Market: Specialized has made some innovations in its portfolio for the coming season. In addition to many revised components and wheels, there are also new developments to admire. In FBelow we have put together some bikes and components that have received a facelift or are completely new.
Rumor Expert Evo
The counterpart to that stump jumper. Specialized doesn't want to spoil the downhill fun of the mountain bikers of this world and that's how it happens Rumor Expert Evo with an inch more travel than the normal Rumor. With an optimized linkage and many features that should give the women as much riding fun as possible, Specialized presents the little black one.
The geometry of Rumor Expert Evo became much more aggressive due to the new linkage and so the bike comes with a 68,4 degree slack steering angle, which is supposed to ensure proper stability. The Rumor Expert Evo leaves nothing to be desired when it comes to equipment. The chassis is a mix of Rock Shox and Fox, and Shimano are used for the brakes. The overall package is rounded off by the X01drivetrain from Sram and 29er carbon wheels from Roval. The bike as a whole weighs a slim 12,6 kilograms and costs 4299 euros.
2FO - shoes
It will be seen for the first time at the Downhill World Cup next year 2FO Specialized shoes in stores. The 2FO are offered as both flat pedal and click shoes. Since 2008, the shoe has been optimized during development and repeatedly tested. The final version should be characterized above all by a quick-drying material. No sponge-like materials were used, so the shoe should only absorb a small amount of water.
When it came to the rubber, there was no hesitation and the specialists from the in-house tire department were called in. Together you have them slip not-Mixture, which should offer constant but also optimal grip.
The click version has been reinforced in the cleats area so that better power transmission could be achieved. The adjustment range of the cleats has been increased by a full 40 millimeters. The driver is thus offered significantly more positions and everyone can try them out. In order to be able to click in better, the sole of the click shoe has been provided with a slightly firmer rubber in the area of the cleats. This should make it easier to find the pedals and click in faster.
The flat pedal shoe weighs 395 grams and the click shoe 450 grams. The shoe is priced at 119,90 euros and 139,90 euros respectively.
Boomslang.
For the new 2FO Shoes also had to have matching pedals. The Boomslang pedals took time to develop, but are now showing their best side. The pedals offers a footprint of 110 x 108 millimeters and has 22 aggressive pins per pedal.
For emergencies, four pins have been integrated into the pedals as replacements, so that if one or more pins are lost, they can be retrofitted immediately.
In order to protect the axle and the bearings from dirt, a nice feature has been thought of at the outer bearing point. A small flap, if you want to call it that, is held in place by the pins. However, if you unscrew them, you have access to the axle and can completely disassemble the pedals. The price is the Boomslang. at 129,90 euros
It was
The It was is a completely new development and is geared towards the merciless XC fight of women. The S Works Era Like the Rumor Expert Evo, it comes in a plain black and is equipped with the finest components. The new Rock Shox works at the front RS-1, which, like the Fox damper, uses the specially developed Brainsystem features. Depending on the conditions, the system releases more or less spring travel and thus ensures the optimal adjustment, whether uphill or downhill.
The bike is completely tailored to the wishes of women. The front has been designed much lower and the top tube also offers plenty of legroom. Depending on the frame size, the spring travel varies minimally between 95 and 100 millimeters. The bike weighs a mere 10,25 kilograms and costs a whopping 8499 euros.
diverge
With the diverge Specialized has a new racer in its range, which is thematically between the all-rounder Roubaix and the cross rocket Crux can be classified. The diverge is a gravel bike, i.e. a bike with which you can sometimes leave the asphalt to explore picturesque field and forest paths. The bike has a comfort-oriented geometry as well as the well-known Certz-Inserts on.
Also, it is intended for use with disc brakes, allowing a larger gear ratio than that Crux and the use of tires up to 30 millimeters wide.
F
Fat bikes are becoming increasingly popular. With the F you already had a bike with the bulky tires in your portfolio last year. The F is offered in three variants and is either equipped with a rigid fork made of carbon or the Rock Shox bluto suspension fork delivered.
The Specialized Ground Control With a width of 4,6 inches, tires provide immense traction and excellent cushioning. In terms of price, the Fatboy starts at just under 1799 euros. The top variant Fatboy Pro, costs 3599 euros.
More information about the bikes, components and the rest of the products can be found at www.specialized.com