Specialized brings the integrated approach to iconic Stumpjumper

By James Huang, Tech Editor

Specialized's current S-Works Stumpjumper FSR Carbon has only been on the market for a short two years, but the company has already decided to launch an all-new, and dramatically revamped, version for 2008. Cyclingnews continued to brush up on his Spanish while taking a look at the new Stumpy and other gems in the new Specialized lineup.

Good ideas for product innovations apparently trump traditional fiscal responsibilities in the halls of Specialized's Morgan Hill, CA, headquarters. After an exceptionally short two-year reign, the S-Works Stumpjumper FSR Carbon will be replaced for 2008 with an all-new version that promises to be stiffer, faster, and a lot lighter than the bike we've come to know and love.

At first glance, the new Stumpjumper Carbon frame looks almost like a downsized Enduro with a similarly low-slung profile for greater standover clearance, an S-shaped down tube to provide room for a bottle cage, and a new rocker link-type rear suspension configuration that allows for a more refined axle path and nearly completely uninterrupted seat tube for a greater range of seatpost adjustment.

Read Part I and Part II of Cyclingnew's coverage of the 2008 Specialized mountain bike line-up.