2020 Specialized Mountain Bikes: What you need to know
2020 Specialized Mountain Bikes
The 2020 Specialized Mountain Bikes have been released and ready to buy. But which one should you buy? Well in this post I run through all the 2020 Specialized mountain bikes to help you decide. But, in essence the bike you choose will be down to budget and the terrain you ride. Luckily, Specialized have mountain bikes for every occasion.
Top Tip: There will probably be 2019 versions of these bikes still for sale. Click on the links to the shops (green buttons) to see what deals they have.
Specialized Enduro
The 2020 Specialized Enduro is the closed thing to a downhill bike you can get without sacrificing pedalling ability.
It has gone through some significant updates for 2020, making it a more gravity focussed bike. However, it still has great pedalling characteristics.
The 2020 Specialized Enduro is a bike that needs to be ridden hard for it to be rewarding. This is the type of bike that you ride in bike parks and over gnarly terrain. If you ride mellow trails, this would be total overkill, so you would be better looking elsewhere. However, if you take on big mountain descents or ride technical terrain, this is definitely worth looking at.
Key Features (Entry level bike)
| Frame | FACT 11m carbon chassis and rear-end, 29 S3 Enduro Race Geometry, SWAT™ Door integration, threaded BB, internal cable routing, 12x148mm dropouts, sealed cartridge bearing pivots, replaceable derailleur hanger, 170mm of travel |
|---|---|
| Rear Shock | Rock Shox Super Deluxe Select, 205×60, Trunnion |
| Fork | RockShox Lyrik Select, DebonAir, Charger RC damper with rebound adjust, and low-speed compression to lockout, tapered steerer, 42mm offset, 15mm Maxle® Stealth thru-axle, 15x110mm Boost™, 170mm of travel |
| Rear Derailleur | SRAM NX Eagle, 12-speed |
| Number of Gears | 12 |
| Shifters | SRAM NX Eagle, trigger, 12-speed |
| Bottom Bracket | SRAM DUB, threaded BB |
| Cassette | SRAM NX Eagle, 12-speed, 11-50t |
| Chain | SRAM NX Eagle, 12-speed |
| Pedals | Supplied |
| Brakeset | SRAM Code R, 4-piston caliper, hydraulic disc, 200/180mm |
| Handlebars | Specialized, 7050 alloy, 6-degree upsweep, 8-degree backsweep, 27mm rise, 800mm width |
| Stem | Specialized Trail, forged alloy, 4-bolt, 5mm rise, 40mm |
| Grips | Specialized Sip grip, half-waffle, S/M: regular thickness, L/XL: XL thickness |
| Rims | Roval Traverse 29, hookless alloy, 30mm inner width, tubeless ready |
| Front Hub | Specialized, sealed cartridge bearings, 15x110mm thru-axle, 24 |
| Rear Hub | Specialized, sealed cartridge bearings, 12x148mm thru-axle, 28h |
| Front Tyre | Butcher, GRID TRAIL casing, GRIPTON® compound, 2Bliss Ready, 29×2.6″ |
| Rear Tyre | Butcher, GRID TRAIL casing, GRIPTON® compound, 2Bliss Ready, 29×2.3″ |
| Saddle | Bridge 155 S2, Bridge 143 S3/S4/S5, Hollow cr-mo rails |
| Seatpost | X-Fusion Manic, infinite adjustable, two-bolt head, bottom mount cable routing, remote SRL LE lever, S2/S3 150mm, S4/S5 170mm of travel |
Specialized Stumpjumper
The new Stumpjumper has been described by Specialized, as the ultimate trail bike. Looking at its geometry and design, it seems to blur the lines between trail bike and enduro bike. This is a very good thing, as it means it is very capable. There are a number of different versions with both 27.5″ and 29″ wheeled versions. Prices start at £1,899 and at the time of writing, go up to £6,800. But Specialized are likely to release higher end S-Worx models later.
Even the “entry level” stumpy has got a nice specification. For example, it has the SRAM SX Eagle drivetrain and RockShox Recon RL forks. The travel isn’t particularly long at 130mm, the Evo Pro version has 150mm) but this will be enough for most riders. The improvements from previous models, see the all important longer and slacker geometry
The 2020 Specialized Stumpjumper is an excellent choice of trail bike. Again, the more you spend, the better bike you will get. But, whichever bike you choose, you will not be disappointed.
Key Features (Entry level bike)
| Frame: | M5 alloy chassis and rear end, asymmetrical design, 27.5 Trail Geometry, fully enclosed internal cable routing, 12x148mm dropouts, sealed cartridge bearing pivots, 130mm of travel |
| Fork: | RockShox Recon RL, Motion Control damper with low-speed compression to lockout, 46mm offset, rebound adjust, 15x110mm Boost™ Maxle® Lite thru-axle, 130mm of travel |
| Rear Shock: | X-Fusion 02 Pro RL, Rx Trail Tune, rebound adjust, lockout 190x45mm |
| Stem: | Specialized, 3D-forged alloy, 4-bolt, 7-degree rise |
| Bars: | Specialized Trail, 6061 alloy, 8-degree backsweep, 6-degree upsweep, 27mm rise, 780mm, 31.8mm clamp |
| Front Brake: | Tektro Gemini Comp, hydraulic disc, resin pad, 200mm |
| Rear Brake: | Tektro Gemini Comp, hydraulic disc, resin pad, 180mm |
| Rear Mech: | SRAM SX Eagle |
| Shifters: | SRAM SX Eagle, trigger, 12-speed |
| Speed: | 12 |
| Rims: | Double-wall alloy, 27mm internal width |
| Front Hub: | Specialized, sealed cartridge bearings, 15x110mm thru-axle, 32h |
| Rear Hub: | Specialized, sealed cartridge bearings, 12x148mm thru-axle, 32h |
| Front Tyre: | Purgatory, GRID casing, GRIPTON® compound, 2Bliss Ready, 27.5 x 2.3″ |
| Rear Tyre: | Purgatory, GRID casing, GRIPTON® compound, 2Bliss Ready, 27.5 x 2.3″ |
| Seat Post: | TransX dropper, 34.9mm, XS: 100mm, S: 125mm, ML/XL: 150mm Travel |
| Saddle: | Body Geometry Myth 155 S, Body Geometry Henge 143 M/L/XL, steel rails |
| Chainset: | SRAM SX Eagle, Powerspline, 170mm, 32T |
| Bottom Bracket: | SRAM Powerspline |
| Chain: | SRAM SX Eagle, 12-speed |
| Cassette: | SRAM PG-1210 Eagle, 11-50t |
| Pedals: | Specialized Dirt |
Specialized Pitch
The Specialized Pitch has beed designed with a lightweight frame, responsive front suspension, and a good set of hydraulic disc brakes. It is a 27.5″ hardtail. The Pitch has gone through a series of improvements to improve its handling over older versions. The most notable improvement from the 2019 version is the upgrade to hydraulic brakes.
This bike is priced as an entry level bike. Therefore, you can’t expect the ride to be particularly refined. This is due to the short 100mm travel from the SunTour fork, which has quite a “spiky” feel. However, the handling is said to be reasonably good until you get on terrain that gets very technical.
There are nine different versions, including women’s versions and they all roll on 27.5″ wheels. This is the sweet spot between the outgoing 26″ wheel size and the newer 29″ wheels. This means it will roll better than a 26er and corner better than a 29er.
The price starts at a very reasonable £399 for the entry level version and rises to £630 for the Expert version. If you can, spend more on higher spec versions, but this would be a good beginner bike as long as you don’t ride too much rough stuff.
Key Features (entry level bike)
| Frame: | A1 Premium Aluminum, Sport Trail 27.5 Geometry, zero-stack head tube, internal cable routing, 135x9mm forged dropouts, chainstay-mounted disc brake, replaceable alloy derailleur hanger |
| Fork: | SR SunTour XCE 28, Rx Tune, coil spring, 42mm offset, 80/100mm of travel (size-specific) |
| Stem: | Stout 3D-forged alloy, 31.8mm, 6-degree rise |
| Bars: | Specialized, alloy, 9-degree backsweep, 15mm rise, 31.8mm |
| Front Brake: | Shimano BR-MT200, hydraulic disc |
| Rear Brake: | Shimano BR-MT200, hydraulic disc |
| Front Mech: | Shimano Tourney FD-TY710 |
| Rear Mech: | Shimano Tourney TX, 8-speed |
| Shifters: | Shimano EF505, hydraulic, 2×8-speed |
| Speed: | 16 |
| Rims: | Stout Trail 27.5, alloy, disc only, double-wall, 25mm inner width, 32h |
| Front Hub: | Shimano, Center Lock™ disc, 9x100mm spacing, quick-release, 32h |
| Rear Hub: | Shimano, Center Lock™ disc, 9x135mm spacing, quick-release, 32h |
| Spokes: | Stainless, 14g |
| Front Tyre: | Ground Control Sport, 60 TPI, wire bead, Flak Jacket Flat protection, 27.5 x 2.3″ |
| Rear Tyre: | Ground Control Sport, 60 TPI, wire bead, Flak Jacket Flat protection, 27.5 x 2.3″ |
| Seat Post: | Alloy, 12mm offset, 2-bolt clamp, 30.9mm |
| Saddle: | Bridge Sport, steel rails, 155/143mm |
| Chainset: | Stout 2x, forged alloy |
| Bottom Bracket: | Square-tapered, 73mm, internal bearings |
| Chain: | KMC X8 EPT, anti-rust coating, 8-speed w/ reusable Missing Link |
| Cassette: | SunRace, 8-speed, 11-34t |
| Pedals: | Specialized Dirt |
Specialized Chisel
The Specialized Chisel is a cross country race bike. Therefore it is super light, very stiff and easy to pedal for long distances. It is actually quite a well priced bike at £1,299. For some, this may still seem expensive, but you get a lot for your money. The frame is aluminium, but it is high quality aluminium that uses the D’Aluisio Smartweld Technology. This allows Specialized to take advantage of super light aluminium tubes.
The modern geometry that we are seeing across all new bikes these days makes the Chisel quite a versatile bike, making it capable on cross country courses and trails. This design came about from the fact cross-country race courses are becoming more technical.
Contributing to the Specialized Chisel’s climbing abilities, it comes with the excellent SRAM SX Eagle drivetrain. This has a big 50 tooth gear the size of a dinner plate to help you get up the steepest of hills.
Key Features
| Frame: | Specialized D’Aluisio Smartweld M5 Alloy, XC Geometry, internal cable routing, BSA BB, 12x148mm spacing, triangulated post-mount 160mm brake |
| Fork: | RockShox Judy Silver 29, Solo Air, Turnkey damper, 51mm offset, 15x110mm thru-axle (XS: 80mm, S:90mm, M-XL: 100mm of travel) |
| Stem: | Specialized XC, 3D-forged alloy, 4-bolt, 6-degree rise |
| Bars: | Stout XC, double-butted alloy, 8-degree backsweep, 6-degree upsweep, 10mm rise, 31.8mm |
| Front Brake: | Shimano BR-MT200, hydraulic disc, 180mm |
| Rear Brake: | Shimano BR-MT200, hydraulic disc, 160mm |
| Rear Mech: | SRAM SX Eagle |
| Shifters: | SRAM SX Eagle, trigger, 12-speed |
| Speed: | 12 |
| Rims: | Specialized XC 29, 25mm internal width, disc-specific |
| Front Hub: | Specialized, sealed cartridge bearings, 15x110mm thru-axle, 24h |
| Rear Hub: | Specialized, sealed cartridge bearings, 12x148mm thru-axle, 28h |
| Spokes: | Stainless, 14g |
| Front Tyre: | Fast Trak, Control casing, GRIPTON® compound, 60 TPI, 2Bliss Ready, 29×2.3″ |
| Rear Tyre: | Fast Trak, Control casing, GRIPTON® compound, 60 TPI, 2Bliss Ready, 29×2.3″ |
| Seat Post: | Specialized, alloy, single-bolt, 27.2mm |
| Saddle: | Specialized Power, hollow steel rails |
| Chainset: | SRAM SX Eagle, Powerspline, 165/170/175mm, 32T |
| Bottom Bracket: | SRAM Powerspline |
| Chain: | SRAM SX Eagle, 12-speed |
| Cassette: | SRAM PG-1210 Eagle, 11-50t |
| Pedals: | Specialized Dirt |
Specialized S-Worx Epic AXS
The Specialized S-Worx Epic is a super fast cross country mountain bike. Used by riders to win Olympic medals, this bike will surely make you cover ground very quickly. The 2020 version has been improved to increase that speed even more, thanks to the SRAM XX1 Eagle drivetrain. This changes gear instantly with wireless electronic shifting. It is designed to work under pedalling loads, in harsh conditions.
Cross country race courses have got more technical over the past few years and the bikes have had to evolve to cope with them. The S-Worx Epic has a longer reach than its predecessor, making it more stable at speed, while also making it more comfortable with a more “roomy” feel. The slacker head angle means it has better high speed handling, especially on steep descents. This bike has some amazing components on it. The S-Worx FACT carbon dropper seat post. Its high end “Brain” suspension comes from RockShox. The original Brain suspension lead riders to win many races, but it has been improved further. It now is more reactive and sensitive, with improved damping.
Frame stiffness has been helped by cleverly putting carbon pieces in strategic spots. This stiffness improves the quality of the ride and the control you have over the bike. The design revisions Specialized have carried out on the S-Worx Epic have also had a positive impact on the bike’s weight. It is now 350g lighter than the previous version. All this makes a difference when you are racing.
This is an expensive bike for serious cross country riders and racers. It is £9,000, so you need to be a committed rider to pay this amount of money. Before you place your order though, you might want to check out the Mondraker Podium range too. These are also high end cross country race bikes.
Key Features
| Frame: | S-Works FACT 12m, XC Geometry, Rider-First Engineered™, threaded BB, 12x148mm rear spacing, internal cable routing, 100mm of travel |
| Fork: | RockShox SID Brain Ultimate, top-adjust Brain Fade, tapered carbon crown and steerer, 15x110mm Maxle® Stealth thru-axle, 42mm offset, 100mm of travel |
| Rear Shock: | Custom RockShox Micro Brain shock w/ Spike Valve, AUTOSAG, 51x257mm |
| Stem: | S-Works SL, alloy, titanium bolts, 6-degree rise |
| Bars: | S-Works Carbon XC Mini Rise, 6-degree upsweep, 8-degree backsweep, 10mm rise, 760mm, 31.8mm |
| Front Brake: | SRAM Level Ultimate, hydraulic disc |
| Rear Brake: | SRAM Level Ultimate, hydraulic disc |
| Rear Mech: | SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS |
| Shifters: | SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS, trigger, 12-speed |
| Speed: | 12 |
| Rims: | Roval Control SL, hookless carbon, 25mm internal width, tubeless-ready, hand-built |
| Front Hub: | Roval Control SL, sealed cartridge bearings, 15mm thru-axle, 110mm spacing, 24h |
| Rear Hub: | Roval Control SL, DT Swiss Star Ratchet, 54t engagement, SRAM XD driver body, 12mm thru-axle, 148mm spacing, 28h |
| Spokes: | DT Swiss Competition Race |
| Front Tyre: | Fast Trak, Control casing, GRIPTON® compound, 60 TPI, 2Bliss Ready, 29×2.3″ |
| Rear Tyre: | Fast Trak, Control casing, GRIPTON® compound, 60 TPI, 2Bliss Ready, 29×2.3″ |
| Seat Post: | S-Works FACT carbon, 10mm setback, 30.9mm |
| Saddle: | Body Geometry S-Works Power, carbon fiber rails, carbon fiber base, 143mm |
| Chainset: | QUARQ XX1 Eagle Power Meter, Boost™ 148, DUB, 170/175mm |
| Bottom Bracket: | SRAM DUB, threaded BB |
| Chain: | SRAM XX1 (Rainbow) |
| Cassette: | SRAM XG-1299 Eagle, 10-50t |
| Pedals: | Specialized Dirt |
Specialized Demo
The Specialized Demo is a 29″ wheeled downhill machine. This is built to charge down mountainsides as fast as possible. If you are contemplating buying one of these, you really need to understand that they are not built for pedalling or travelling long distances without the use of a van or ski lift.
The 2019 bike was pretty incredible, but the 2020 version has gone through some updates. The suspension has 200mm front and back, new geometry and the larger 29″ wheel size to help you roll over the rough stuff. The new suspension linkage design has made it more progressive and predictable, while the longer and slacker geometry has made the bike more stable. All in all the 2020 Specialized Demo is a well balanced bike that gives good comfort at high speeds.
The price for this bike starts at £4,499 for the Expert version and rises to £6,499 for the Race version. This is not a beginner’s bike, it is for serious downhillers.
Key Features
| Frame: | M5 alloy, Style-Specific DH Geometry, BSA threaded BB, full internal cable routing with option for full external brake, 148mm rear spacing, 200mm of travel |
| Fork: | RockShox BoXXer RC 29, DebonAir spring, adjustable low-speed compression, adjustable rebound, short crown, 20x110mm thru-axle, 56mm offset, 200mm of travel |
| Rear Shock: | RockShox Super Deluxe RC World Cup, low-speed compression adjust, external rebound adjust, Trunnion mount, 225×75 |
| Stem: | Specialized Direct Mount DH Stem, two-piece, forged alloy, 45mm |
| Bars: | Specialized, 7050 alloy, 6-degree upsweep, 8-degree backsweep, 27mm rise, 800mm width |
| Front Brake: | SRAM Code R, 4-piston caliper, hydraulic disc, 200mm |
| Rear Brake: | SRAM Code R, 4-piston caliper, hydraulic disc, 200mm |
| Rear Mech: | SRAM, GX, Type 2.1, medium cage |
| Shifters: | SRAM GX, trigger, 10-speed |
| Speed: | 7 |
| Rims: | Roval 29″ Alloy DH, 28mm internal width, 28h |
| Front Hub: | Specialized disc, alloy flange & disc mount, sealed cartridge bearings, 20x110mm thru-axle, 28h |
| Rear Hub: | Specialized, sealed cartridge bearings, 12x148mm thru-axle, 28h |
| Spokes: | DT Swiss Industry |
| Front Tyre: | Butcher BLCK DMND, 2Bliss Ready, 29×2.6″ |
| Rear Tyre: | Butcher BLCK DMND, 2Bliss Ready, 29×2.6″ |
| Seat Post: | Specialized, 6061 alloy, 2-bolt clamp, 0mm setback, 30.9mm |
| Saddle: | Body Geometry Henge DH, hollow cro-mo rails,130mm |
| Chainset: | SRAM Descendant, GXP, alloy, 94 BCD, 34T, 165mm crankarm, MRP SXg CS ISCG-05 chainguide |
| Bottom Bracket: | SRAM GXP, 83mm |
| Chain: | SRAM PC-1031, 10-speed |
| Cassette: | SRAM PG-1030, 10 speed, 11-36t (*last three cogs removed) |
| Pedals: | Specialized Dirt |
What do you think of the 2020 Specialized mountain bikes?
If so which bike are you going to buy and why. Please let me know in the comments section below. Also if you have any questions or thoughts about these bikes let me know. If you are not sure what type of bike to choose, check out my guide on how to choose a mountain bike.
Such a wide array of choices and I can help but give thanks to the person who assembled this list of mountain bikes. A friend recommended me to this site as he’s encouraging me to join his group of mountain bikers, and I think I will be choosing between Specialized Pitch and Specialized Demo as their seats seem to be more relaxing than the other models. I’m just wondering, what is the reason why these two models have lowered seats (in level) than the other models? Aren’t the ones with higher seats more straining to the backbone of the rider?
Hi Gomer.
The Pitch is a very different bike to the Demo. The Demo’s seat is low because when you are riding downhill trails you need it completely out of the way. You need to choose a bike that is suitable to the terrain you ride that fits your budget.
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