Specialized recently surprised the market by launching the Chisel, a sub-R60 000 aluminium full-suspension bike claimed to offer the high-performance features of the highly successful, (much) higher-priced Specialized Epic. But does it though? We test rode one. Here’s what we think.
For two decades, Specialized focused its full suspension marathon and XCO bikes on the high-end consumer. And why not? The Epic model topped podiums at the world’s most significant races and that led to sales and became an iconic model for the brand. ‘Win on Sunday, sell on Monday,’ is how the industry saying used to go. It’s not as simple as that these days, but it does help for sure. Everyone wants a fast bike, right?
That’s all very well and Specialized has seen great success with that strategy, certainly in South Africa, where marathon and stage racing dominate the market. Specialized has been the most popular bicycle brand in our annual SA MTB Survey since 2019, as well as other stage race surveys we conducted over the past 15 years. There’s no doubt that most of these bikes are models in the short-travel full-suspension Epic range.
When the Chisel was launched, we were curious. Specialized seemed to ignore the full-suspension entry-level segment and then suddenly, it launches a bike that’s firmly aimed at competing with a range of smaller brands that have largely been built on catering for this market segment.
Specialized is unashamedly a premium brand. People know and accept this. The Chisel full suspension at under R60 000 was quite unexpected. We were among the first ride the new Chisel and quickly got to understand Specialized’s strategy with this new bike.
THE BIKE
Mountain bikes were originally made from steel. Then, for a short period alumiunium became the champion material. Not surprisingly because it’s lighter and stiffer than steel and, if performance is the objective, light and responsive rule. But before alumiunium could really be fully explored, carbon fibre entered the mix and the industry focused heavily on this material, which was even lighter and stiffer than aluminium – and more customisable.
As a result, few brands really pursued aluminium to its full extent. And in the meantime, technology also progressed. And then Specialized decided to see what it could really do with aluminium. The result is the Chisel full-suspension 29er.
Specialized designed the Chisel to include geometry and suspension kinematics used by the new Epic 8 and Epic 8 EVO. So, it has adopted high-performance genes from ‘birth’. The material is Specialized’s M5 Alloy with hydroformed tubes that are joined using Specialized’s patented D’Alusio Smartweld process.
Smartweld isn’t new to Specialized. The brand used it on road bikes back in 2013 and on the Chisel hardtail in 2021. The process involves hydroforming joints instead of the traditional cutting and mitering. According to Specialized, Smartweld uses less material and retains structural integrity at the welds.
Another innovation on the Chisel is the single piece seattube and bottom bracket. This includes the suspension pivots. It reduces weight and delivers a very clean look in an area that’s traditionally a bit cluttered. The Chisel frame has flex stays and internally routed cables, both in keeping with the full-suspension performance marathon bike trend.
Like the Epic, the frame holds two water bottles, which in South Africa, is still a key feature on a bike designed for marathons, ultra-marathons and stage races.
There’s 120mm of suspension up front in the RockShox SID fork and 110m at the rear in the RockShox Deluxe Select+ shock. At 66.5 degrees, the headtube angle is quite slack and at 75.5 degrees, the seattube angle is suitably steep. The chainstay length on all sizes is 437mm and there’s a flip chip on the shock yoke that steepens the headtube angle by half a degree and raises the BB height by 6mm.
The drivetrain is Shimano SLX/Deore 1×12 (there’s also a SRAM-specced version available) and the brakeset is Shimano’s M6100 hydraulic disc with 180mm rotor up front and 160mm rotor at the rear. The wheelset is Shimano MTV410 hubs mated to Specialized alloy rims with a Specialized Ground Control tyre up front and a Specialized Fast Trak tyre at the rear – both 2.35-inches wide with Control casing and T5 compound.
The cockpit comprises Specialized alloy bars (760mm wide) with 60mm stem and Specialized Trail grips. There’s a TransX remote dropper seatpost and a Specialized Body Geometry Power saddle.
RockShox and Shimano are big-brand, reliable components, while the dropper seatpost and high-quality Power saddle complete tidy package for a Specialized full-suspension bike in this price range.
THE RIDE
We immediately felt comfortable on the Chisel. It no doubt helped that it was set up by Lynnwood Cyclery, which has our team members’ bike fit data. Other than having to tighten the front brake caliper on the first ride, we spent a good few weeks riding the Chisel with both comfort and control – and not one mechanical issue.
CLIMBING
It’s hard to fault the Chisel on climbing. At just over 12kg, it’s relatively light for an aluminium bike and boy is it responsive! Whether it’s short, punchy rises or long, steady ascents, the Chisel really does deliver superb efficiency that belies its category and price.
DESCENDING
On hardpack and manicured trails and XCO courses, the Chisel was a most capable descender. We felt it had some limits on natural rocky descents, where we needed to back off the pace a bit. Likely a combination of the brakes feeling a bit overwhelmed and the longish stem. Can’t believe we’re calling a 60mm stem longish, but here we are in the modern world of mountain bikes… The dropper seatpost is obviously essential in this regard and we were impressed by the TransX dropper on this bike.
CORNERING
For skilled riders, who corner at pace, a big part of cornering stability comes from tyres and tyre pressure. The Ground Control 2.35 up front, paired to the Fast Track 2.35 rear was a decent combination. We rode this bike on dry hardpack and loose over dry as we had it in Winter in Gauteng. The Ground Control is a good allrounder, but we felt it was a bit challenged at times on loose, flat turns.
HANDLING
Switching swiftly and successfully from a left to a right turn at speed or rolling around a tight, climbing hairpin with composure. These are among the mostly undefined moments that determine how a XC/Marathon bike handles. Wheelbase and chainstay length, along with the frame geometry all contribute to the handling and feel. The combination of these on the Chisel ensured that overall, the handling was good.
SUMMARY
We test-rode the Chisel shortly after test-riding the new Specialized Epic 8 Expert. Although R90 000 less in price, this gave us a good frame of reference. The Chisel really held its own and impressed us. None of the other big global brands do a high-performance aluminium XCO/Marathon bike, so competition for the Chisel in this space is limited.
To clarify, other global brands do make aluminium trail bikes, or to coin an Americanism, ‘downcountry’ bikes, in this price range – and below. And while one of the standout features of the Chisel is its strong ‘XC-ness’, it’s also confirmation that this bike isn’t designed for trail riding or ‘downcountry’ action. It’s designed to climb fast.
To keep the price down, Specialized has specced the Chisel Comp with fairly standard alloy bars, stem and rims. But while those rims didn’t attract our attention, the hubs did. Very seldom have we ridden a bike – at any price – that rolls that fast. The Shimano MTV410 hubs impressed us very time we rode this bike. Freewheeling down hills was something we looked forward to as it was noticeably faster rolling than any other bike we were riding with.
While the Chisel climbs superbly, handles well and corners with confidence, it does have some limitations on gnarly, fast descents. It’s undoubtedly a XC race bike that’s also capable on most South African marathon courses and sure to become a popular model. It puts Specialized in a market segment it never occupied previously and that’s a smart strategy for the brand at a time when the market is still reeling from its biggest collapse.
PRICE: R59 000
Find out more about the Specialized Chisel Comp Shimano here.
The Chisel Comp also has a SRAM specced version at R59 000 here.
And there’s the slightly down-specced Chisel Shimano at R49 000 here.
Note: Pricing is correct as of November 2024 and is obviously subject to change.
