the ultra-adjustable Cane Creek Double Barrel coil shock in the rear. A ten speed SRAM XO Type 2 derailleur handles rear shifting duties for the 2x10 drivetrain, while Avid's XO Trail brakes are mated to custom XO levers. Specialized's Butcher SX tires in a 2.3” width keep the bike rolling in the right direction, and an appropriately short 40mm stem hold Specialized's 750mm Demo low rise bar. A three position Command Post with 125mm of travel takes advantage of the internal routing with a remote lever integrated with the lock-on grip on the left side of the bike.
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| The Enduro Expert EVO comes equipped with a dropper post, meaty Specialized Butcher tires, and a 2x10 setup with bashguard and chainguide. |
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Riding the
Enduro Expert EVO
Enduro Expert EVO
 | Rock drops, road gaps, step ups, step downs, and steep boulder strewn sections of trail didn't pose any problems, and it never felt like we reached the limits of the bike's capabilities, even on trails normally ridden aboard full-on downhill bikes. |
Climbing
Let's get one thing out of the way – the Enduro EVO is no light weight. With a fighting weight of 36 pounds with pedals, it requires some extra leg strength and stamina to get this bike to the top of the mountain. That being said, for a bike with 180mm of travel, the Enduro EVO climbed remarkably well. Most of our rides started with extended sections of logging road climbing, and we found that with the rear shock set to Cane Creek's recommended 19mm of sag, the bike climbed with much less bobbing than expected, even when standing up out of the saddle. With the dropper post fully extended, the 75 degree effective seat tube angle allowed for a comfortable climbing position, one with enough room to make long climbs as tolerable as possible. We appreciated the 2x10 drivetrain – we didn't feel any shame using the 24x36 granny gear if it allowed us to get to the top without pushing. That's really the key point regarding the climbing abilities of this bike – it allows riders to access trails by pedaling, not pushing their way to the top. You probably won't break any speed records on the uphill, but it's much less of a chore getting this bike to the top than it would be aboard a downhill bike.
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| Confident in the air, the Enduro handled drops of all sizes without complaint. |
Descending
Once the trail angle went from positive to negative, the Enduro EVO shook off its mellow-mannered climbing demeanor and got ready to rumble. Rock drops, road gaps, step ups, step downs, and steep boulder strewn sections of trail didn't pose any problems, and it never felt like we reached the limits of the bike's capabilities, even on trails normally ridden aboard full-on downhill bikes. The 65 degree head angle puts the Enduro EVO's geometry right in between that of a modern downhill bike and an all-mountain bike, although it's worth noting that a few years ago this would have been considered a slack enough angle for a World Cup DH race bike.
The Enduro EVO easily handled trails usually ridden on downhill bikes, but it did so with a different style. Rather than feeling like it had gobs of travel that could be plowed through anything, the bike felt like an overgrown all-mountain bike, until that extra bit of suspension was needed. At slower speeds it was still easy to pick our way through technical rock sections without feeling bogged down by the suspension. There was a nimble, sporty feel to the way the Enduro EVO devoured the terrain – more like a rally car and less like a trophy truck. And by nimble we don't mean twitchy – far from it. Especially at higher speeds, the bike held its line, tracking straight and true no matter what kind of chunder was in its path. On steep and twisty dirt chutes, the kind where the brakes are on the entire time, the bike carved its way down without any brake jack or odd handling traits. With a low bottom bracket height and chainstays measuring in at a relatively short 420mm, cornering and direction changes were easy, even when balancing on that fine line between keeping the rear wheel rolling and locking it up on steep slopes.
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| With 180mm of coil sprung travel, as long as the rubber side stays down, smooth landings shouldn't be a problem. |
Air Time
The same geometry that makes the Enduro EVO easy to maneuver on the ground translates well to the air. Takeoffs felt natural and controlled, and once aloft it was easy to get the bike lined up in the right place for landing, with the sloping toptube leaving plenty of room to get the bike sideways. Taking full advantage of the Double Barrel's high level of adjustability, we were able to set the shock up so it would smoothly absorb a landing, and then have plenty of pop to boost off the next lip, the type of scenario you would run into if there was a step down or drop followed soon after by a step up. It was this 'pop' that was most impressive, making it easy to reach the transition on jumps that normally were a bit of a stretch to clear on downhill bikes. The Enduro EVO could certainly be used for bike park riding - there's no doubt it can handle jump lines like Whistler's A-Line or Dirt Merchant with ease, while still being capable enough to tackle the rougher, less manicured trails.
Component Report
• Avid's XO Trail brakes were solid performers, remaining fade free even on sustained steep sections of trail where we had the brakes on for extended periods of time. However, we would have liked to have had a contact point adjustment on the XO brake levers. With only a reach adjust, it wasn't possible to get the brakes to our preferred close to the bar, quick engagement position.
• We've praised Specialized's Butcher tires before, and the accolades still hold true. They're predictable even in the wet, with excellent cornering performance and traction.
• Speccing carbon cranks was no doubt a weight saving move, but we would have liked to see protective rubber end caps included. Combining a 175mm crank length and a low bottom bracket height is a recipe for scratched cranks, and carbon definitely doesn't like to be scratched.
• We didn't have any performance issues with the Command Post Blacklight, but lately we've been spoiled by other dropper posts that don't have pre-set positions. It would be nice to see a version of this post with the ability to stop it anywhere in its travel.
Pinkbike's Take:
| If you're a gram counter seeking a light all-mountain rig from Specialized, the standard Enduro lineup is the place to look. There you'll find any number of sub-30 pound carbon fiber steeds with 165mm of travel. But, if you want a long travel bike for search-and-destroy freeride missions along with laps in the bike park, the EVO may be just the ticket. Granted, the Enduro EVO isn't for everyone. Similar to how a lifted 4x4 truck isn't ideally suited for city driving, this bike is overkill for most trails, with more suspension and slacker angles than what is necessary for many riding areas. It's a bike specially designed for a certain niche of riders, those who don't believe the proclamations that 'freeride is dead'. For those riders, the ones who continue to seek out the most technical terrain they can find, terrain that often doesn't have a road leading to it, there are few bikes on the market as capable as Specialized's Enduro EVO. - Mike Kazimer |
www.specialized.com
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Member since Feb 1, 2009
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Employee 1 - Hey dude! It's F*cked Up Friday again! Wanna sneak off early and get hammered??
Employee 2 - Well, I have to do the cable routing on the Enduro Exper... F*CK IT, LET'S GET F*CKED UP BRO!! YEAH!!
@cgzasv, the proprietary shock was one reason I choose the reign over an enduro or stumpy. OD2 was a negative for the reign, but at least you can get different head sets for 1.125 taper or straight steerer, not so with the shock.
would love to see you guys do one of your cool custom plastic pieces for downtube / cable protection on your bikes using downtube mounted cabling.
similar to what you have done with your swing arm / chainstay protectors (I have one on my Stumpjumper Expert Carbon 29'er, a really neat injection moulded plastic wrap around item)
in the UK? We typically cut up a Mr. Crud 'Crudcatcher' rear mudguard with snips, to create a long, slim piece that will cover the downtube from the 2nd (mid DT) to 3rd (lower DT, next to BB) cable guide mounting holes.
We then drill 2 holes in the crudcatcher to match the pattern of the threaded inserts on the DT, run longer bolts so we have the crudcatcher sitting against the plastic cable guides
This protects both the DT and cable/hose from horrible rock strikes and strange impacts - the type that are not common, but can ruin a day's riding on aggressive terrain, and potentially cause damage to nice carbon fibre downtubes.
cheers!
Rob C, workshop manager, Specialized Concept Store Covent Garden, London
that's a fair comment; but since the guard will sit a good 1" off the downtube (due to the cable guides underneath) its super easy to keep it clean by flushing this area whilst cleaning, as its open at the bottom any mud or debris will flush free
unfortunately we have too much experience of mud here in the UK
Freeride is far from dead, yes going downhill is great and the whole reason we participate in our sport but to go down you have to get up there first.
I have a Carbon V10 and RM Switch and am thinking of doing the same....
1. They gave Pink Bike a realistic build package on this bike.
2. They designed a bike that is really in a class by itself. This is definitely not a "me too" bike.
3. The weight issue is not really an issue.
Yes ,it's heavier than most other Enduro Bikes. Yes, it's on par with some DH bikes. But here is the difference, it's DH bike that you can ride on trails AND on downhills. That's really hard to combine.
The guy easily put $3k into the bike to get it to 28-27lbs (still no dropper post), and the end product was not a bike suitable for freeride, park riding, or even aggressive all-mountain. Even the shop dude that built the bike kept referring to it as a "long-travel trail bike" and highlighted that the tires were "alright" for trail riding, but not for Whistler. The wheels, tires, and suspension on that build were all matched for the intended purpose - trail riding.
If you want a sub-30lb, more pedal friendly, enduro/all-mountain bike for a lot less money than this guy spent, buy a carbon Enduro (or a carbon Nomad). You'll even get a dropper post. If you want an even lighter, more pedal friendly, aggressive trail bike, buy a carbon Stumpjumper Evo.
Nice to see one at last
I don't understand the dropped post, I think it's unnecessary on this kind of bike (it lays more towards the downhill than the climbing).
What I don't like is the cable routing down the bottom bracket, a very critical area where cables can be pinched by rocks too easly.
The geometry is super. Climbing position was great with 160 mm fork and no wheelies on the steepest uphill sections. And then the downhill. whoaa I felt I was sitting on a full-on DH sled ( It hasn't got a dropper post so I left the seat in the high position on the DH ) and It felt amazing too. Soaking up hits in the butter smooth way on the back but the fork was a nightmare.
I can only use 110-120 mm travel from the 160mm because it wasn't set properly or I don't know. Brakes are bad too. They felt like an on-off switch and the reach adjuster is in the worst place so you can't even use it. Tires sucks too. They didn't have any grip on the rear but maybe that was only because of the brakes. Front was okay.
Rear shifter is as quiet as hell. No chain slap on anything.
Bar is way to narrow but the stem is a good choice.
Wheels are perfect, they are as strong and stiff as DH wheels but in a reasonable weight.
If I had the money for an Enduro rig, definitely I'd buy an Enduro but only the frame as the components are bad.
Buy the carbon one, that is way more stiff than the alloy one, but the alloy frame is very stiff too.
you cannot go wrong with either Banshee or Specialized. Have owned too many bike models of both these brands, and never disappointed with any of them
happy trails!
Its my dream DH bike! If i sell it, its to buy another one.
I cracked my stumpy and there are too many Demos in my mountain so i didnt really want another splesh.
I'm thinking this will be my next brand new bike.
However, apart from that subjective oppinion, there is nothing negative I could add, great bike for its purpose.
Freeride and mini dh bike it is, but an enduro it is not.
Speaking of cables, can you really call the routing for the dropper post internal? Most of the length of the cable is actually outside the frame...
Seriously though, looks like a dam fun bike, I ride my current enduro which weighs over 35lbs up anything, this would give me another 20mm of travel, but uh, i'll have to pass on that price tag! Wonder if they will offer a frame set like the old SX trail?! That would make for a fun build
Same under BB cable routing, which I've never found to be an issue even though I've got quite a few marks to my bash guard.
The travel and rear suspension mount are the bigger concern if you're intending to ride the Stumpy the same as the Enduro.
The 155-160 travel on the Stumpy EVO is more than enough to eat up most terrain you'll encounter, and if you're not just slamming it into landings then you should be just fine.
Where you can run into a problem is the upper shock mount bolt on the Stumpy if you're a bigger rider, or if you're really putting it to harsher terrain than what might be considered "aggressive trail riding."
I'm getting my '12 Comp EVO back this week after a warranty frame replacement. When I got the bike in August of last year, the stock upper shock bolt was steel. I'm a bigger guy (215 pounds) and don't always ride light, and I noticed the upper eyelet bolt was slightly bowed after about 4 months of riding and racing, so I had it replaced. The replacement was Spesh's new factory standard aluminium bolt, which after a couple months of riding decided to snap at the thread//shoulder interface. It's not like I'm out hammering the jump lines at the bike park or slinging myself off 4' drops to flat landings, either. Regardless, that bolt snapped and when it did, it bent the right shock hanger plate on the frame.
I'm certain that the replacement frame is going to stock with another aluminium bolt, so I've already locally sourced suitable steel replacements and I have a handful of them at the ready.
I'm only 180 pounds in weight. I bet I could rip faster on the Stumpy Evo. A guy I know runs 170's up front on a Stumpy Evo. Sold his Demo saying he doesn't see the point in having it anymore. He has to pick some slightly different lines at times, but in general he's faster on the stumpy. Plus there ain't too many up lifts here in England. Beef the Stumpy frame a little more Specialized with the same travel and bin the Enduro. Can we have a coil sprung Stumpy Evo next year with beefed frame mountings, somehow? I buy straight away
"The 165mm-travel M5 aluminum Enduro Expert EVO is an all-mountain machine desigened to rip on denscents. With a Cane Creek Double Barrel Coi shock, 170mm-travel coil-sprung Fox 36 Van RC2 fork and custom Avid X0 Trail World Cup hydraulic disc brakes the Enduro Expert EVO blurs the line between DH and All Mountain. "
though in specs section its 180
DU bushings are not that big of a deal to replace to justify being stuck with a proprietary shock. If the shock blows waiting weeks for a replacement or repair is a bummer
Also no frame only option.
Personally, I would buy it and ride it as is though.
Also, the SXT and Enduro Evo are different bikes, with different frames, and the Enduro Evo reviewed rides on a new frame design this year. Seems strange for you to argue that the frame couldn't be 8.5lbs just because a 3 year old, previous generation, different model bike had a frame that was 1.5lbs heavier.
If you are looking for an all-mountain bike and weight is your priority, then you should look at the 165 travel S-Works Enduro (26in for apples to apples). It is 25.94 lbs out of the box, without pedals.
www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1338483
This is not an AM:
www.cycles-et-nature.com/images/commencal/hd/absolut_sx.jpg
The Absolute SX is 6-7lb lighter than the EVO, has two lockouts, goes up well (except the very very steep), easy to carry and is a blast down the hill.
Would I ride an Evo? No because its not a functioning design. Its firmly rooted in the past and has way to many superfluous valueadded things hanging on it.