2020 Specialized Enduro S-Works Bike

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If you don’t want to read all the way to the bottom, I’m going to put a short summary below.  Be warned I cracked the fancy carbon links that come on the S-Works model only.  Fluke?  Suspension tuning problem? Maybe my super enduro smashing powers? Not sure, but it was the same run I cracked a Reserve Carbon wheel on last week.  I will further update this review once I see how specialized handles warranty claim. 

This is a race bike that is competent enough climbing to be a daily driver if you can only have one bike, and you want to go full “enduro bro” with it.  In fact, I have been ignoring my short travel ripper because this bike has been surprisingly lively peddling up.  This is not a super playful bike, meaning it does require lots of rider input to make it pop and manual.  It’s still “fun” enough for me, and this bike is surprisingly poppy thanks to the progressive suspension design. All that being said, this is a race bike and it’s meant to go fast, and fast it does go...

At 5’11” I found the S3 to have all of the benefits of the larger size bike, like stability, with a much more fun attitude.  Easier to manual and even corner.  But that is a preference not every one may agree with.  Well thanks to crazy low stand over heights you can pick the bike that best fits your needs by sizing up or down. 

Climbing:  This may be a downhill biased bike but it climbs really well considering that fact.  I’m surprised that with the shock lever closed it climbs  pretty well with minimal bob under pedaling.  Even closed it has good traction up loose and rocky technical bits of trail, and standing up isn’t going suck all of your energy up in to the suspension like you would expect a 170mm travel bike to do.  The front end doesn’t wander all that much either even up really steep and technical sections.  Surprisingly satisfying.

Riding Trails: On more tame trails I’m not completely bored on this bike.  It doesn’t have a super vague feel that can sometimes happen on long travel bikes and it’s easy to handle at slower speeds.   While it does pump really well on flow trails, It doesn’t  exactly entice me to try small jumps and loads of manuals.  It’s willing if you have the gas, but I would rather save my energy on this bike, and keep it all business until gravity can lend a helping hand.  This bike will smooth out rough trails, and the geometry(especially in the low setting) will make gnarly steep sections seem much more manageable with the big wheels, the slack head angle, and the dh like traction. 

Going full Enduro: Okay fudge Enduro, let’s go full DH on this one.  I have spent a few days on the newer Demo 29 from specialized, a bike that shares a suspension design with this Enduro, and color me very impressed.  It’s far better at leaving the ground than the last Demo model and has impressive traction and peddling performance as well.  That bike is designed to not get hung up on obstacles so that riders can go faster.  It’s also progressive enough to provide support for bottom out resistance and sprinting.  Well, this new Enduro is, dare I say, almost as capable, at least to mere mortals like myself(Loïc Bruni might have a different opinion.)   Riding the Demo 29 at NorthStar CA bike park felt like overkill on most trails, well the Enduro won’t be as bored on the non double black runs, but it still might be overkill for much of the bike park.  It will however, make you feel like a far better rider than you probably are when you come crushing down some boulder cluttered trail surrounded by loose moon dust with no line being faster than straight over that giant rock in the middle, or right down that 8’drop to flat, because now, on this bike, you are Sam Hill Good. Please do not think you are Sam Hill, but if you happen to forget at least the Enduro has your back.   10/19 Update: Bottoming out this new Enduro is noticeably harder than the last one.  I have been trying to really push this bike on my local trails, and so far I have broken almost every personal best on this bike, partially because all of that travel and the monster truck wheels paired with the DH like geo make me feel invincible.     Well, I mashed it good, too good, and the carbon links that hold the shock to the upper yoke bike the seat stays broke hard and loud.  I believe it was a fluke, and a particularly rough ride, but I am only 170lbs here. I really don’t want to be too hard on Specialized just yet.  I’m not convinced this wasn’t just a defect however, after breaking said links and looking at photos of the bike, don’t they look a tad skinny? My Demo 29 with the same linkage is noticeably thicker, and aluminum. Read down to the very bottom of the review to see why I’m not blaming Spec just yet. 

Things I don’t like: I really like this bike overall, but I do have some nagging complaints.  First is the fact that there is no Aluminum option.  This is an expensive bike that just won’t be an option for many people.  Second complaint would be the spec.  Particularly the S Work spec.  The S-Works gets carbon links that shave .5lbs off the bike, supposedly you can buy carbon links now or soon for your non S-Works frame.  Anyway the S-Works comes with a heavy and expensive(albeit decent) AXS dropper post but the Exceptionally brilliant XTR group set(which is heavier than sram XX1 or AXS) Some might rejoice, but I actually went XX1 and saved some weight and surprisingly some money.  I think more options are good when you are talking 9K plus for a bike.  I also went Magura MT7 because I think they are comparable with the top level XTRs but they are lighter and Less expensive.  All in I built my bike up for sturdiness, not weight, but I ended up with a border line DH feeling rig at 31.5 lbs with pedals and exo plus tires(Not seen in these photos.)Finally the dropper post.  Being 5’11” I could have gone S4 size, but after days demoing I found on the S3 size I enjoyed all of the benefits of the S4 plus the agility and playfulness smaller bike.  I did not enjoy my 175mm fox transfer dropper post from another “medium” bike not being able to slide down far enough to use full travel and get the ideal pedaling position on an otherwise modern bike. I had to settle for a bike yoke 160mm which just barely fits perfect.  I run a 185 dropper on my Ibis Ripley large frame and I believe it fits 200 if needed.  

If you notice, I didn’t mention wheel size, or the lack of a 27.5 wheel options as a dislike.  Well my advise for everyone, but especially the small wheel weenies that will potentially overlook a bike because of wheel size is this, just demo the damn thing.  29ers are better, that’s my opinion, but it won’t stop me from testing some awesome smaller wheel bikes, maybe some day I’ll even like one of them;) 

Off of a fair drop to flat the carbon links connecting the shock to the seat stays snapped like twigs.  Not sure if it’s a fluke like the big S says it is, only time will tell.  At least I rode out of the landing in one piece, and the bike held together long enough for me to pull over.  I am also holding judgment because this could be a shock issue.  Very recently I blew out and X2, twice.  If the shock blew a seal or lost air then that could have put an unfair amount of stress on any frame.