ROB’S SPECIALIZED ENDURO COMP £4,499

It’s time for a reluctant Rob to bid Big Blue a fond farewell

I liked the Enduro from the get-go, but as time has gone on, I’ve appreciated it more and more. Where it really shines is when pointed down rugged, full-on downhill trails, where its big wheels, confidence-inspiring geometry and masses of travel make it feel almost untouchable.

OK, the SRAM NX Eagle gearing is a little underwhelming when you consider the price of the bike, but the RockShox Lyrik fork is a great performer, as are the SRAM Code R brakes. After a number of months on NX, I actually switched to GX Eagle for testing. This isn’t an astronomical jump up the drivetrain ranks, but the step up in quality and shifter feel is a better fit for a bike of this price, and I actually quite liked the massive 52t cog on the climbs. That’s where the Enduro consistently surprises, too – it pedals so well, considering there’s 170mm of travel on tap, and is surprisingly easy going when riding between descents. Having ridden the top-end S-Works

Enduro, which comes with a Fox X2 rear shock, I must admit that the RockShox Super Deluxe Select+ on the Comp version doesn’t create quite the same feel on the trail. It’s still supple and controlled, but the X2 definitely felt like it trumped it when it came to dishing out rear wheel traction in loose conditions. I’m being really picky here, though – there are few bikes that can conjure up the confidence that the Enduro does when bombing downhill.

The big question with these endof-year roundups is whether I’d shell out my own money for the bike. As I said, the Enduro Comp doesn’t offer the best value for money when it comes to spec. In fact, you get the same brakes and gearing on the £2,399 Specialized Status. However, the frame, geometry and suspension are superb. I’m slightly concerned by the number of pivots there are to maintain, but so far they’ve been problem free. So, would I buy this bike? Well, I’d probably go for the frame-only option and build it up into a dream machine. I’d just need to sell a kidney first!