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Specialized daily 2 review12/22/2023 While maybe not the Usain Bolt of downhill bikes, the Status motors along nicely when throwing down pedal strokes between corners, and the FOX shock's compression adjustment certainly adds to the bike's 'sprint-ability' if required. The 10 x 135mm spacing also means that Status owners aren't restricted to expensive 150mm width hubs, but can fit a more price-conscious rear wheel if the need arrises. Specialized did spec the bike with a 10mm bolt-on axle, though, likely upping the rear end's ability to brush off side loads. It felt every bit as rigid as a 150mm wide thru-axle setup, and we wouldn't be able to make the call in a blind test. Braking hard into a corner would force the bike's Domain fork deep into its travel, making the handling a touch twitchy when pushing hard, but this can be minimized by tinkering with the fork's spring rate and oil weight, something that heavier Status riders would do well to look into.Īnd what of the Status' standard, 10 x 135mm rear axle? In all truth, it passed unnoticed during our time on the bike. While some 200mm travel sleds can feel a bit awkward without a good amount of momentum behind them, the Status still responds well at a slower pace and doesn't require the body english to get around those tight, slow bends. Tip it into a corner and it does what you ask of it without fuss. This was the case with our medium-sized Status II test bike - it just felt 'right' from the get-go, minus the too-skinny 750mm wide stock handlebar, of course. We wish we could narrow down the combined ingredients that create a bike that feels at home right off the bat, because it is always a great thing to jump on an unfamiliar steed and be at ease straight away. Specialized Butcher DH, DH casing, wire bead, soft dual-compound, 26x2.3" Specialized Hi Lo disc, 20mm front, 135mm rear Specialized lock-on, S/M: Grappler, Others: Grappler XLĪvid Elixir 5 hydraulic, 200mm front, 180mm rotors Specialized Direct-Mount stem, 40mm length The bike also does without any suspension rate or geometry adjustments, leaving both of those particulars up to the engineers behind the Status' design. The Status, for example, puts a high priority on being able to absorb hard, abrupt impacts, while Specialized's XC-focused bikes put more of an emphasis on offering a firm pedalling feel. The FSR design looks very much like many other single pivot, linkage driven bikes, but the key difference boils down to the rear pivot's location ahead of the dropout, compared to the former's location that is usually above the dropout.īy altering a bike's pivot locations, Specialized can tune the amount of rearward axle path they desire, as well as the suspension rate and pedalling characteristics, with certain FSR-equipped models in their lineup requiring more focus on one facet over others depending on the bike's intensions. This allows the braking forces to be decoupled from the suspension's action, thereby letting the bike absorb impacts regardless of if the rider is dragging the rear brake. This is accomplished by the rear pivot's location ahead of the dropout, a design that means that the brake caliper is positioned on the seat stay assembly that floats on the chain stays and rocker link rather than pivoting directly off of the front triangle. The bike's Horst Link, FSR design is all about keeping the suspension active, regardless of the rider being on the brakes or on the gas. There is some truth to that, in that the positioning of the components differ, but they both feature the same FSR genes. Specialized's two downhill platforms, the Status shown here and the Demo series, use suspension layouts that appear to be very different. The choice makes sense to us, but how will the bike's lateral stiffness compare to the competition? Why buck the trend, especially in a sport where riders often get caught up in the numbers? The decision lets Status owners fit a standard rear wheel that often retails for quite a bit less than what a 150mm wide, dedicated DH wheel would go for. Interestingly, Specialized decided to forgo the 150mm rear wheel spacing that is commonly found on the back of most downhill bikes, with 135mm width, open dropouts utilized instead. There is plenty of stand over clearance thanks to a top tube that drops down well out of the way as well. The non-tapered head tube also makes for a wide, strong junction for the top and down tubes to come together at. The details are all there as well, including a full length 1.5" head tube, thereby allowing an angle-adjusting headset to be fitted if the Status owner is looking for more extreme geometry than the stock numbers. Aluminum pivot hardware to the very well laid out cable routing, the Status frame looks every bit the part of a high-end DH machine.
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