http://www.ambmag.com.au - 85JILL OF ALL TRADES
specialized RumoR
photogRapheR: RobeRt conRoy testeR: imogen smithFirst impressions
a look at the Rumor reminds me just how much bikes
have changed in the last few years. straight top tubes
and down tubes are long gone, and we’re all riding
potbellied bikes for the lower standover height that
helps make small 29” bikes manageable. the Rumor
achieves this with a two-piece top tube of hydroformed
alloy, which also allows for an in-line shock mount. most
thrilling for this reviewer is that the Rumor in all sizes
provides enough room for a full-size water bottle and
you won’t graze your knuckles taking it in or out.
the Rumor elite comes in stealthy matte black, with
some cool specialized decals on the down tube. i really
liked the look of this bike – it’s sleek, contemporary...
and practical. the less white there is on a bike, the more
time i have to review it. the frame is also well presented
with internal cable routing for both front and rear
derailleur, although not the dropper seat post, which
seemed a shame.
specialized work closely with shock manufacturers,
in this case Fox, to construct shocks that fit their
suspension design and specs. in the case of its women’s
models, specialized also install shocks with spring
rates tuned to lighter-weight riders – the goal being
that women get the same performance out of their
shocks as men do out of the box – we often miss out
on small bump performance because we’re too light to
activate the shock. this is something that sparks a lot
of conversation at the amb office – look for the cyclinic
tech feature in a coming issue.
specialized was founded by Californian mike sinyard in 1972, funded by the sale of his VW Kombi. Back then the
business known as specialized Bicycle Components really was just that, an importer selling high-end racing parts
to a quality-starved Us market. Gradually, sinyard found that he could improve sales by producing his own parts
and, starting with touring tyres, a new style of business – one that anticipated the market’s needs and responded
first – began to grow. While specialized started on the road, it was the first brand to sell a mass-produced mountain
bike – the stumpjumper in 1981 – a model that’s still in production today. in this move, specialized anticipated an
explosion in the popularity of the sport and made it affordable.
specialized is, in part, to thank for mountain biking as we enjoy it today.
sinyard is a very rich man these days and could afford as many VW Kombis as he wants (merida reportedly paid
us$30 million for a 49 per cent share in the company in 2001), and holding onto its precious reputation for innovation
drives research and design at specialized. concepts such as sWat (storage, water, air, tools) where places to stash
your stuff are integrated into the bike, is just one way specialized are trying to stay ahead. its evo bikes, usually one
high-end model within a range that incorporates beefier parts and more travel – is another. its women’s range, which
began in 2002, is one more.
specialized were among the pioneers in the women’s bike market, and in 2015 will import the most comprehensive
range of women’s mountain bikes into australia of any of the big brands, with no fewer than 20 models available.
many of these are in the middle to high end of the market, bringing choice to women who want to ride often, ride
hard, and even race in disciplines from Xcm to enduro.
the Rumor has been around since 2013, with the longer travel evo model new for 2015. the Rumor is the sister of
the unisex camber model, which unlike the Rumor is available in carbon.
Front to back, bottom to top, the Rumor has an
intelligent spec, and it’s clear that time and thought
have gone into choosing each part. i was impressed
by the control room setup – the bars at 680mm are a
great width for female riders, the slX brake levers are
adjustable, so you can wind them closer to your grips
if you need to (i always do). the bars are stocked with
slimmer grips for women, and the stem is a wise 90mm
with versatile six-degree rise.the Rumor’s Roval control wheelset are a sensible
choice for this type of bike, designed for lighter riders
seeking challenges. the wheels have dt swiss hub
internals and spokes and lightweight alloy rims. the
tubeless ready ground control tyres are a smart
combination of a 2.3” on the front for extra bite and a
faster-rolling 2.1” on the back.both the Rockshox Revelation fork and the Fox Float
ctd performance rear shock have 110mm of travel, and
both have some handy adjustment features including
rebound adjust on the rear and compression and
rebound adjust on the front. an added feature is Fox
Float’s autosag... more about that later.specialized promise women ‘a perfect fit for every
size’. the best thing about the Rumor in this and other
models is that it comes in a good range of sizes, so
those who are keen to ride a 29” bike for its big-rolling
stability should be able to do so, no matter what their
height. i like the fact that the bikes also come stocked
with different crank lengths for different sized bikes –
something specialized does on its women’s and unisextesteD