Mixing big wheels with big travel is no easy feat, but Spesh have pulled it off
WHO IS ANNEKE BEERTEN?
In Whistler this year Anneke was crowned Queen of Crankworx, a title earned through top results and consistency, which more or less sums up her career. With multiple 4XWorld Championship wins, World Cup overall titles andWorld Cup victories to her name, Beerten is currently a top contender on the EWS circuit, regularly visiting the podium.
WHY IS THIS A SUPERBIKE?
- Specialized have managed to package 29in wheels into a frame that still has short chainstays for lively handling and a low-ish, corner carving bottom bracket height
- The rollover advantage of the big wheels coupled with 160mm of front and 155mm of rear wheel travel means it takes some seriously ugly terrain for the Enduro 29 to get out of its depth
- Anneke uses the latest big-hitting fork from RockShox. With its Solo Air spring and stiffened chassis, the new Lyrik is supple yet supportive, and offers precise steering in the rough
Creating a bike that can handle the roughest downhills with ease but doesn’t hold you back on the climbs is a monumental task for even the most experienced bike designers. There’s a multitude of factors to take into consideration, from durability, stiffness and weight to geometry.Add 29in wheels and long-travel suspension to the mix and things become even more complicated. Yet Specialized have pulled off this delicate balancing act with the Enduro 29, creating one of the fastest trail bikes out there.
Packaging big wheels into a long-travel frame was never going to be easy, so why did Spesh attempt it? “They simply roll over obstacles with less resistance,” says Jason Chamberlain, the Specialized engineer who’s worked on every Enduro model since 2002. “Bigger wheels are smoother and hold momentum better in the rough. They add control and traction, and smooth out the trail.”
What about the unique 29er ride feel? It’s put off riders in the past, so why does three-time 4X world champ and Enduro World Series (EWS) podium contender Anneke Beerten use this bike instead of the newer 650b Enduro? “The 29er is just a machine!” she says.“When I ride this bike I have the feeling that I can charge hard over technical stuff and it feels very stable.” Is it quicker though? Anneke continues: “The timing was showing that I was consistently faster on the 29er versus the 650b.”
Problem solving
The S-Works bike’s FACT IS-X 11m carbon frame delivers 155mm (6.1in) of rear wheel travel via Specialized’s four-bar linkage FSR design, so squeezing the big wheels in without upsetting the handling was never going to be straightforward. But getting it right was essential if the Enduro 29er was to handle the tight and technical terrain likely to crop up in timed EWS stages.
“Specialized are known for low bottom brackets and short chainstays. Both of those goals make it tough to squeeze that big rear wheel in, all the while keeping the seatpost position in check,” says Chamberlain. How did they get around this? “The biggest obstacle was the front derailleur.We had to invent a new attachment method in order to use the derailleur that had the lowest profile shifting mechanism at the time (remember that the newest Shimano mech that pulls from the front didn’t exist yet). Internally we called it the ‘Taco Blade’ and it works really well.We also had to get creative with the seatstay bridge.”The end result is a big-wheeled machine that sports stumpy 430mm chainstays and a 351mm bottom bracket height, which is pretty impressive considering the amount of travel on tap.
Racing pedigree
Professional racers are a demanding bunch, and rightly so.With stage-winning margins often being less than a second, riders are looking for every possible advantage from their machines. “The bike has to climb like a cross-country bike, descend like a downhill bike and be light, and personally, I like a bike with a short rear end,” says Anneke. But is creating a race-ready enduro machine that needs to tick a variety of boxes harder than designing a bike that’s designed to do just one thing, such as a downhill bike? “I find both equally challenging in different ways,” says Chamberlain. “The Enduro has to be light, plush and have a wide range of gears. The Demo (Specialized’s DH bike) just has to be fast. Each customer expects their bike to be the best at what it does so we take each one to the design limits.”With a string of EWS podiums under her belt, there’s no doubt Anneke is grateful for all the hard work that’s gone into the Enduro 29.
SWAT KIT
Specialized’s SWAT system enables Anneke to carry all the essentials for on-trail repair jobs. A multi-tool is bolted to the base of the bottle cage and Specialized have managed to integrate a chain tool into the stem top cap. Neat, eh?!
TOUGH RUBBER
Lighter tyres may improve efficiency but when tackling rough and rocky trails they can easily lead to a race-ruining flat tyre. Anneke uses Specialized’s tougher Grid casing to help avoid flats.
KEEP IT SECURE
Anneke uses Specialized’s small upper chain guide to ensure her chain stays put when the trail gets really rough. Even with the security of SRAM’s X-SYNC narrow/ wide chainring you never can be too careful when it comes to racing.
COMFY HANDS
Long EWS stages mean Beerten’s hands are in for a pummelling. Anneke opts to use Lizard Skins’ DSP (DuraSoft Polymer) grips, which aren’t only super-light but also help to cushion her palms against constant vibration.
BIG HITTER
RockShox unveiled their revised Lyrik this summer. Travel ranges from 160 to 180mm (6.3-7.1in) and Anneke uses the 160mm 29er version on her Enduro. The reworked Solo Air spring offers more sensitivity, while the beefed up lower legs and Torque caps ensure stiffness and steering precision.
ULTIMATE STOPPING
Long descents don’t do brakes any favours. Luckily SRAM are one of Anneke’smain sponsors and they’ve just released the latest iteration of their Guide brake, the Ultimate. The tweaked calliper design means the brake deals with heat build-up well and delivers predictable and dependable power even on long, brake dragging descents.
Price 9000$