Humble Beginnings
This probably wasn’t what you were expecting. The first Enduro was really just a riff on Specialized's existing Ground Control FSR models - a component-spec option rather than an entirely new line of bikes. Few people realize the Enduro was born here in 1999, but if you look closely, you can glimpse the future.
1999 FSR "Enduro" Pro
• Lifespan: One year
• Designed by: Mark Dinucci
• Design intent: "Everything...this was before full suspension became so segmented."
• Frame material: Specialized M.A.X. Aluminum
• Fork travel: 80 millimeters (3.15 inches)
• Rear wheel travel: 109 millimeters (4.3 inches)
• Geek facts: Front triangle made in Portland, Oregon
Up front, the bike was spearheaded by a....RockShox SID XC? Yep. By today's standards, the three-inch travel SID boasted all the rigidity of overcooked fettucine, but the fork was, again, a nod to lightweight performance. This was 1999—everyone in the States seemed to be weighing their chain lube and trimming their handlebars—the SID was the fork of the moment, which probably explains why the first Enduro also wore a SID shock. As for stoppers, disc brakes were still a rarity at the time, so V-brakes got the deed done. Kinda. Sorta.
The first Enduro was a solid bike for its era. "It was technically very advanced," recalls Specialized's senior design engineer, Jason Chamberlain. "The mainframe was a triple-cavity extrusion that was then machined and bent. That was a pretty tricky engineering feat."
Starting From Scratch
Now, this is the bike that most people think of as the first Enduro. Though the 2000 Enduro was, essentially, a burlier, longer-travel version of Specialized’s lightweight FSR XC model, it also had an identity of its own, thanks to the disc brakes, much more capable suspension and, yes, those mud flaps.
2000-2001 Enduro
• Lifespan: Two years
• Designed by: Mike Ducharme and Robert Egger
• Design intent: "Long travel version of our XC bike."
• Frame material: Aluminum
• Fork travel:100 millimeters (4 inches)
• Rear wheel travel: 97 to 117 millimeters (3.8 to 4.6 inches)
• Geek facts: Adjustable geometry and rear suspension travel
There were a few important details in the first Enduro frame that often go overlooked. Bearings top the list. “This was possibly our first bike with bearings at the pivots (instead of IGUS bushings),” says Specialized’s Chamberlain. “I distinctly remember Mike Ducharme and Shawn Palmer yelling back and forth about bushings and bearings. Palmer insisted he had to have ball bearings like his Intense. Ducharme insisted bushings were good enough. I think this was the turning point for the industry where everything that followed had to have cartridge ball bearings.”
The Big Leap Forward
This, as the kids are fond of saying, is where shit gets real. In 2002 the Enduro made a massive leap forward with its semi-monocoque front triangle and a shock from the future that instantly bumped up suspension travel at the flick of a switch.
2002-2004 Enduro
• Lifespan: Three years
• Designed by: Jason Chamberlain and Robert Egger
• Design intent: "To be the Swiss Army knife of bikes."
• Frame material: Aluminum
• Fork travel: 80-130 millimeters (3 to 5.1 inches)
• Rear wheel travel: 100-132 millimeters (4 to 5.2 inches)
• Geek facts: On-the-fly adjustable suspension--front and rear.
At least you are honest about that
Great article btw, I would love to see an overlay (interactive even) to compare the geo and wheelbase of the different models through time.
Nice realization Specialized. Glad you left the proprietary parts after that. Oh wait - 142+, shock mount...
Yes they make decent bikes and are often quick to jump onto new trends, but I don't remember them actually creating new trends or being the first with one of these.
Dropper post, disk brakes hollowtech II cranks are not really recent innovations and they are made by parts manufactures companies. Riding in +20°C without having a sweaty back because the lack of back pack makes you ride happier and better. At the end of the day all high end bikes from different brands perform very well and more or less the same. Its the little things that differentiate them.
I really really want to get hold of an 04 S Works that had the brain, just to try it.
www.pinkbike.com/photo/13827729
Not sure whether you could get this frame spec'd with the brain shock though. It is shorter travel than the regular Enduro. They had the Epic with the brain first, then I suppose it came on the Stumpjumper (where it switched to a platform instead of to a full lock out). It eventually came to the Enduro but I thought that was a later generation with came with a very different shock. Or is it possible to replace a Fox lockout knob by a (remote) brain unit. Is that just possible? Otherwise you might stand a better chance with one of these modern electronic shocks.
I upgraded it in 2012 with new brakes, the light and strong Roval wheelset, spech's 60mm direct mount stem, and a dropper post and when i sold it in late 2014 there were people on brand new all mountain rigs lusting over it.
I know there are people out there that agree with me because they held their value for so long.
Although diamond back had the X frame design way before Specialized. (before they went bankrupt and got bought and started making cheapo bikes)
Your saying that you have a 29 er that aint broken.
We are talking about two different things bro.
Read the article again, the 06 Enduro is built to take big hits.
Proper maintenance doesn't stop frames from snapping.
How many frames have you destroyed...........
"The most obvious change, however, is that there are now Enduros that mesh with every wheel size, including, you guessed it, 27-plus."
Someday I'll be able to afford to get off of the 'cave man wheel' size (26er, since you know this new Enduro comes in 'every wheel size') and this bike will be on the short list for sure. Nice article too. More of these please!
The funny thing is, this is precisely the reason they 'had to' take action against Cafe Roubaix, as they were 'legally obliged to protect their patents'
I genuinely feel like Specialized's Legal, Marketing, R&D etc etc departments are run by entirely different companies
2008 Expert
2011 Expert Evo
2012 S Works
2012 Expert 29
That said, this release feels a bit like the iPhone 7. Some great refinements but not in a hurry to sell and purchase anytime soon.
As for geometry it can be a personal thing can’t it? Slacker HA and it’s gonna flop around a bit more and be tougher on the climbs. My E29 is a pretty great climber as is and will descend way faster than I can push the thing!
I’m sure it’s better but I’m not going nuts like I was when I bought the ’12 before the ’13 came out.
-threaded bottom bracket
-same bearing size for all pivot links
- full carbon frame on s-works
-geometry change to make it stupid fast on the descents, and climb like an xc bike
Same size bearings would be handy but again, not a handling thing.
Full carbon - awesome, yes, but I’ve gotten plenty of nasty rock strikes on the rear triangle and it seems to be the only place my friends tend to crack their carbon frames. (Not a reason I wouldn’t want it, of course.)
Geometry being more dialed, yes please.
All I’m saying is it isn’t enough for me to feel too badly for not dropping the $ on the newest version considering what I paid for my 2016, halfway through 2016. The differences between a 2016 and 2017 aren’t like they were going from a 2012 and 2013...I know because I ponied up full MSRP for a 2012 S Works frame and built one. I literally paid close to the same price for that frame as I did a 12016 Expert complete. Oops.
www.mtbr.com/cat/bikes/bike-hardtail/specialized/01-enduro-ht-pro/prd_354920_96crx.aspx
www.pinkbike.com/photo/5115863
It just sits in the garage doing nothing. Just there looking old and cool.
That said this new Enduro looks good, good signing of JG and likes of Curris Keeene and da Girls developing good bikes on the Enduro circuit for the Enduro (pun) but even Id be tempted in the wagon wheel options and that Ohlins sus, well.....ohlahlah
So began my love affair, I bought a 2002 for my girlfriend as her first ever mtb and she loves it, bought myself a 2006 and this article is spot on, dog of a climber but beasts anything when pointing down!
A scientific theory is based on a body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment. Such fact-supported theories are not "guesses" but reliable accounts of the real world.
The following year when it was time for a new ride, I wound up going with an Epic, because one, I was getting into racing and two, as Vernon pointed out "A lot of people still wanted XC bikes that locked out."
Fast forward to 2015 and what kind of bike did I buy? A 130mm trail bike. I figure I'm still behind the times though, as it's only 650b
Great overview @vernonfelton - thanks.
Hayes were not the only disc brake manufacturer in 1999, there was also Hope with their C2 (as fitted to my 1999 Marin WolfRidge..., before I upgraded to V-brakes ;-)
History of AM, basically:
m.pinkbike.com/news/the-evolution-of-the-specialized-enduro-2016.html
This time, I just bought a 2016 Expert for a great price. Learned my lesson.
Did you get a deal at least?
None of these bikes is an investment. Like a car, they drop in value a lot as soon as you leave the store with them. (Warranties don’t transfer!)
Did you get a good price on it? If so, don’t sweat it. You won’t get a good price on a 2017 for a long time and they probably won’t even be available for a little while.
Still seems like they could leverage some buying power and toss on some KS/RS/Fox posts for the high end models.
If Special Ed was giving away the undersized droppers that would be fine buying a new dropper that fits at a later date, but the price tag doesn't seem to reflect that. Otherwise you are paying twice for something that should come properly spec'd on a premium bike.
Built in obsolescent, industry spawned moto inspired high performance-high maintenance bicycles ridden mostly by low performance riders.
Drink the kool aid boys, these FS toilets of today are meant to be shuttled or ski lifted to the top,not ridden.(lockouts on a bicycle= whatever part is being locked out doesn't belong on the bike)
Still riding my 1990 no moto suspension mt bike, I don't want or need anything else.
If I'm in a hurry when riding my bicycle,then I should have stayed in my car where I'm surrounded by other hurried individuals.
I see the above pictured "bikes" on the trails and it's hard to tell if it's a motorcycle of a bicycle....yuk
The Bear