Burry Stander (Specialized Factory Team) used this Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper Carbon HT at the recent Sea Otter Classic.(Image credit: James Huang)
Specialized team mechanics look to have custom-tuned this fork especially for Stander.(Image credit: James Huang)
The front hub features interchangeable end caps that work with standard quick-release or 15/20mm thru-axle dropouts.(Image credit: James Huang)
The standard RockShox Reba Motion Control damper is swapped out in favor of Specialized's own inertia valve design.(Image credit: James Huang)
crankbrothers' new Eggbeater 11 pedals are said to be far better sealed than in years past.(Image credit: James Huang)
The 26mm-wide E5 alloy rims are tubeless-compatible.(Image credit: James Huang)
Full-length housing is routed neatly along the underside of the top tube.(Image credit: James Huang)
Specialized intends its Romin SL saddle as a road perch but many pro riders have decided to use it off-road, too.(Image credit: James Huang)
The seat tube is offset forward to provide more tire clearance.(Image credit: James Huang)
Burry Stander's (Specialized Factory Team) AX-Lightness seatpost incorporates a minimal head assembly.(Image credit: James Huang)
The chain stays are tall and fat while the seat stays are relatively slender.(Image credit: James Huang)
A carbon fiber Carbon-Ti headset cap and alloy bolt replace the standard bits. Removing the upper headset cover drops the front end an extra few millimeters.(Image credit: James Huang)
Specialized's new Renegade tire looks to be especially fast in hardpack conditions.(Image credit: James Huang)
Tidy housing clips are incorporated into the underside of the top tube.(Image credit: James Huang)
A -16(Image credit: James Huang)
Burry Stander's (Specialized Factory Team) Specialized S-Works frame features an integrated bottom bracket.(Image credit: James Huang)
The front SRAM XX brake caliper clamps a 160mm-diameter rotor.(Image credit: James Huang)
Burry Stander (Specialized Factory Team) uses a 140mm rear rotor and alloy caliper bolts to shave a few grams.(Image credit: James Huang)
A single Specialized S-Works Carbon Rib Cage adorns the down tube.(Image credit: James Huang)
Burry Stander pairs his SRAM XX drivetrain with a PC 1090 chain.(Image credit: James Huang)
Carbon-Ti alloy bolts attach the Rotor Q-Rings to the XX-compatible Specialized S-Works MTB spider.(Image credit: James Huang)
A straight handlebar helps keep the cockpit height low.(Image credit: James Huang)
Specialized's S-Works MTB cranks are among the lightest available.(Image credit: James Huang)
A SRAM XX rear derailleur moves the chain across an 11-36T XX cassette.(Image credit: James Huang)
The Reba S29 is the result of a joint collaboration between RockShox and Specialized.(Image credit: James Huang)
A tapered carbon fiber crown and steerer assembly is bonded to the Reba upper tubes.(Image credit: James Huang)
Just in case you were wondering.(Image credit: James Huang)
Like many lighter riders, current UCI U23 cross-country mountain bike world champion Burry Stander (Specialized Factory Team) places a high importance on equipment weight since it comprises a greater percentage of total mass than it does for bigger competitors. Little tweaks here and there may only shave a few grams but when you only weigh 65kg (143lb), it doesn't take much to feel a difference.
Regardless, even Stander understands that weight isn't everything as he added a 29er hardtail – with its heavier wheels and all – to his quiver of race machines just this season. This proved to be the perfect choice for last month's high-speed and non-technical Sea Otter Classic course, too, where he raced the new bike for the first time and won in a three-up sprint over Geoff Kabush (Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain).
Old habits die hard, though, as Stander's Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper Carbon HT 29er is no boat anchor and displays a wealth of tweaks to bring it down to an impressive 9.23kg (20.35lb) fighting weight.
The foundation is Specialized's top-end S-Works Stumpjumper Carbon HT 29er carbon frame, claimed to weigh just 1,130g (2.49lb) with a tapered head tube, chunky down tube and chain stays, and integrated bottom bracket. Mounted up front is the Specialized/RockShox collaborative Reba S29 fork, which uses stock upper tubes and lower legs but a carbon fiber crown and steerer assembly and inertia valve damper internals for a racier feel, especially in combination with Stander's preferred high air pressure.
Componentry comes mostly from SRAM's ultralight XX 2x10 group but with a few substitutions in key areas. New XX-compatible Rotor Q-Rings are bolted to Specialized's own S-Works carbon fiber crankarms with Carbon-Ti bolts, and the rear XX brake caliper adapter is mounted with red-anodized alloy hardware.
The Specialized label is also applied to the Roval Control ES 29 wheelset with its tubeless-compatible rims, 2:1 lacing pattern and interchangeable front hub fitments; the still-prototype Renegade 29 low-knob tires set at 26psi and converted to tubeless; the carbon fiber S-Works crankset; the S-Works Pro-Set stem; a single carbon fiber bottle cage; and the new Romin SL saddle.
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