Why I love my Specialized 2004 Stumpjumper M4 FSR Expert Disc

Summary
It’s a balanced, lightweight, easy-to-ride and easy-to-manoeuvre bike!

Detail
• All new super lightweight M4 FSR chassis. Fully manipulated M4 tubeset with Transform Monocoque top tube. 100mm travel front and rear. Full sealed cartridge bearing pivots, Hollow Link, and pierced seat tube keeps the frame stiff and lightweight.

• Custom Fox-built Triad rear shock. Three on-the-fly suspension settings: 1) Fully Locked Out, 2) ProPedal for a more efficient ride, 3) Fully open and plush. Oversize high-volume body with external rebound adjust.

• 100mm Fox Float RL fork with alloy steerer, rebound adjust, and compression lockout.

• Shimano M555 brakes with lighter XT rotors

• Custom Shimano Hollow Tech Octalink Spline cranks and BB.


Activity
First outing was at the Shimano Sleepless in the Saddle 24 hour race at Trentham Gardens, Stoke on Trent on the weekend of 9/10 August 2004.

Picture is of me on my old Specialized FSR Stumpjumber 1999 at Sleepless 2002.

The 2004 Stumpjumper M4 FSR Expert Disc (pictured at top of article) is in a different class... it’s extremely versatile – I have used it to compete off road – Sunday team events - to commute – to bomb about, but the latter two are like popping down to the local corner shop in a Ferrari to collect your lottery ticket – it is the completion mountain biking that it showed its prowess.

The carefully selected components combine to provide a sublime biking experience that is balanced between speed and agility:

• The frame is so light I can carry my bike over my head over a river, fences, up hills, etc. The overall geometry set-up of the frame (that has evolved over six or more years to get to M4 2004 model) only exemplifies Specialized’s dedication to making brilliant bikes through listening to their customers and understanding physics and fun.

• The disc brakes bite the wheels and bring you to a halt in a snap, allowing you to control a skid and perform a controlled skid. No matter how much sh*t is thrown up from your tyres, the discs just keep gripping, unlike V-brakes which are prone to slip under muddy conditions.

• The front shocks (Fox) and rear shocks (again Fox) both have “lock-off” making them rigid, effectively transforming an FRS into a rigid frame bike or hardtail (if you leave front shocks on), making travelling at speed on tarmac or other hardened surfaces (like frozen land) easy - as more of your expelled energy is transferred through the geometry of the bike without change in vector or absorption (by shock absorber) thus propelling you forward with greater efficient use of kinetic energy.

• The gearing has a huge range thanks to a massive ratio, making child’s-play of any hill up or down. Rapid firing through the gears enabled by the slick thumb shifters.

• The other components such as wide cow bars and slim-line hard leather body-geometry saddle make steering agile, quick and precise and long rides in the seat possible.

I could go on, but to conclude, I’ll say that if you haven’t tried one, try a Specialized FSR Stumpjumper today :)