The new frame is stiffer and more responsive than the aluminum option, according to Santa Cruz representatives, and also 250 grams lighter (size large). You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, The Lightweight XC Bike Showdown: Scalpel v. Epic, Pivot Drops 2nd Generation Shuttle E-Mountain Bike, Evil Unveils Second-Generation Offering Trail Bike, Get the Shredder Something They’ll Be Stoked About, The 10 Best Cheap Bikes for Every Kind of Ride, The Top 6 Secret US Mountain Bike Destinations, Why Every MTB Rider Should Consider a Singlespeed, The New Stumpy Evo Is a More Balanced Trail Bike, BMC Twostroke 01 One: Ridden and Reviewed. 2020 Specialized Fuse 27.5 versus 2020 Trek Roscoe 7, which one to choose? Find a Retailer; en. If you’re passionate about mountain biking, do yourself a favor, and invest in a Specialized. Be warned, though, these are race day tires for dry conditions and not well suited to daily trail riding or muddy courses. Despite this, there are desirable characteristics in all frame materials. Marin Pine Mountain 29×2.6. We built a mountain bike test track with most of the trail elements that you’re likely to encounter and rode back-to-back laps on multiple bikes to tease out subtle and not-so-subtle differences. Specialized Fuse Comp 6Fattie – $1,650. 4 4. It’s most at home on flow trails and moderately technical terrain, yet it has the chops to get you through the rugged stuff. So the fuse comp is nx 11 speed and the roscoe 8 2019 is eagle right? Specialized Mountain Bikes. The Timberjack is a fun, adventure-ready aluminum hardtail that’ll run 29-inch or plus-sized 27.5-inch wheels. She noted that the rear wheel maintained good traction on steep trails and she was still able to keep enough weight over the front wheel to steer. Go for long and slack progressive geometry. ROWDY BY DESIGN The Fuse is loaded with smart touches. Specialized really nailed the 2020 redesign of their Fuse models and this bike extremely versatile and highly capable, especially when you consider the fact that it's a $1,250 hardtail. The grippy 2.6-inch tubeless-ready tires deliver excellent traction on rocks, snow, and slick clay. Trek makes an awesome range of awesome bikes, from first-bike introductory models for absolute beginners to advanced riders looking to hit some serious trails. They put a lot of effort into pushing what mountain bikes can do, and even if you don’t want to spend as much on a bike as their top models, their low- and mid-range models still benefit from the company’s experience with high-end mountain bikes. But the price of entry is falling and this bike is leading the way: The $899 Growler outperforms bikes twice its price. Fuse isn’t that kind of hardtail. Fatbike-like traction meets trail-bike-like handling. Since 2001, 49% of Specialized has been owned by a Taiwanese company called Merida Bikes. But how to know which one to choose? I love downhill, dirt jumping, and free-riding. Lighter, simpler, less expensive, more durable, and more reliable than a frame with rear suspension, the hardtail is the workhorse of the mountain bike world. That makes this a solid deal for racers who want the best. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Specialized's Fuse Comp 29 is a 130mm trail hardtail that blends balanced handling with some very neat features. Went out looking for a couple hardtails today. SRAM’s NX Eagle drivetrain and alloy Truvativ Stylo crank keep cost in check and can stand up to plenty of hard riding and abuse. Free shipping on orders over $150. Carbon fiber frames have the best strength-to-weight ratio of any material, but are also the most expensive. 5. Each brand will feel different when riding their mountain bikes and it comes down to personal preference and body type which brand or bike suits you best. Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. As a company, Trek is dedicated to helping the environment. Lock it out on smooth service roads, set it midway for the stuttery stuff, and open it up when you’re on more technical tracks. Shimano’s SLX 12-speed drivetrain offers reliable shifting for the 10-51 cassette. Best Handpicked Black Friday Mountain Bike Deals for 2020, Best Black Friday Mountain Bike GPS Deals. Specialized’s popular hardtail mountain bikes: Specialized’s popular trail and downhill mountain bikes: Specialized’s popular fat-tire mountain bikes: So, out of Trek and Specialized, which one gets the recommendation? The Stache is a solid climber but the Specialized Fuse is easier to accelerate. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. The original Honzo was a unicorn. In this episode we review the 2020 Specialized Fuse Comp. But that’s the beauty of this bike. Build a hardtail with a longer-travel fork and plus-size tires and you’ll have a fun ripper for romping around your local trails—and you’ll save a few hundred bucks or more compared to a full-suspension option. A racing hardtail it ain’t. Salsa’s Alternator dropouts make it possible to run the Timberjack as a singlespeed, too. You can almost always get more bang for your buck with a hardtail. They helped set up an initiative to get more American commuters riding bikes instead of driving cars and they are always trying to improve their sustainability as a company. You’ll find suspension forks with as little as 80mm of travel on some cross-country bikes while trail hardtails, like the Salsa Timberjack NX Eagle 29, may have forks with 130mm of travel or more. Trek first started making bikes back in 1976. The wide, 780mm handlebar is great for stability through the most technical trails. See our top picks below, or scroll deeper for more in-depth reviews of these bikes and other great options, as well as helpful buying tips and advice. You also get a larger-diameter seat tube, which is now compatible with most dropper posts. ... Trek Stache 9.7 . The simpler design allows manufacturers to either reduce the bike’s overall price or include better components than you would find on a comparably priced full-suspension bike. Similar to the Honzo, the Trek Stache is all about fun. We pushed these bikes hard over flow trails, up and down steep climbs and pucker-worthy rocky descents, and through gnarly rock gardens. Both the Specialized and the Trek are 29ers in most sizes. The Fuse Comp 29 is a mid-fat hardtail with the suds to go big. The Wolf In Sheep's Clothing. Our tester was surprised, however, to find a narrow 720mm handlebar on this bike. Trek Stache vs Roscoe. Most of Trek’s bikes have trigger shifters and hydraulic disc brakes, though a few of the low-end models have mechanical disc brakes. It’s hard to believe that Trek hasn’t had a 27.5+ hardtail in its lineup up until this point. The top model is the SE Reserve build, which includes Santa Cruz Reserve Carbon rims built to blue Hope hubs and a matching Hope headset. The Chameleon trail hardtail is Santa Cruz’s most versatile frame. The SRAM SX Eagle drivetrain, with a 30t chainring and 10-50 cassette, provides a massive range of gears and plenty of low-range options for easing the pain of climbing steep hills. These Stellar Options Go Anywhere and Do Anything, The Best Trek Bikes You Can Buy Right Now, 120mm RockShox Judy Silver fork (100mm for size XS), 32 pounds is on the heavy side for a hardtail, Incredible value for this level of capability, SRAM SX Eagle doesn't shift as crisply as higher-priced drivetrains, Slacker head angle and longer reach than previous version, SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain doesn't shift as smooth as X01 or XX1 Eagle, Maxxis Rekon Race tires are good in dry conditions but lose their luster on sloppy trails, 12-speed SRAM NX Eagle drivetrain climbs like a goat, Tubeless-ready Hollowgram 23 carbon wheels, Bontrager Kovee Elite 23 Carbon, tubeless-ready wheels, Lightweight carbon frame with IsoSpeed decoupler, 100mm RockShox Reba RL fork with remote lockout, Lightweight and tubeless ready XC race tires, 120mm Rockshox Revelation RC DebonAir fork, SX and NX Eagle drivetrain blend offers good performance at a good price, Some riders may prefer a tire with a more aggressive tread pattern. Specialized uses the best components on the market to complement their fantastic bikes. I'm looking to get a 27.5+ bike, and the most available around me are the Trek Roscoe 7 and Specialized Fuse expert (both 2019 models). So you’re looking to buy a mountain bike and you’ve narrowed it down to two different brands – Trek and Specialized. These bikes have been ridden, and ridden hard, by our team of test editors. He said it felt strange at first but admitted after a few minutes of riding he didn’t notice it anymore. There is so much to love about this bike, it’s hard to decide where to start. Take a look at the world's strongest man, and you're not going to find some chiseled Adonis. Fuse is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a Stumpjumper without the squishy bits. The light carbon frame comes with high-end components, including a RockShox Pike fork and SRAM GX Eagle shifters and derailleur. The Contessa Scale 900 is perfectly appointed for moderately technical, high-speed, fitness-forward mountain biking. It has a 2x9-speed Shimano drivetrain, which strays from the single-chainring trend that’s popular on off-road bikes at the moment but also provides plenty of gearing options. That’s not to say you wouldn’t save a buck.Especially from a brand like Specialized, which sells its bikes in actual bike shops and not consumer-direct, you’d be spending several hundred dollars more for rear suspension. Posted by 2 years ago. Trek trekbikes. I have an older bike . And slick clay paired with fun, adventure-ready aluminum hardtail that blends balanced handling with some neat. A decade ago, they make some of the build as it is to recreational.! Stache 5 Zipp 2001 minutes of riding he didn ’ t always easy to spot at.... The budget-friendly, long-travel, full-squish, trail-smashing machines currently available 27.5-inch wheels 2020, the S-Works Turbo Levo a... 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