Specialized Celebrates Their 50th Anniversary by Launching Stumpjumper 15
Posted July 2, 2024 in Mountain Biking, Product Reviews by Matt Levine
As Specialized celebrates their 50th anniversary this year, they mark the occasion with the 15th generation of the mountain bike that started it all: the Stumpjumper. Join us as we dive into the history of Specialized and Stumpjumper as well as the features that make Stumpjumper 15 the bike to rule all trails, from its brand-new suspension system to its redesigned frame.
The History of Specialized and Stumpjumper
Specialized was formed in 1974 by Mike Sinyard, who used a bike ride through Europe as an opportunity to import rare bicycle parts back to the United States. Two years later, the brand’s first product was born: the Specialized Touring Tire. In the 1980s came Specialized’s first two original bikes: the Allez and the Sequoia, with innovative steel frames. But it was 1981’s Stumpjumper that really put Specialized on the map by introducing the first major production mountain bike to the market and bringing offroad exhilaration to the masses.
Specialized’s investment in mountain biking continued in 1988, when the company joined a roundtable of advocacy groups for access to MTB trails. This partnership led to the formation of the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA), which has continued to work toward improving access to mountain biking for riders ever since.
More achievements continued over the decades, including Specialized winning the first UCI Mountain Bike World Championship in 1990, the introduction of the elite racing S-Works bikes in 1992, the introduction of Specialized’s first electric bike (the Turbo) in 2012, and the company’s construction of their very own wind tunnel (called the “Win Tunnel”) in 2013 for research and development purposes.
In the world of mountain biking, Specialized and their Ride Dynamics team have continued to innovate ever since the first Stumpjumper in 1981. Now, 50 years after its founding, Specialized pays tribute to the mountain bike that started it all with its 15 entry into the Stumpjumper family. Over 50 Specialized team members spent three years perfecting the newest model. Let’s take a look at how Stumpjumper 15 continues to push the world of mountain biking forward.
Full Suspension Like Never Before
To understand how Stumpjumper 15 continues to revolutionize offroad riding, we have to start with its unparalleled suspension design. As Specialized says, the biggest single innovation on this bike is the GENIE air spring technology shock system. It feels like a coil spring but isn’t one: using an air shock alone, the GENIE absorbs bumps 16.3% better than the EVO, Specialized’s former entry in the Stumpjumper family. This helps prevent severe bottom-out events.
For all you tech heads out there, here’s how the GENIE works: two separate but connected chambers increase the overall air volume, resulting in a much flatter spring curve for the first 70% of the shock. This “softer” spring delivers coil-like bump force management. As the shock compresses into the final 30% of the travel, the GENIE band slides over and closes the ports to the outer air chamber, reducing the overall volume. This results in a much more progressive spring curve for the last 30% of stroke.
The Stumpjumper 15’s suspension system is about more than the GENIE, though. There’s also the FSR linkage design, which Specialized introduced in 1993 in its initial form, to much acclaim. With 150mm of travel in the front and 145mm in the rear, the Stumpjumper 15’s FSR suspension system gives you ultimate control, with the ability to tackle knotty trails, big hits, and steep descents.
Redesigned Frame and Honed Geometry
The Stumpjumper 15’s suspension allows you to conquer any trail you come up against, but what about its frame? No surprise: Specialized’s Ride Dynamics team developed a chassis, geometry, and kinematics for ultimate capability and control. The bike’s carbon frame combines comfort, power, and compliance to achieve the ideal stiffness target for trail riding.
The Stumpjumper 15 boasts unmatched personalization with adjustability at the bottom bracket height and headset cups for six distinct geometry settings. There are three different settings for the adjustable headset cups to tune the ride to your style or the trail itself. There is also the ability to change wheel sizes without impacting the geometry, allowing you to customize your ride even further.
By eliminating the sidearm around the shock, Specialized was able to reduce the Stumpjumper 15’s weight while still retaining stiffness to maximize traction and control. Finally, the SWAT 4.0 downtube storage solution is flush-mounted to the frame and water-resistant, while greater dropper post insertion allows you to customize your ride even more.
Just like its suspension, the Stumpjumper 15’s frame offers a revolutionary redesign to perfect what was already a peerless mountain bike lineup. Put together, Specialized’s newest offering truly is one trail bike to rule them all.
Specialized at 50: How Stumpjumper Pushes Mountain Biking Forward
On its 50 anniversary, Specialized proves how much it’s learned over the last half-century with the following features on the Stumpjumper 15:
- GENIE air spring technology shock system
- FSR linkage design
- Carbon frame adjustable at two points with six total configurations
- Adjustable headset cups
- SWAT 4.0 downtube storage
Like any innovative company (especially in the cycling world), Specialized honors its legendary past by looking forward to the future. See for yourself what Stumpjumper 15 has to offer by stopping into your nearest ERIK’S location for a test-ride. Forty-three years after the first Stumpjumper hit the market, experience how far mountain biking has come and set out to conquer your own trail.
To find out more and to see the Stumpjumper 15 in action, check out the YouTube video below!
Have questions about Specialized, Stumpjumper, or anything else bike, board, and ski related? If so, contact us using one of the methods below!
Text with a Human: 952-243-5476
Live Chat: Click the chat icon in the lower right-hand corner of this screen.
Phone: 952-351-9148
Email: braintrust@eriksbikeshop.com
Store: Find a Store
Toll-Free: 877-885-2453