2020 Pinkbike Awards: Mountain Bike of the Year Winner

Dec 31, 2020
by Mike Kazimer  
photo


Mountain Bike of the Year Winner


2020's Mountain Bike of Year nominees included the Transition Spur, Raaw Madonna, Commencal Meta TR, and Specialized Stumpjumper EVO. This is a highly competitive category, and all of the finalists had standout traits that put them in the running for the win. After several rounds of heated video chats between Pinkbike's tech editors a winner was finally chosen. The 2020 Mountain Bike of the Year award goes to...





Specialized Stumpjumper EVO


It's the Stumpjumper EVO's adjustability and level of refinement that helped it earn the Mountain Bike of the Year title. All it takes is a few minutes with some Allen keys and you can transform it from a peppy 150mm trail bike into an extra-slack, gravity-oriented machine. It's an outstanding example of a modern mountain bike, a prime example of just how far the technological side of the sport has advanced over the last 40 years.

Of course, it takes more than a bunch of geometry options to come out on top in this highly competitive category. Luckily, even in that slackest setting the EVO still maintains its 'ready for anything' attitude. This isn't a heavy monster with a one track mind, which comes in handy when you need to pedal back up to the top after a long rowdy descent.

There are six sizes to choose from in order to accommodate riders of all heights, and while it's the extra-fancy S-Works version that's pictured here, there are more reasonably priced options that hold their own when it comes to parts spec, even compared to some consumer direct options.

When it comes down to it, the Stumpjumper EVO's effortless handling and ability to excel on a wide variety of terrain are what really cemented the win, although the massive amount of storage in the down tube didn't hurt either. At the end of the day, there aren't many bikes out there that are as well equipped for long rides through technical terrain, the type of riding that got many of us hooked on mountain biking in the first place.

2021 Specialized Stumpjumper EVO review

2021 Specialized Stumpjumper EVO review
Lots of effective geometry adjustment options..
2021 Specialized Stumpjumper EVO review
...and even more room for tools, snacks, and water.







Author Info:
mikekazimer avatar

Member since Feb 1, 2009
1,715 articles

252 Comments
  • 422 4
 Congrats Specialized for taking the win! We are honored to have been included in this short list of bikes for this award. And as a company with a previous BOTY award, we can assure you that advertising dollars has nothing to do with it. Thanks for putting this on Pinkbike, we will get back to the grindstone and see if we can get the top spot next year. Cheers!
  • 72 0
 @transitionbikecompany

Nice words. Stay classy
  • 12 0
 Yep class act
  • 23 1
 I would still take the Spur! It's not less of a bike for not winning BOTY, that's for sure!
  • 13 0
 This is why I will continue to buy TR bikes.......just a good company!
  • 4 1
 @Supergo: Love my Patrol and Throttle. Next bike is either this evo or a sentinel, but probably the sentinel cause I like to party in the woods!
  • 6 0
 Saw your statement at instagram too. Really like the spirit you guys have at TR!
  • 4 0
 This here is one small reason I have a spur on order.
  • 2 0
 Pure class.
  • 5 1
 New Transition owner, liked my Spur so much I got one for the wife. When I show up at a trailhead I have to be prepared to talk about it for 5-10 min. That never happens with Spec. Good bikes, no soul. Job well done, Transition — Spur rocks.
  • 176 8
 Available for purchase at a dealer near you in 2022...
  • 24 1
 Available at a dealer far away from you right now
  • 173 13
 #GRIMDONUTGOTROBBED
  • 8 0
 @fantaman: grim donut available for purchase 2030 right? Be careful if a bike with that kind of available won mtb of the year we’d lose half of the pinker community to heart attacks
  • 8 0
 There’s one at my lbs right now, s3 I think
  • 19 1
 I wanted one of these so bad, but I gave up and got a Norco Sight instead.
  • 50 0
 @vw4ever: I don't think you're suffering with a Sight, lol
  • 6 4
 Got mine no problem two months ago. Just gotta shop around and use the online find a bike feature on Spesh website.
  • 11 0
 @vw4ever: can't go wrong with a Norco Sight!
  • 3 2
 not true though. i checked yesterday and my local dealer can get me a frame only within a month.
  • 2 0
 Wife bought one 2 weeks ago. At the time the shop had slx and gx in S3.
  • 6 0
 @rrolly: It’s pretty awesome. I can’t say I’m missing much. The SWAT storage would be cool but the bosses on the underside of the top tube for stuff like the B-Rad is nice.
  • 7 7
 This bike shall wear the PB championship title for all of 2021, Congrats Specialized on this most prestigious accomplishment.
  • 22 33
flag lyalltheweebeastie (Dec 31, 2020 at 9:51) (Below Threshold)
 Does this also win the award for the most overpriced mtb?
  • 4 0
 @Ashe14: where is the shop and what time does it close?
  • 25 2
 @lyalltheweebeastie: the expert build has performance elite suspension, gx/x01, good brakes, and a top shelf carbon frame for less than $5k. Show me where else you get that from a brick and mortar business.
  • 5 6
 @fantaman: Totally agree. The Grim Donut was a well deserved winner of this!
  • 3 9
flag ricochetrabbit (Dec 31, 2020 at 12:18) (Below Threshold)
 Knolly warden? @sspiff:
  • 4 3
 @sspiff: see propain bikes Smile
  • 4 0
 @lyalltheweebeastie: This thread seems to be getting into a regional pissing match, but Propain bikes are not available in Canada and I think are mostly consumer direct in the US. The price of the new Stumpjumpers is pretty reasonable in North America, in Canada better spec'd than lower level Commencal offerings. There's even 1 carbon and 1 alloy available within an 8 hour drive for me. Shocking for 2020.
  • 6 0
 @sspiff: Somehow, that becomes $9300 in Australia. Equivalently specified CF bikes from the other three of the big four don't even crack $8k. Before the price rise, the Norco Sight was under $7k.
  • 2 0
 @lyalltheweebeastie: lol obviously you haver not looked at the top end price for other brands
  • 1 0
 A long time far from now in a galaxy far, far away....
  • 1 0
 How did you get on the early delivery list??

Lucky bastard. I'm hoping at best for a 2037 delivery
  • 1 0
 @jonlees: the shop is Tom's Pro Bike in Victor NY. Can confirm we've got the Expert Evo in an S3
  • 1 0
 I got one of these very bikes in September in my home town from my LBS with a discount. Not sure what all this talk of shortage is...
  • 72 1
 Reece Wilson is the way better stumpjumper, just saying.
  • 45 3
 You mean Reece Wallace?
  • 5 0
 LEOGANG!!!
  • 42 0
 @c-radicallis: No, Reece Witherspoon.
  • 1 0
 @Chuckolicious: Ah that's the one! Damn me... always getting my Reece's mixed up!
  • 3 0
 @c-radicallis: How about Kyle Reese?
  • 38 0
 @Chuckolicious:

Person 1 " I heard she killed herself"
Person 2 " who?"
Petson 1 "Reece, uh, Wither, uhm...."
Person 2 "Witherspoon.....!!!!"
Person 1 "NO, with a knife"


I'll show myself out
  • 2 1
 @iammarkstewart: He'll keep coming.
  • 3 0
 @enis: I laughed to much at this, thank you. Added to the “wife’s eyes roll” repertoire
  • 2 0
 @c-radicallis: I hate that too, mix up all the Reeces Pieces
  • 1 0
 Imagine if you'd put him on a Stumpjumper! Stumps would be jumped like no stumps have been jumped before!
  • 2 0
 @Mac1987: I heard you like jumping stumps...
  • 1 0
 @Chief2slo: raffle me a Stumpjumper and I'll jump stumps all day !
  • 62 15
 A worthy selection, Specialized is killing it.
  • 33 2
 I’m sure I’m biased bc I have a stumpy but I feel like specialized has a really clear and comprehensive lineup and all of their bikes have been right at the top of all these field tests.
  • 1 16
flag alexbg (Dec 31, 2020 at 9:20) (Below Threshold)
 @bike-lair: Sort of say that about Trek for a few years as well.
  • 22 0
 Seems like Specialized has good bikes across all categories right now. The Demo, Enduro, Stumpy, Stumpy Evo, both Epics, and even their E-bikes, whether you like them or not, have all received good praise from their appropriate crowds. Some of them even have competitive prices for their 4-5k range.
  • 5 0
 It has been a long time since a Specialized occupied a spot in my "dream bike" list, and this particular one might be at the top. Looks like a great choice.
  • 60 17
 Why do broke people always have to shit on the good stuff just cause they won't get one? The pattern is obvious.

There was already a value bike winner, but it's not the best bike.

Downvote me fools!
  • 24 3
 Because... This is the way.
  • 6 0
 I feel like SunsPSD is new to the internet.
  • 4 2
 @Chuckolicious: This is the way.
  • 3 1
 @mega-send: I have spoken.
  • 49 9
 What's that hole in the frame? Trek, sue them forthwith!
  • 1 32
flag GSuperstar (Dec 31, 2020 at 7:08) (Below Threshold)
 ... Not sure if that's a joke.
  • 24 11
 I'll assume a joke, but If anything Specialized should be suing Trek.
  • 88 0
 @grnmachine02: boys, boys, there's plenty of suing for everyone!
  • 19 1
 @GSuperstar: No, a joke is: Why did the chicken cross the road? Doesn't matter cause Specialized make a bike that crosses the road so they sued the chicken.
  • 2 3
 Huh? Specialized came out with the swat box before trek. So if anything S should be suing Trek. Unless you were making some kind of joke.
  • 39 1
 The bike of the year is the one you own and get to ride!
  • 14 2
 Lucky for me I own and ride 2021 Stumpy Evo Expert!
  • 1 0
 @Chief2slo: what bike are you coming off of?
  • 2 2
 @gnarcissistictendency: a 2020 stumpjumper comp,large. Got a S4 and I couldn’t be happier. It fixed all the things I wanted to change on the stumpy. And Thanks to Covid I got almost retail for my used bike!
  • 38 6
 Leave to to specialized to put a patent on sizing...
  • 8 6
 If you had an idea that you came up with wouldn’t you want to capitalize on it? Isn’t that what patents are for?
  • 15 0
 @abueno: True but the idea's also supposed to be novel and non-obvious
  • 1 0
 @abueno: I actually own a stumpjumper, they make awesome bikes and as far as quality and pricing goes I really like specialized. I’m just joking around but it does seem a little silly to put your name on everything and they’ve been known for some less than reasonable lawsuits...
  • 1 0
 @bike-lair: I get that and couldn’t agree more on how sweet their bikes are..and who knows, maybe all those lawsuits have kept their knife edge sharp! We will never know..what I do know is, quality does come at a price and some complain about that price a little too much. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
  • 43 11
 meh
  • 26 1
 That was my second choice but went with the druid after all, can go wrong with most new bike nowadays.
  • 16 1
 You made the right choice, the Druid is soooo sick
  • 21 5
 Does your clinic goes well, despite the pandemic?
  • 2 0
 @Ashe14: yeah super fun bike havent tried the stumpy but happy with my pick for sure.
  • 6 0
 Forbidden gang!
  • 5 2
 A bike company you can feel good supporting!
  • 1 0
 @eugen-fried: you like peter sagan, yes?
  • 20 3
 For everyone saying this decision was based on advertising... Isn’t Trek a big advertiser? Why isn’t the Slash even a finalist, then? Rocky Mountain is an advertiser. Why wasn’t the Altitude a finalist? Pretty sure I’ve seen Transition advertising here. Why didn’t the Spur win?

Raaw is a finalist, but certainly they don’t have the advertising dollars of Trek, right? So why was Raaw a finalist and the Slash not?
  • 23 0
 This isnt the only place in the last year where I've read idiot conspiracy theories Smile
  • 4 0
 @Adamrideshisbike: SANTA IS TOO QANON
  • 7 0
 Because confirmation bias. People believe what they believe. And if 4 other people also believe that, then it’s obviously true.
  • 60 46
 Still wouldn't get one. #neverspecialized
  • 6 0
 It’s tube in tube super easy cable routing!
  • 14 8
 Tough year for you, huh?
  • 12 4
 #gottastayhip
  • 33 17
 I'm betting you're probably someone from back in the day who understands how specialized has operated in the past. Its the main reason I've never even looked at a specialized, ever. And never will. I won't even capitalize specialized, because they're not a proper noun. I'm pretty sure Zorg runs their company. lol. #fifthelement
  • 2 1
 @Ryekruit: Unless you run your brakes Moto.
  • 7 14
flag SuperHighBeam (Dec 31, 2020 at 11:30) (Below Threshold)
 I would if it had a more compelling rear suspension design like DW link or VPP.
  • 15 0
 @SuperHighBeam: do you want compelling, something that works or just a fancy brand to brag about?
  • 5 12
flag SuperHighBeam (Dec 31, 2020 at 12:09) (Below Threshold)
 @DHhack: Compelling and interesting and yes it needs to work well. Simply working is too low a bar for this reward. Could care less about the brand.
  • 3 12
flag SuperHighBeam (Dec 31, 2020 at 12:14) (Below Threshold)
 @jclnv: Not sure why that's so funny. I suppose I could have thrown in the Yeti suspension design (forget what it's called) or Bold's design, or Niner's design, or a linkage drive High Pivot design to get my point across better. Yes all of those are typically high dollar brands, but the point is the suspension designs used by those brands could be used by anyone and do not in of themselves require a high cost. Horst FSR is so early 2000's, there are much better things now.
  • 1 12
flag Noah353 (Dec 31, 2020 at 13:10) (Below Threshold)
 @SuperHighBeam: these carbon bikes don't use a horst anymore. The flex pivot has basically made this a new suspension design that isn't at all similar to the 2020 stumpjumpers.
  • 2 1
 @Almazing Would love to know just a bit about why.
  • 5 0
 @Noah353: except the evo still uses the horst pivot. just stating, not agreeing that it's bad. If it wasn't a good design, dozens of other companies would not have started using it when the patent was up a few years back
  • 8 2
 @SuperHighBeam: This mentality is what pushes pointless redesigns and lack of standards, needless obsolescence. This kind of marketing drives a lot of people away. 10k bikes perform marginally better than 5k bikes, while the 2-3k bikes are usually purchased and ridden by people who rip. Now we can’t even find 27.5?! I’d much rather ride a refined version of something that works (and have industry focus more on trickle-down quality to less than 2k to lower the price of admission) than ride something new just because it’s different, especially if it means more rippers and fewer annoying people with all the $ and no skills driving the industry. Makes no sense. Look at skateboards and bmx bikes.. a nice board costs about the same as it did 30 yrs ago and performs better.
  • 3 1
 @Noah353: The Stumpy EVO does use a horst link, just look at the picture. The basic Stumpy has the flexy stays. The Stumpy EVO won the award the not the basic Stumpy with the flexy stays. That would have been a more intriguing win.
  • 3 4
 @emptybe-er: You've opened Pandora's Box here. A lack of change and redesign does not support a burgeoning bicycle industry. Innovation and differentiation permit the existence of large number of companies in the industry. I do not however agree that innovative bicycles should cost exorbitant prices. Arguably any bicycle regardless of design should be attainable for less than say $4000. Radical design does not necessitate $$$$, but capitalism permits that thanks to supply and demand. I would also add that driving down the cost of bicycles is a crude of way saying I don't want the people that make bikes to earn a livable wage. It is however a problem if people are being charged more for a bike that does not necessarily offer more to the rider. There is a complex balance here. Bikes can only be cheap if you make a lot of them or you a bike brand pays its folks next to nothing. High volume sales shuts out competition which dampens innovation. So do you support big business or small business. See it gets complicated. i.e. Pandora's Box. Neverending standards and redesigns will be a thing so long as capitalism is still in effect.
  • 2 2
 @SuperHighBeam: imagine this, bikes could be cheaper while people in the industry make more $! If they were cheaper and sold more, the industry in general would have a better bottom line. Raw material and production can be further streamlined and ultimately a lot cheaper with more volume. Change the target market and the volume will go way up.
  • 1 0
 @SuperHighBeam: big business vs small business? What about little bike shops trying to stock all this bs every year and maintain a selection?! Bye bye small shops unless you live near a resort or can otherwise make it on labor alone. Let me tell you from experience, that’s not easy.
  • 6 3
 I can’t emphasise this enough. Never ever EVER satanized.
  • 2 1
 @emptybe-er: The LBS is supposed to get a feel (market research) for what brands the local market has a preference for. There are way way too many bike brands for any brick and mortar store to carry all of them. They are all forced to pick a small selection. Besides LBS don't make the bulk of their revenue from bike sales, most of the revenue is from bicycle service and selling of parts. I've worked in an LBS and saw this first hand. The bikes on the shop floor are mostly for wow factor or for an easy buy for those on a low budget (the cheap bikes always sold like hotcakes for the clueless riders looking to get into MTB). Most of the sale of the bike goes to the brand. Anyone that starts an LBS knows, or should know, that the only way they will sustain their business is through community presence and great customer service. The brands they carry come after those considerations. Plus many people that buy boutique bikes (i.e. bikes not on the shop floor) take those bikes to the LBS to have assembled, so the LBS still wins, probably even more than if they had sold the bike themselves.
  • 1 0
 @Afterschoolsports: What? I'm not following what you're getting at here.
  • 2 0
 @SuperHighBeam: I own a shop. Try picking a “small selection” when you’re full service and the target market is the entire small town and surrounding areas. This romantic idea that you can just be involved in your community and all the sudden you can flourish with nly labor and some parts sales (most buy online) is complete bs. A good way to justify buying crap from amazon though
  • 1 0
 @emptybe-er: I never said it was easy, but it is what an LBS has to do. Inventory is expensive to manage and inherently risky. In reality most of the $4000+ bikes that people buy through an LBS have to be ordered anyhow, the stuff on the floor are easy (low cost) sale bikes or bikes representative of different price brackets to showcase brand technologies and variations in component kit (people love to assess bikes through hands-on experiences). Every LBS has to pick a small selection. You're right though many people will buy their parts (or their bikes) online to save the middle man costs, but will still bring the parts (or bike) to the LBS to have them installed (or assembled). Keeping the bike shop in the black is no easy task. These days it virtually required that an LBS sponsor bicycle events with or without entrance fees for either shop promotion or supplemental income.
  • 1 0
 @SuperHighBeam: That’s a nice picture you’re painting but as I mentioned, I own and operate a bike shop. I have been in the industry for 20 yrs. Cheaper bikes are much easier to special order. They are the ones left in stock after preseason fulfillments because the company generally makes and sells more of these bikes. And that was before covid. So good luck with nailing your special orders with any consistency. It’s possible, but really only if you're selling brands that have excess (aren’t selling) or boutique manufacturers with even smaller margins.
As far as component/parts margins, they’re lower than the average bike sale margin. People can usually get better pricing online, so after you f around with price matching and finagling over a $40 saddle it’s a wash. Some of my component margins are around 10% because I’m price matching a giant who buys much cheaper and and has less overhead.. And doesn’t organize events, build trail or teach people how to change a flat, etc.

And the problem with your “small selection” idea is that now, just one example, we have twice as many commonly ridden wheel sizes, try stocking even a small selection of tires and tubes as a small shop, with 20 sizes.
And when should I organize and hold those free events? Pretty hard to take time off to organize events if you’re relying on labor to pay the bills! You can’t do both, now can you? Especially if you have a life whatsoever, or maybe even a family. The reality is, I need to be open and dealing with customers all day, then plenty of wrenching before or after work.. then you have cleaning the shop, ordering, and 100 other little details to keep in the air.
Furthermore, stocking bikes “representative of various price brackets to showcase technologies and variation in component kit” is the idea! Yeah that used to be the idea behind a bike shop! Have a selection to look at and ride, help people find the right bike. So that’s a size run in what, 5-10 models minimum? Do you see where this is going?
  • 1 0
 @emptybe-er: I'm not really following the argument you're attempting to frame here. Yes cheap bikes are easy to order just as you stated, but avid MTB'ers aren't buying those bikes. They are looking for specific bikes typically in the $3000-$5000 price range and those are not typically inventoried at a bike shop because they don't generally move that often (again because a shop can only stock so many brands, and every buyer is likely to seek out the shop that sells the brand of their interest, not just the shop that they use the most often i.e. their LBS). As a result those $3000-$5000 bikes are typically special orders. I will not however deny that the cheap bikes $3000 do make up the bulk of an LBS' bike sales as lame as that is. Not at all surprised by the low margins all around. I think you misunderstood what I meant by small selection. A bike shop cannot possibly carry a multitude of brands, let alone models, in varying wheels sizes and frame sizes that equates to too much inventory. As a result you can only do that for the high volume sellers and the rest you have just a couple of bikes to be able to show something to clients that visit the shop (often a size medium in either one or both 27.5 and 29er). Bottom line an LBS is really constrained in what they can inventory and show on the shop floor. Most everything of interest requires a special order. And that is where things like demo days become really important in attracting/triggering new sales since bikes of problem size and diversity become available for clients to test themselves.
As for shop sponsored events free (i.e. organized rides) or pay-to-play (i.e. races) the expectation is that those occur outside of normal business hours say after 5:30pm or on the weekend. It is not uncommon for bike shops to be closed on a Monday/Tuesday to accommodate these expectations or to open later in the day than a typical business. You've obviously figured out a strategy that works for you, so it's not my place to criticize and that was not my intent. I understand innovation frustrates the LBS sector since it results in a need to carry more diverse inventory, but in a very saturated bicycle market differentiation is the key to survival for a bike brand. If everyone has the same thing other factors will drive who succeeds and who loses. I feel your pain, it's not an LBS friendly industry, it's a bike and component brand friendly industry. To ease your pain, might I recommend setting up an e-commerce shop to boost sales of bikes/parts and then just carrying things people are likely to need in a pinch along with cheap bikes for those looking to acquire a bike in a pinch. If you don't already, it may be advisable to have a dedicated events coordinator or perhaps a broader outreach coordinator and separate personnel to run the shop that you're not overwhelmed and better able to accommodate both ends. Just some ideas to help you out since you sound a bit frazzled.
  • 1 0
 @SuperHighBeam: Yee cats, man. Look at that wall of text. Ain’t nobody got time for that.
  • 1 0
 @TheR: @emptybe-er seems to have the time and he's the only other party actively participating in the discussion, so I think you're mistaken.
  • 7 0
 @MikeKazimer I'd like to make a recommendation for 2021 and beyond. Instead of one overarching winner for Bike of Year, I think it may be more appropriate and interesting to award a Bike of the Year award to a bike for each discipline (i.e. XC, TR, EN, FR, and DH, and perhaps E-MTB and Fatbike). I don't think it is fair to pit bikes from different disciplines against one another for a single award. That is arguably an irrelevant and unnecessary comparison that no one really cares about. Separate awards though, I think that would be much more interesting. For more on this look for my comment(s) to @leon-forfar related to this.
  • 2 0
 yeah to totally agree with you. Because Specialized also introduced a new Epic this year, and the Epic Evo. Depending on riding style, those bikes are far better than the Stumpy. but, that caveat is based what you want to ride. I have a 2021 Epic, and it is insane, as a XC bike. Stumpy can't compete with it on XC stuff. But, the Epic can't touch the Stumpy on things the Stumpy is good at.
  • 1 0
 @jimschulze: Exactly! Thank you for understanding my assessment of determining BOTY.
  • 12 4
 I'm so happy with my Stumpy Evo expert. It's just so beautiful + swat for life!
  • 1 0
 I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, the swat feature is awesome.
  • 7 2
 Picked mine up at Incycle ,Pasadena California, three weeks ago. Pro model in size S4. Build spec is high, new frame design with the straight top tube looks great, and the adjustable geo is a game changer. I'm not gonna write a review here, but I do wonder what specialized was thinking here as this bike is gonna take the place of any three other bikes from trail to enduro. Still trying out all the different Geo's, and so far I'm liking 64.5 for the type of riding I do.
  • 6 2
 Such a good bike. I have run it in every geo configuration and it’s pretty remarkable how different they ride. Awesome bottom out control, and still pedals really well. Great climbing position. Really good bike! If you can’t get one look at last years stumpy and buy an Cascade designs link. Save money and get a very similar riding bikeSmile
  • 3 0
 I'm glad all these bikes made it to the final list. Being an armchair expert and being stuck reading reviews since the LBS can't get anything in stock for months, these were all on my short list to check out sometime in the next 2 years. Seen 3/4 of these bikes in action on the trail and every bike owner swears by them, so lots of smiles either way. Great job PB!
  • 6 3
 What is it with these nerds claiming the Stumpy Evo doesn't deserve the win because "OmG iTs HoRsT lInk"? There is really no other common suspension designs that really out perform Horst Link. Bike companies try to make their own unnecessarily complex proprietary designs so they can patent it and be different. At the end of the day there is no appreciable performance gain. Horst Link is incredibly versatile and can be engineered to provide a wide range of kinematics. It does so while also being relatively simple and easy to design into a bike. Well-executed Horst Link is not a detriment to any bike.
  • 3 0
 Is it just me or are Sarah and Mike acting more... professional? Please someone put their foot down and make this stop. Keep our bike nerd idols nerdy.

Outakes as the presentation tup
  • 2 0
 @Mike Kazimer I'd like to make a recommendation for 2021 and beyond. Instead of one overarching winner for Bike of Year, I think it may be more appropriate and interesting to award a Bike of the Year award to a bike for each discipline (i.e. XC, TR, EN, FR, and DH, and perhaps E-MTB and Fatbike). I don't think it is fair to pit bikes from different disciplines against one another for a single award. That is arguably an irrelevant and unnecessary comparison that no one really cares about. Separate awards though, I think that would be much more interesting. For more on this look for my comment(s) to @leon-forfar related to this.
  • 2 0
 I was always an anti-Specialized snob until I was lucky enough to win a Stumpjumper last year in a raffle. Now the stumpy is my go-to for my mid-week after work rips. If I didn’t already have a “big” bike the Evo would be a great one bike.
  • 8 3
 Just picked one up from Roseville Cyclery, which is over 300 miles away
  • 2 1
 Pretty cool that bikes from companies like Transition and RAAW are in the running for BOTY with maybe 10-15% (WAG) the design and QAQC budget per model that a Specialized gets. Wildly different volumes and production challenges, but still, kinda remarkable.

To draw a loose analogy to American baseball, the 2020 World Series was between the LA Dodgers with the 2nd highest league payroll and the Tampa Bay Rays with the 3rd lowest, and the Rays came within two games of winning it all.
  • 1 4
 Those are just in the running for appearances. Like token racial diversity in TV.
  • 9 4
 Three rides in on my own '21 Evo and the hype is real!
  • 4 3
 I haven't ridden one, but I am impressed with the what I have seen from the stumpy. It seems like a great bike if you want something a little snappier than the Enduro but still to have the capability to be competitive in enduro (Finn Iles proved this) and ride anything you want. Geometry seems amazing and I love the adjustability. Also the value you get from the 5 k expert build is insane.
  • 4 2
 This was well deserved. It looks like a great bike, adaptable to different riding styles and locations. I just wish they offered an alloy frame only, as the carbon frame only is a bit more money than I can swing.
  • 1 0
 great bike definitely. the first line reminds me though that pinkbike doesnt teat a bunch of bikes that are harder to get in north america though. for example the lapierre mtbs models from 2019 onward use a single frame that is adjustable from 120 to 180mm with the right geometry all along, all you gotta do is swap the the shock and fork, which is really cool as well.
  • 1 0
 It’s just the nature of having a home market.

I feel the way you do when I see bikeradar, or mbr.co.Uk review brands I’ve hardly even heard of, that I don’t think I can even buy here in the US.
  • 1 0
 I was on the verge of trying to buy a new bike. The Meta TR and Stumpy evo were at the top of my list. I really like the look of the Meta TR. A friend is building one and it's a beauty. The Race build seemed like a real good value. Ultimately, I think I would lean more towards the stumpy. I like how they handled the adjustable geo with the headset option and flip chip at the back end. It's nice to be able to get the slacker head tube but with a steeper seat tube. Most other bikes both get slacker or steeper when you adjust them.
  • 4 1
 A good choice. I have a Stumpjumper FSR EVO 26" with fox float 36 forks (140mm) and it is an amazing bike -so many good bikes these days its hard to judge!
  • 1 0
 26 tho
  • 1 0
 @mikekazimer I'd like to make a recommendation for 2021 and beyond. Instead of one overarching winner for Bike of Year, I think it may be more appropriate and interesting to award a Bike of the Year award to a bike for each discipline (i.e. XC, TR, EN, FR, and DH, and perhaps E-MTB and Fatbike). I don't think it is fair to pit bikes from different disciplines against one another for a single award. That is arguably an irrelevant and unnecessary comparison that no one really cares about. Separate awards though, I think that would be much more interesting. For more on this look for my comment(s) to @leon-forfar related to this.
  • 1 0
 Still waiting on @salespunk to decry the error in Spesh’s ways for not carrying over the Enduro suspension lay-out to the Stumpjumper (“climbs better” lol!). Weird the enduro didn’t win BOTY. But then again this is a man who has 2 of the old stumpy evos & still hasn’t noticed how much they sucked.
  • 2 0
 I am honored that you still think about me. BTW I have the 2021 Evo now too and thinking about getting an SB150 to go with my Enduro and Kenevo. Let me know if you are ever in San Diego and we can head out for a ride!
  • 5 2
 I'm still riding my 2013 Stumpjumper FSR Expert Carbon EVO, wait for it.....26. It's still an amazing bike to throw around.
  • 2 1
 I'm hoping to get a decade out of my 2013 expert evo 29! Finally left the 2x10 behind and upgraded to xt 1x11 this summer. The black/orange/blue colorway holds up well too I think.
  • 1 0
 @arvtron: totally agree on the black / orange / blue frame still looking sweet..
actually just about to upgrade with 1x 11 too..
  • 1 1
 26 fo lyfe
  • 4 4
 Idk... yes the configurability is cool. But how many times are you going to change it? It’s most likely a set it and forget it situation... maybe even creates more issues than it solves for riders. So let’s set configurability aside for a moment.

Straight up, bike vs bike, ride vs ride, looks vs looks... the Spur beats the Stumpy Evo in all relevant categories. Reviewer after reviewer raved over the Spur all year... not so much on the Stumpy.

Is the configurability enough to leap over the Spur... idk, it’s not that close... maybe that novelty brings it up to the already perfect Spur, but I think PB got caught up in the latest cool thing ... that has really been around for some time now.
  • 3 4
 Picked mine up at Incycle ,Pasadena California, three weeks ago. Pro model in size S4. Build spec is high, new frame design with the straight top tube looks great, and the adjustable geo is a game changer. I'm not gonna write a review here, but I do wonder what specialized was thinking here as this bike is gonna take the place of any three other bikes from trail to enduro. Still trying out all the different Geo's, and so far I'm liking 64.5 for the type of riding I do.
  • 4 0
 #shocker
  • 4 0
 Cove?
  • 2 0
 Which one- the horst-link version or the non-horst version?? Why are there two versions???
  • 2 1
 Stumpy EVO and aluminum Stumpy Regular are still horst link. The carbon Stumpy Regulars moved to single pivot; forget why but Levy may have mentioned it in the review.
  • 3 4
 Great choice. The ultimate 'mountain bike' right now. Rolling East Coast trails to the Bike Park...it wont be the perfect tool for each job but it will get the job done. Well done Big S...must feel good to have the best bike in pretty much every category at the moment.
  • 3 0
 You frame storage people perplex me.
  • 2 1
 I tested and researched a lot of bikes and ended going with the stevo. It is sick! Can’t please everyone in the award show.
  • 10 8
 Booooooooooooring????????????
  • 4 6
 I test rode the S-Works Version, it’s a fun bike. But it didn’t climb as well as my Instinct BC, so I disagree with the idea that this is a great all around trail bike. But super fun on the downhill and a great choice for shuttle or lift rides. However, I would give it an award for best ad of the year - that golden age of mountain biking video was great!
  • 1 0
 Thanks, as I also own an Instinct BC you just saved me a lot of money
  • 1 1
 This bike rips both the downs and the ups! And I still can’t believe how light it is even though I don’t have top tier components on it!
  • 1 0
 Does anybody know where to find the mullet-link for this bike? Or does it come with one already?
  • 11 9
 Nah. Would prefer the Transition Spur anyday.
  • 4 2
 This was my favourite bike this year too.
  • 2 3
 i find it interesting that the stumpy uses that asymmetric front triangle brace while the enduro does just fine with a more traditional front triangle without any added bracing
  • 5 1
 Because the fame design, especially the shock location, is completely different on the Enduro vs the Stumpy.
  • 1 0
 @bogey: yeah it is much closer to the shock location of the epic. i wonder if they made the decision to go with that frame design initially as an aesthetic exercise and then just decided it was a defining characteristic, even if they can make the frame plenty stiff without it.
  • 2 0
 @twonsarelli: it allows the heavy loads of the shock compression to be handled in a better way than just beefing up the top tube. These loads are now distributed to the top tube and seat tube which allows for lighter frame construction due to the triangulation.
That’s the primary reason to do this. It won’t add much stiffness to the frame.
  • 1 0
 @bogey: sounds similar to what they did with the previous enduro with the X, just with a different execution
  • 2 4
 Not fond of the shock mount asymmetrical crossbar. Yeah, I'm superficial to not like the look of asymmetrical crossbar, but it also looks like you wouldn't be able to use a higher volume shock because it would be too big for the space.
  • 2 0
 Fits an X2. Seen it with my own two eyes.
  • 1 1
 @ischiller: You are right, I just did a search and saw one installed with canister upside down. Looks really tight and wonder if it would fit in smaller sized frames.
  • 2 0
 @tacklingdummy: Don't know about that. I do own the bike. Take it all with a grain of salt as I'm biased - the bike rips. I very much enjoy descending on it. Climbs fine enough.
  • 4 2
 And it can be mulleted. I want one.
  • 2 2
 Nah, the stumpy peaked in high school - images.app.goo.gl/qrttNzLjqh8vanBW9
  • 1 0
 That's just a bike, I have one in the garage that looks just like it.
  • 2 1
 I guess I made the right choice for my bike purchase!
  • 2 1
 Weird....a special ed won? Whoda thunk?
  • 5 5
 The bike rides well, but the aesthetics of the shock set up is strange, down right ugly.
  • 3 5
 Specialized is the absolute worst company with customer and service support. They probably bought out this award . FUK SPECIALIZED BIKES. Do yourself a favor, buy any other brand
  • 1 0
 Except Scott. Speaking from experience.
  • 1 0
 No downhill bikes? What the f bro..
  • 1 0
 Why are these awards not called the “Pinkies”?
  • 5 3
 Raaw Madonna got robbed
  • 3 3
 A rightly deserved win. Does everything wonderfully and If I had the money I would sure buy one.
  • 1 2
 No doubt the Stumpy EVO is a good bike, but what about a Status?! This might be the best value bike out there. Now apparently there is a review coming hmm...
  • 2 0
 Shhh, the Status doesn't exist according to Specialized.... haha. The dumbest marketing style or whatever it is they are doing. They won't even give Specialized dealers ANY info on the bike. That being said, I think it is THE best bang for buck bike on the market.
  • 1 3
 If it’s the best value bike out there, there’s another category for that.
  • 2 1
 AHHHHHHH MIKE IN LYCRA NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
  • 3 2
 ???? yawn
  • 1 0
 REEB SQWEEB BABY!
  • 5 5
 Transition got robbed!!!!
  • 3 4
 Just a good looking ride to boot.
  • 3 4
 Nobody I know rides Specialized. And it's UAF....
  • 9 9
 Gross.
  • 8 8
 Lame
  • 1 1
 Never saw this coming..
  • 2 4
 The V4 Ripley should be given this award into perpetuity.
  • 2 0
 If by "Ripley" you actually mean Tallboy, then yes.
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