So the SX Trail was Specialized's longest lasting full-sus design, widely regarded as the best long travel playbike ever to get thrown off a drop. When word filtered out that Spesh were revamping the model there were howls of dismay on the forums - why fix something that ain't broke? Surely tinkering with such a sorted platform would only lead to a diminished or compromised ride. Pro-change advocates argued that if the SX stayed still it would eventually get overtaken, even though that hadn't happened in five years.
Anyhoo, the new SX Trail was released, all swoopy lines and natty graphics and initial reviews were very positive, suggesting the fears of the naysayers were unfounded. Much was said about revised shock ratios and the unique eccentric pivot design but you and I all know that's not what's going through your mind when you're in the air hoping that your next contact with the ground will be tyres (rather than face) first.
As you'll know by now, we at Streetlife take product testing almost too seriously so it was with some joy that I was able to get my mittens on a (supposedly sold-out) SX Trail 1 2009. Now I could find out just how the new compared to the old, having previously given an ample thrashing to the original model. Well how can I put it? Fans of Spinal Tap, Campagnolo groupsets and football team talks will all be familiar with the illogical concept of 110%. Bearing in mind the old SX was perfect, the new one is 20% better in every respect. Hmmmm.
Basically, the frame is stiffer, especially through the linkage. This means it responds super quick to any rider input, whether you're popping it off a lip, stamping on the pedals to accelerate up a slope or snapping through sharp turns on sketchy terrain. The shapely tapered headtube helps out at the front while there's no doubt that the aforementioned eccentric pivot keeps things uber-tight in the heart of the beast. The result is a solid and incredibly well balanced bike that makes you want to do mad things. If you like to go big, you'll feel capable of going bigger; if you're a pinner, you'll be pinning it harder and faster than before. I'm riding lines that I spent three years peering nervously at, boosting lips I would have always compressed in the past and generally attacking the trails with a confidence and speed that'll no doubt land me in a pickle at some point. Watch out for some action shots as soon as I can free the bike from this danged hedge.
So the SX Trail was Specialized's longest lasting full-sus design, widely regarded as the best long travel playbike ever to get thrown off a drop. When word filtered out that Spesh were revamping the model there were howls of dismay on the forums - why fix something that ain't broke? Surely tinkering with such a sorted platform would only lead to a diminished or compromised ride. Pro-change advocates argued that if the SX stayed still it would eventually get overtaken, even though that hadn't happened in five years.
Anyhoo, the new SX Trail was released, all swoopy lines and natty graphics and initial reviews were very positive, suggesting the fears of the naysayers were unfounded. Much was said about revised shock ratios and the unique eccentric pivot design but you and I all know that's not what's going through your mind when you're in the air hoping that your next contact with the ground will be tyres (rather than face) first.
As you'll know by now, we at Streetlife take product testing almost too seriously so it was with some joy that I was able to get my mittens on a (supposedly sold-out) SX Trail 1 2009. Now I could find out just how the new compared to the old, having previously given an ample thrashing to the original model. Well how can I put it? Fans of Spinal Tap, Campagnolo groupsets and football team talks will all be familiar with the illogical concept of 110%. Bearing in mind the old SX was perfect, the new one is 20% better in every respect. Hmmmm.
Basically, the frame is stiffer, especially through the linkage. This means it responds super quick to any rider input, whether you're popping it off a lip, stamping on the pedals to accelerate up a slope or snapping through sharp turns on sketchy terrain. The shapely tapered headtube helps out at the front while there's no doubt that the aforementioned eccentric pivot keeps things uber-tight in the heart of the beast. The result is a solid and incredibly well balanced bike that makes you want to do mad things. If you like to go big, you'll feel capable of going bigger; if you're a pinner, you'll be pinning it harder and faster than before. I'm riding lines that I spent three years peering nervously at, boosting lips I would have always compressed in the past and generally attacking the trails with a confidence and speed that'll no doubt land me in a pickle at some point. Watch out for some action shots as soon as I can free the bike from this danged hedge.
