Specialized: Four Decades of Innovation

Four decades of innovation: How Specialized’s Stumpjumper has remained the ultimate trail bike for 40 years

he year 2021 marks a significant anniversary for the Specialized Stumpjumper, and with it the world of mountain biking. Four decades earlier, the sport was in its infancy, and the pursuit of enthusiasts who

Bikes mADE

500

Years of Innovation

The bike for all reasons

The 1970s is often touted as the decade when mountain biking as we know it was born. Originating on the rugged hillsides of northern California, riders would take whatever bikes they could get their hands on – often customised cruisers – and bomb down trails, fire roads and dirt tracks like never before. As the scene and popularity of the sport grew, so did demand for better technology and lighter weight bikes. Custom designs from independent frame builders started appearing on the mountain side but high prices kept them out of reach for most. That was, until 1981.

Our concept was to make a bike on a production basis but as though it was a custom bike

Mike Sinyard, founder, Specialized Bicycle Components

First Stumpjumper released

Specialized Bicycle Components introduces the world’s first mass-produced mountain bike – the Stumpjumper. Designed by Tim Neenan, the 29lbs (13.2kg) bike had a welded steel frame, a modified BMX stem and components originally made for road and touring bikes. Although only 500 were made, the price – $750 – made it half the price of custom creations, bringing the sport to the masses.

Not to be confused with the full-suspension Epic that is in the Specialized stable today, the 1988 Epic was actually based on a Stumpjumper but with one crucial difference – the frame was carbon fibre instead of steel. The premium frame material had a huge impact on the bike’s weight and ride quality (and price) and was ridden to victory in the first ever UCI Mountain Bike World Championship by Ned Overend.

Things get Epic

In 1990, American rider Ned Overend won both the UCI XCO World Cup series and XCO World Championships aboard his Specialized Stumpjumper.

1981

1988

Aluminium adds durability

1992

After dabbling in carbon fibre, Specialized constructed the Stumpjumper out of its unique M2 alloy – a metal matrix-enhanced aluminium that made for a lighter, stronger and stiffer ride. The Stumpjumper M2 was again ridden by Overend to numerous wins, and third in the UCI XCO World Cup overall.

The bike was pretty light for the time and durable - I never broke one

Ned Overend

1994

Specialized released the Stumpjumper S-Works FSR. Standing for Future Shock Rear (because it saw the Future Shock front suspension also added to the back of the bike), it was Specialized’s first full-suspension bike. Fitted with a RockShox FSX carbon-wrapped suspension fork and rear Fox shock, it offered up more control and confidence, giving riders an all-important advantage. As a design, it would lead the mountain bike world for the next 20 years.

Say hello to FSR

1999

Stumpjumper riders were posed with a predicament – go FSR and accept some additional weight or stick to Hardtail and miss out on control. The Stumpjumper FSR XC bridged the gap, offering up a full-suspension bike that – at sub-25lbs (11.5kg) – would keep the weight-conscious riders happy.

XC riders get full-suspension

1990

A shift in focus

2006

2010

Focused on covering distance and whatever the trail may throw at you

A turn of the decade saw two distinct ranges

Built with more aggressive and playful geometry for those riders pushing their riding beyond

Stumpjumper

Stumpjumper EVO

2014

The Stumpjumper has always been at the forefront of mountain bike developments – it’s in its DNA to evolve with the sport. Making the Stumpjumper a 29” wheel in 2014 was exactly that, leading the charge for what was to become the norm for mountain bikes in the future.

Ever the trend setter

2016

Continuous improvement doesn’t stop at materials, components or geometries; sometimes it’s about thinking outside the box. Enter SWAT. Standing for Storage, Water, Air and Tools, it turns a section of the downtube into a big, easily accessible storage area. A complicated process simply executed, it improves the experience for riders who don’t want to be laden down with backpacks for their essentials.

A Special weapon is unveiled

2021

Four decades of innovation, riding and development culminate in the two game-changing platforms. Forward thinking geometry, enhancements in suspension design and adjustability make the Stumpjumper and Stumpjumper Evo the best trail mountain bikes ever designed by Specialized – and after 40 years, that’s surely saying something.

The ultimate trail bike

The mid-2000s marked a definite break in the Stumpjumper story. While it had been synonymous with cross-country riders, the shift re-aligned Stumpy with its all-mountain roots. The Carbon FSR brought the weight savings historically focussed on XC athletes, and paired it with 120mm travel front and rear to create a truly trail-taming rig.

Specialized

Head to your local Specialized retailer to get your hands on The Ultimate Trail Bike

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enjoyed nothing more than taking their custom creations into off-road extremes. That all changed with the release of the Stumpjumper – the world’s first mass-produced mountain bike.

THE RIDERS ARE: Joel Anderson Matt Roe Preston Williams

VIDEOGRAPHER: Tom Caldwell

PHOTOGRAPHY: Ian Lean

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