2023 Specialized P.Series
Wheel Size: 20’’ (P.1), 24’’ (P.2), 26’’ (P.3), and 27.5’’ (P.4) versions
Travel: Hardtail; Rigid fork (P.1); 100 mm front (P.2, P.3, P.4)
Frame Material: Aluminum
Price:
- P.1: $650
- P.2: $1,250
- P.3: $2,000
- P.4: $2,100
- P.3 & P.4 frames: $700
Intro
Specialized has made a big range of different street / dirt-jump / slopestyle bikes under the P.Series name over the years, including stuff like the full-suspension P.Slope from a while back, but as of late the line had been whittled down to just the P.3, a relatively conventional 26’’ wheeled DJ bike. But now there’s a whole new P.Series lineup, with four different models, featuring 20’’, 24’’, 26’’, and (interestingly, for what is still a DJ bike), a 27.5’’ version as well. And though DJ bikes tend to be rather, well, specialized in their focus, Specialized is talking a lot about the versatility of the new P.Series. And what they’ve done to achieve that is pretty interesting.
The Frames
The new P.Series family is comprised of four models, the P.1, P.2, P.3, and P.4, which share largely similar design elements but are built around different wheel sizes, with the sizing scaling accordingly. There’s only one frame size per model, but the full model range should cover a pretty wide range of folks when taken as a whole.
The whole P.Series family is meant for dirt-jump / skatepark / street use, but with some extra provisions to make them potentially viable as something like a very, very playful Trail bike, or maybe just easier to pedal to the pumptrack or dirt jumps. All of the frames are made from aluminum and feature sliding dropouts with an optional derailleur hanger, should you want to run them with gears (though all the stock builds are single speeds), and even include provisions for a dropper post if you want to add one. All four bikes, including the 20’’ wheel P.1, use a 148 mm Boost rear wheel to make finding a suitable option for a geared setup easy, though the P.2 and up all get a singlespeed-specific rear wheel, so you’ll need to sub in a different one if you want to go the geared route. (The P.1 gets a wheel with a HG freehub body to make things easier.)
Fit & Geometry
All four P.Series bikes get geometry that’s clearly intended for dirt jump and similar use, with 68.5° headtube angles across the range, short chainstays and reaches, and moderate amounts of bottom bracket drop. The P.1’s reach comes in at 310 mm (paired with 320 mm chainstays) and the reach bumps up to 360mm for the P.2, 415 mm on the P.3, and 445 mm for the P.4. Chainstay lengths grow to 360 mm for the P.2 and then 385 mm for both the P.3 and P.4 (where in the range on the sliding dropouts those numbers are measured isn’t stated).
It’s pretty rare to see a DJ bike with 27.5’’ wheels, but Specialized says that the P.4 is meant for folks who just want a bigger size and/or are interested in the idea of a DJ bike but want to have it ride a little more like their everyday Trail bike rather than having quite such a big gap in terms of handling and feel.
The Builds
The stock builds on all four versions of the P.Series are relatively typical Dirt Jump bike builds, with a singlespeed drivetrain, rigid seatpost, and so on. All four bikes also come with a front brake, though, interestingly, the P.2 and up come with a mechanical front brake and a SRAM Level T hydraulic rear one, presumably under the assumption that most folks are going to take the front brake off on a DJ bike. Specialized notes that the P.1 comes with short-reach brake levers designed for small hands, as well as a 19 mm diameter handlebar (22.2 mm is standard) to allow for smaller diameter grips as well.
- Drivetrain: Singlespeed w/ Specialized cranks (115 mm arms)
- Brakes: Radius CX7 Mechanical
- Fork: Specialized A1 rigid, suspension corrected for 80 mm travel
- Wheels: Specialized P.Series 20’’, HG freehub, disc-only
- Drivetrain: Singlespeed w/ Specialized cranks (140 mm arms)
- Brakes: Radius CX7 Mechanical front / SRAM Level T rear
- Fork: Manitou J-Unit Comp, 100 mm travel
- Wheels: Specialized P.Series 24’’, single speed, disc-only
- Drivetrain: Singlespeed w/ Specialized cranks (140 mm arms)
- Brakes: Radius CX7 Mechanical front / SRAM Level T rear
- Fork: Marzocchi Bomber DJ, 100 mm travel
- Wheels: Specialized P.Series 26’’, single speed, disc-only
- Drivetrain: Singlespeed w/ Specialized cranks (165 mm arms)
- Brakes: Radius CX7 Mechanical front / SRAM Level T rear
- Fork: Marzocchi Bomber Z1, 100 mm travel
- Wheels: Specialized P.Series 27.5’’, single speed, disc-only
Some Questions / Things We’re Curious About
(1) How much do the new P.Series bikes feel like dedicated dirt-jump bikes, and how are Specialized’s claims of added versatility borne out in the real world?
(2) And what does the P.4 feel like, as one of the relatively few 27.5’’-wheeled dirt-jump bikes on the market?
Bottom Line (For Now)
Specialized has expanded their longstanding P.Series lineup in a big way, and it’s cool to see them offering dirt-jump bikes in a big range of sizes (both in terms of frames and wheels). The potential for some extra versatility by way of a geared drivetrain and even potentially a dropper post is interesting, too, though we suspect it’ll mostly appeal to folks who want to ride their bike to the jumps or pump track rather than turning the P.Series bikes into true do-it-all Trail bikes for most riders. Still, it’s a neat idea with seemingly little downside, and just might be what some people are looking for.
Why would they make the P3 top tube shorter!
They are known for the 22.5in Top tube.
This sucks and definitely cant continue riding a P3 if my current bike comes to its end.