Enduro 29 vs Stumpy 29 geometry?

Hi Lee

What do you think about the Enduro 29er vs Stumpjumper 29er in regard to the chainstay and head angle. The Enduro has got a 2cm shorter chainstay and a slacker head angle. What are the diffrences? Is the Stumpjumper geometry better for uphill and the Enduro better for the downhill?

Looking forward to your thoughts on this topic!

Best regards

Hey Sasara,

Thanks for writing. I’ve been working on a post about the new Enduro 29. I am really excited about that bike!

Yes, the Enduro is optimized for the descents while the Stumpjumper is more balanced for climbing and descending.

Head angle
The Enduro is slacker than the Stumpjumper, which generally means it’s more stable at high speeds and on steep terrain. It’s a more DH-oriented ride.

The Stumpy is a bit steeper (but not steep). This makes for a bike that climbs a bit more easily and feels better when you’re not fully pinning a crazy DH.

My Stumpy 29 with a 140mm Fox 34 is at about 68 degrees, and it feels great everywhere but the steepest gnar. I’ve been on this bike a full year. Stay tuned for the long-term report.

Chain stay
The Enduro has shorter chainstays than the Stumpy, which is pretty amazing. A 29er with 155mm of rear travel and shorter stays than the shorter-travel bikes!

Specialized did not decide to give the Stumpy longer stays than the Enduro. Instead, they created new technology to make the stays very short on the Enduro 29. The Enduro 29 is the first bike to use this technology, but you can expect it to reach other S-bikes in the coming years.

In general, shorter stays center your weight closer to the rear wheel and make a bike easier to manual. Short stays are a hallmark of Specialized bikes and one of the reasons most S-bike handle similarly.

The Stumpy does not have long stays — they’re just not short-short. I find a slightly longer stay puts you closer to the middle of the bike, which gives you a more centered, planted feel, especially in corners. Shorter stays make the bike more “poppy” and “lively”, and they make it easier to ride the rear wheel in crazy gnar.

I know for a fact that the Stumpy 29 is a sick all-around bike, and I expect the Enduro 29 to be sick too — but with more DH flavor. If all goes well, I’ll have both!

Pick the tool(s) for you.

— Lee

Know more. Have more fun!

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