2011 Specialized SX Trail

As the boost valve went in, the bike became much more balanced down the trail. I had to bump the pressure up in my fork (which is to be expected), and I’m pretty much in love with this frame now.

Its primary hangout is shuttle trails and the occasional bike park jaunt, and I’m really happy with it in that role. I’ve ridden it on many of the trails that my DH bike has been on, and I’ve never once been even close to nervous—just a little slower and more deliberate. Even with less travel, it’s got a bottom bracket height that’s half an inch higher than my DH bike (you knew it was coming), so it’s not quite the super stable plow machine that my Turner DHR is. But only five years ago this version of the SX Trail would have been contemporary DH bike geometry, so it’s more than capable pretty much anywhere. I do wish it were a little lower, but that slightly higher ride height does help it manual better and pop off lips with a little more authority. I’d still change it if I could, but since everything else about the bike has been so enjoyable, I can live with it.

True to Specialized form, the short chainstays on this thing really help it rail turns where exits occur with weight over the back wheel. I like pumping turns wherever appropriate, and every single bike I’ve ridden from the big S the last few years has had this dialed. Those long wheelbases from Specialized are all front end. Get over the back of the SXT, and you’ll take off on exits because that wheel is more underneath you than on a lot of other frames.

It’s also less likely to hang up on things when porpoising through roots or rocks, because it’s not quite as far behind your feet when you do the survival lunge in the air.

Stiffness is something that has to be considered with a bike like this, and I’ve got no complaints. In fact, I don’t really have too much to say about it other than I haven’t felt the thing chatter or bounce around at all. That big-diameter aluminum hardware Specialized uses has been proven for years on other frames, and all the benefits apply here. Those funky hydroformed tubesets used in the frames are among the most over-designed in the industry, and they’re built with strength in mind. It’s going to take a bigger rider than me pushing more mass through off-camber rocks and turns to find faults here, because I’m completely satisfied.

Something worth noting here is how light this build ended up being. Now, I went really far out of my way and, with weight in mind, built it up with the following parts: A Woodman seatpost.

That’s it. The cranks are old cranks from my DH bike, the wheels I built up with kind of heavy Hadley hubs and straight gauge spokes, the stem and bars are old DH parts I had for bigger bike, and this bike as built weighs right about 35 pounds. That’s with a steel coil-sprung damper and pretty standard DH parts. You could easily drop a pound or two off that with wheels and shock, but other than a Ti spring, it’s diminishing returns, in my opinion, at least for the way I want to ride it; I know for a fact I won’t even be thinking of throwing a Vivid Air shock on this. It helped open up my DHR’s travel, but I think it’s necessary to do the exact opposite with this frame. Maybe X-Fusion or Cane Creek have some goodies in the air department that can be tuned with a good deal of progressiveness, but my RC4 is staying on this thing—it’s nice riding a bike this light with wreckless abandon.

Although I haven’t really ever had a problem with it, a buddy of mine with the exact same frame pointed out something that was news to me: his paint was chipping off pretty easily. I even watched a bit fall off when a Kryptonite chain was just barely tapping his top tube. My 4” SX frame started chipping after I’d had it for a while, so I expect it on this one. Just a heads up.

You can throw a front derailleur on (mounts to the swingarm), and I probably will for a few road trips this summer where shuttles aren’t an option and a trail rig might be inappropriate. I’ve ground out some climbs with the 36t front and 11-34 cassette on the back, and there’s a little bit of squat going on just like pretty much every bike Specialized has ever made without an incredibly over-damped rear shock. It’s not huge, and it’s something that can be tuned out with a little bit of low-speed compression damping. I’m running about four clicks in for what it’s worth, and I don’t feel like I’m squatting the bike at the expense of forward propulsion. I imagine a smooth spin on a 22t front ring would make this pretty much a non-issue.

Most of my climbing has admittedly been standup smashing, just because of the gearing. Specialized put their horst links back where they’re supposed to be with this frame (below the axle), so it pedals better than many of the trail bikes they were making a few years ago that had the horst link almost in line with the rear axle. It’s no VPP or DW link kind of efficiency, but it’s also a hell of a lot more compliant down the trail than many of those designs.

The SX Trail is still a descender’s bike, so it’s obvious where the priorities lie, but two weeks ago I ground out a short section up some volcanic rock that my buddy on his 29-pound trail bike flailed on. This bike will go when you need it to. Just don’t build it up as an XC rig because not only will Baby Jesus™ cry, you’ll start breaking those goofy lightweight parts you put on that won’t be able to keep up with the frame. It moves.