I’m not into gadgets or buying the latest and greatest technology. In 2024, 17 years after starting mountain biking, and 17/18 years after this bicycle was released, I went for it! This bicycle was a first for me as I had never had neither a bicycle with a carbon frame, nor a full-suspension. I saw it advertised on a second-hand website, it looked in great shape, acceptable price, and I made my offer. When I started cycling in 2007, this was probably one of the “best” bikes, according to cycle magazines, friends, and the bicycle’s cost. If it is expensive, it must mean it is good, right? Right?
So far I’ve ridden it for a year and around 2000km without changing much on it, besides bringing my saddle and pedals, replacing the brake pads, and patching the tubes twice or so. It feels light and responsive when cycling, it’s comfortable and efficient when climbing rocky terrain, the current mechanical brakes and disc sizes for sure don’t make it a downhill bike, but it’s still fun. One of the first things I’ve noticed is that the rear wheel loses traction faster under braking. It might be related to the setup of the rear shock, geometry, the mechanical brakes, or the rider.
The bike is (still) good. In terms of components it might be outdated, and all the cool kids are now riding 29" wheels, dropper posts, 1x12, and whatever not. I wouldn’t pay for it’s full price when new though. But it has been a nice bike to ride, my main concern is the rear shock. It’s a proprietary design, maintenance is only performed on a few select places, and eventually it’s going to fail, leaving the bike unusable.
Technical specifications
Technical specifications retrieved from specialized.com (web archive).
- Specialized Owner’s Manual - 9th edition - 2007 (PDF) (web archive)
- Specialized AFR Rear Shock Owner’s Manual - 2007 (PDF) (web archive)
| Equipment | Name |
|---|---|
| Frame | FACT M10 carbon front triangle, Az1 construction, M5 aluminum rear triangle, sealed cartridge bearing pivots, 100mm travel, FACT carbon link |
| Headset | 1 1/8"" threadless, integrated alloy cups, sealed cartridge bearing |
| Seat binder | 34.9mm clamp, dual bolt for carbon frame/post |
| Rear shock | Specialized AFR Shock w/ Flow Control valve, adjustable from HT firm to Trail Tune, air spring, adjustable rebound |
| Fork | Fox F100RLC , 100mm travel, air spring, alloy steerer |
| Rims | New Mavic CrossMax SL-R |
| Hubs | New Mavic CrossMax SL-R |
| Spokes | New Mavic CrossMax SL-R |
| Front tire | S-Works Fast Trak 26x2.0"", tubeless ready, aramid bead |
| Rear tire | S-Works Fast Trak 26x2.0"", tubeless ready, aramid bead |
| Front derailleur | New Shimano XTR, 34.9 clamp, bottom swing, dual pull |
| Rear derailleur | New Shimano XTR, standard spring, SGS cage |
| Shifters | New Shimano XTR Rapid Fire trigger shifters 9-speed |
| Chain | Shimano CN-7701 XTR |
| Crankset | Shimano New XTR, Hollowtech II arms |
| Chainrings | Shimano XTR 22A/32C/44A |
| Bottom bracket | Shimano New XTR, 2pc |
| Stem | Thomson CNC alloy, 31.8mm OS clamp |
| Handlebars | SBC OS XC low rise carbon bar, 640mm wide, 6 degree up, 8 degree backsweep |
| Saddle | Specialized BG Rival, Titanium rails |
| Front brake | Shimano New XTR, hydraulic disc, Center Lock 160mm rotor |
| Rear break | Shimano New XTR, hydraulic disc, 140mm rotor |
| Brake levers | Shimano New XTR SL |
Current setup
When I bought this bike, most of the original components had been either replaced or it came originally with different equipment when it was sold the first owner.
| Equipment | Name |
|---|---|
| Fork | Rockshox Reba |
| Brakes | Avid BB7 (mechanical) |
| Brake levers | Rever |
| Shifters | SRAM X0 9 Speed Trigger Shifter Set |
| Front derailleur | Shimano Deore LX |
| Rear derailleur | SRAM X0 9 Speed |
