Specialized launches 2012 product line

Canadian Cycling Magazine has arrived in Monterey, California for the 2012 Specialized Global Product Launch. The event got started early Sunday morning with the launch of new bikes in nearly every category. On the road side, the big news is the new Venge aero road bike and the SL4 – the latest generation of the Tarmac racing bike. For mountain bikes, there’s a big push in the 29er market with numerous new bikes and new variations of previous models. In addition to our Day 1 coverage below, click HERE to view our coverage of Specialized’s women’s lineup – an important segment for the brand.

PERFORANCE ROAD
For 2012 Specialized has heavily revamped their road line up, with updates to virtually every model in the line up. Leading the charge is the new Tarmac SL4, an all new frame that will replace the Tarmac SL3 as the flagship all rounder of the road line. Built with feedback from the pros of HTC Highroad, the Tarmac SL4 promises to have a more balanced ride feel between the front and rear, while being stiffer and lighter to boot.
Specialized’s new aero road bike, the Venge, already debuted earlier this year at Milan San Remo. But in Monterrey, Specialized had the full line up on hand,  including the much more affordable Pro and Expert models.

Continuing the theme of affordable race bikes, not just bikes for those with deep pockets, the new Allez Evo is aimed at the rider looking for the most speed for their dollar. Starting with an E5 aluminum frame, Specialized spec’ed parts that directly contribute to performance, and saved elsewhere. Toward that end, the bike is outfitted with a Tarmac carbon fork, and highlights such as a Romin saddle and Turbo Pro tires.

PERFORMANCE MTB
STUMPJUMPER
Specialized’s roots go back 30 years with the launch of the original Stumpjumper, which was one of the first bikes designed to handle mountain bike trails of the day straight out of the box. Today, the Stumpjumper lives on and for 2012 there’s a new high-end aluminum hardtail version based on the carbon-framed Stumpjumper introduced in 2011. The new Stumpy is built with M5 alloy and has thin seat stays and a 27.2 seat post for a more comfortable ride. Up front, it uses a tapered head tube while the SRAM 2×10 drivetrains are all custom-selected based on the wheel size (29 or 26) and the riding style (pure XC, trailriding etc.). It will retail for around $2,000 depending on the options. The carbon HT is also still available. We rode the 29er carbon Stumpjumper today and found it to be an incredibly fast, light and well-handling race bike.

CARVE
An all-new bike for 2012, the Carve is an aluminum 29er mountain bike that fits between the lower-pricepoint Rockhopper and the more expensive Stumpjumper. It’s only offered with the bigger wheels and is targeted at riders wanting a bike they can race on or ride every day.
“I’ve raced it several times this season,” said legendary Specialized rider Ned Overend. “It’s impressive the kind of performance you can get from a bike that’s this reasonably (priced). Aluminum hardtails are a huge part of the market. This is a bike that will introduce a lot of people to 29ers. It makes an incredible race bike stock, but it’s easy to upgrade.” The Carve is available in either a standard version or a singlespeed version with an eccentric bottom bracket.

CAMBER
The Camber is a short-travel performance trailbike with a cross-country focus. New for 2012, however is a 29er version offered in carbon fibre. The bike is built using Specialized’s Fact 9M carbon and has an updated design from last year’s frameset. The carbon version has a PressFit30 BB, internal cable routing (including for the included adjustable height seat post), and Fox suspension with the new Kashima coating. For a bigger 29er trailbike, the carbon version is quite light at less than 26 pounds for a size large.