First Ride: Specialized Rumor Expert 650b - Sea Otter 2015
It's no secret that 27.5 wheels are popular right now and Specialized, acting on rider and market feedback have just announced the release of the Rumor 650b to bring the mid-sized wheel format to its female-specific range. Many may be familiar with the Rumor 650b's bigger sister, the Rumor 29er, which we recently reviewed. The new Rumor will not be replacing the big wheeled version, but rather providing another option for those who feel inclined to ride a mid-sized wheel bike over a 29er. Also interesting is that, because all of the bikes in the Rumor range now have more relaxed geometry and an aggressive spec, Specialized has dropped the "EVO" moniker. The Rumor 650b will come in three models, all with the same welded aluminum chassis: the entry level Rumor, the Rumor Comp, and the Rumor Expert. We had the chance to ride the Expert 650b here at the Sea Otter Classic.
The 650b Rumor uses the same two-piece forged aluminum top tube as the 29er version - which provides the lower stand-over height that Specialized's womens' bikes are famous for.
The Specialized Command Post has nice, clean-looking internal cable routing.
Component Highlights
The top of the line Rumor Expert comes with a 130mm RockShox Pike Solo Air, 125mm rear FSR travel with a Fox Float CTD rear shock in place with Autosag tune. The drivetrain is SRAM's X01 eleven speed and wheels are built with Specialized's Roval Traverse 650b 29mm inner-width alloy rims, and Purgatory Control 2.3" 2Bliss tires And, to round out the women's spec, the Rumor comes with the Myth Comp Saddle, and narrower 700mm bars. All told the Rumor's spec is a recipe, surely intended to make love with the trail, rather than shy away from it.
SRAM's XO1 drivetrain helps keep shifting and riding simple and easy.
The Rumor's low fuss cockpit is clean looking, the handlebar has a good feel and the XT brakes can be adapted for small hands.
|  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ride Impressions:
 | Everything about the Rumor Expert 650b is set up to be easy. The Shimano XT brake-lever reach is easily adjusted, the Fox CTD Autosag shock can be adjusted with the push of a button. The Rockshox Pike's air chart guide sits on the backside of the left lower leg, so with a quick glance, we could tune the fork pretty close with the first try. This is a big win for anyone who might just be getting familiar with setting up and adjusting their own bikes. This ease of set-up also translates to getting quickly accustomed to the bike. Jumping aboard for the first time feels really comfortable and due to the lack of fuss in the cockpit, ride time is spent enjoying the trail rather than fiddling with components, a definite bonus for anyone getting accustomed to a new ride. The Rumor is a very agreeable climber. The ride position felt natural and efficient which, after a long snow-laden winter, was a welcome discovery. Switching between the three ride modes of the shock, there didn't seem to be a great deal of efficiency lost when climbing in the open mode. We found, however, that with a large water bottle in the cage, it can be a little tricky to access the lever control, due to the cramped space created by the smaller front triangle. When descending, the Rumor does not shy away from trail, but rather tackles it and then dares you to give it more. We really liked that Specialized chose to run wide rims in combination with 2.3" tires and felt as though this choice really helped set the Rumor apart from the typical trail spec that can sometimes leave a bike acting skittish. The extra contact area provided adds confidence to the Rumor's ride and, combined with the suspension design of the bike, it just felt so responsive, self-assured and fun. We wish we were able to spend more than an afternoon on the Rumor, as we definitely did some hooting and hollering on the ride out. From what we can gather, the Rumor is a bike that leans towards the female who wants to get a little serious and progress her skills, as it has the right elements to elevate confidence in just about any situation on the trail. If it's anything like its big-wheeled sister, the Rumor 650b will likely get you up and down the trails without a fuss, allowing for a ton of fun. - Rachelle Frazer |
 |
 A big thanks to our Specialized Women's ride guides Hannah Barnes, Kate Courtney and Lea Davison. |
MENTIONS: @Specialized
Author Info:
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
Classic 130mm FS bike review.
What else can we expect? It's a freaking bike! It gets ridden up and then down, end of story
Where are you riding?! Bike metaphors have reached a whole new level.
On a side note Giant does a laughable and border-line insulting job marketing women's specific bikes. Their names include "Lust", "Obsess, "Enchant". I'm not sure who they hired to position themselves there but I can't imagine they are having a lot of success.
We searched for about a year till we finally found a frame where she could get off the saddle and normally stand over the frame without "hurting" things you don't wanna hurt.
And the 650b s**t doesn't help here it's actually a curse because the whole frame gets lifted a litte bit more than with 26'. So I hope that women specific frames will be built in the future. Another problem is that there are no Enduro women bikes around...