I wanted this bike to be a little different - to be as lightweight and durable as possible for long days in the saddle to test out the durability of individual components that are on the “lighter-duty” side of things.

For handling rolling duties, I chose some Evil Loophole wheels laced to Industry Nine Hydra hubs. The Loophole rims are a fusion-fiber design, which is comparable to carbon fiber. The Industry Nine Hydra hubs are undeniably popular for their sound, engagement and reliability. I chose to run 29” wheels front and rear since my previous bike was set up as mullet and I wanted to try something different. I was hoping that the dual 29” wheels would roll a little faster on the climbs and descents. Plus, I wanted a fresh perspective on a full 29” setup because it’s been a couple years since I have ridden with a big wheel out back. Wrapped around the pseudo-carbon rims is a set of Maxxis tires. While I’ve ridden the Assegai up front since its release, I wanted to revert back to the classic Minion DHF to see how it compares, but I did stick with my current favorite rear tire, the Dissector. I’ve been using EXO+ front and DoubleDown rear casings for a couple of years, so I also wanted to test how a more lightweight EXO front and EXO+ rear would hold up to trail abuse on this new bike.

To get the bike physically moving under my own power, I chose the newest SRAM X0 Transmission groupset. I was very excited to test out the increased shifting performance under load. I chose XX over X0 simply due to the carbon cranks saving about one third of a pound. I’ve had an excellent history with the durability of SRAM carbon cranks, so the weight savings were a no-brainer for me. Next to the handlebar mounted SRAM AXS Shifter Pod are a set of TRP DH-R EVO brake levers, and their calipers are contacting TRP R1 220mm rotors front and rear. I’ve been a mega fan of SRAM Code RSC brakes for years, but I’ve heard great things about some alternative brakes like these TRPs, Hayes Dominions, Magura MT7s, and Magura MT5s, so I figured I should probably start trying some new options. Honestly, I would have chosen a 203mm rotor front and rear, but we had this set of big rotors sitting around to test so I figured “why not”. These rotors are pretty heavy, and I will likely switch to the TRP-42 in 203mm on both ends if I do decide to stick with these TRP brakes long-term.

I chose to replace it with the Super Deluxe for two reasons. First, I just really like the overall feel of current RockShox suspension. ButterCups and the Charger3 Dampers are tought to beat. I’ve found the adjustments to be simple yet functional, and the overall feeling is buttery smooth and predictable. Second, I wanted a chance to compare these shocks back-to-back since they are such direct rivals, and our customers frequently ask me about how they compare on the trail.

Buttoning up the build, I stuck with a few of my favorite components. The OneUp Dropper V2 has super short insertion depth, and I’m easily able to run a 180mm dropper post in my S3 frame size. The OneUp Carbon Handlebars are also ridiculously comfortable on the trail, and provide a very sleek appearance to my cockpit. Holding those bars is a Race Face Turbine R stem which I’ve been a fan of for years due to its low weight and streamlined design. I chose to run a 40mm length stem with my S3 frame as I felt that would be a good starting point since I wasn’t exactly sure how short or long I wanted the bike’s reach to feel. It wouldn’t be a “Mike bike” without black ODI Elite Pro Grips to round out the cockpit. Besides the Turbine R stem, I also featured RaceFace components in one other area of the build - RaceFace Atlas Pedals. These came off of my other bike and I wanted to continue testing their durability and grip.

Last “butt” not least, I chose a Specialized Power Expert Mimic Saddle with titanium rails. My previous saddle, a Chromag Trailmaster DT, just never got along with my skeleton and caused some numbing on long climbs. I’ve heard excellent things about the current lineup of Specialized saddles, so I figured I would give it a try. So far, so good - no numbing or discomfort.

The bike ended up weighing in at just under 31 pounds, which can definitely be considered lightweight in the sea of 37 pound enduro bikes we often see these days. I was super excited to hit the trails with this new build, and did so almost immediately after tighteing the last bolt. I did my basic suspension and tire pressure setup at the shop and, to no surprise, everything felt nearly perfect on the first ride. I’m not sure how the engineers at RockShox do it, but their recommended settings are nearly 100% spot on for me with their forks and shocks. With the little bit of fine tuning I chose to do on the fork and shock, the current Lyrik and Super Deluxe Ultimate offer a very simple set of click configurations which are easy to set. I’ve also only needed to make small adjustments to the saddle height and stem spacers to dial in my setup.

Overall I am super happy with the bike’s fit and feel - the whole tone is “supportive." I feel cradled at high speeds due to the frame’s suspension design and geometry. I have the frame set up in the neutral headset position and the low bottom bracket height. As of now, I don’t see that changing as a 64 degree headtube angle is really a happy medium for me when it comes to being aggressive, but not too aggressive. And the low bottom bracket height being at 333mm is definitely very low, but so far I have absolutely zero issues with pedal strikes. However, I can definitely tell that this low bottom bracket height makes this bike seriously rip through corners, and I honestly can’t believe how insanely well this bike corners at high speeds. And to be intentionally cliché, it does climb like a mountain goat with lots of traction and a lack of trail bob. I’ve never personally ridden a mountain goat, however, so this is just speculation.

My Stumpy EVO build is pretty light without sacrificing much in durability, it corners insanely well, it’s super supportive through high speed chatter, and climbs more than well enough for me. I look forward to beating this bike into the ground, testing out the platform, and testing out new components. I also can’t wait to feel more confident in giving more precise recommendations to our large customer base who ride the Stumpjumper EVO platform themselves. It’s too early to give a true in-depth review on the overall bike and new-to-me components, but keep an eye on our blog as I will likely be writing lots of reviews and comparisons with this new build.