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2020 Fuse Expert 29

$2,150

4.9

10 Reviews

The Fuse Expert 29 thriving on the kind of technical trails that make other hardtails…

Product Details

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The Fuse Expert 29 thriving on the kind of technical trails that make other hardtails cry. The top-shelf Fuse Expert 29 brings all of that to play with its light-yet-burly M4 aluminum chassis and a component package that takes a beating and comes back for more.

ROWDY BY DESIGN

The Fuse is loaded with smart touches. The wide-diameter down tube boosts stiffness. The low-slung top tube gives you the clearance to throw the bike around on tight trails. And while this Fuse’s 29x2.6 tires give it a precise, nimble feel, the frame is also compatible with 27.5+ wheels and tires.

PERFECTLY DIALED

If you fail to nail the geometry, advanced materials and innovative designs still amount to nothing out on the trail. Fuse gets it right. The long reach gives you even weight distribution. The slack head angle lends confidence on sketchy descents. The steep seat angle makes quick work of steep climbs.

TAKES A BEATING

• 130-millimeters of plush suspension courtesy of a RockShox 35 Gold fork.

• Stout Trail SL wheelset is light yet fends off abuse.

• NX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain gives you single-ring simplicity yet lets you tackle big climbs without coughing up a lung.

Technical Specifications

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FRAMESET

FRAME

Specialized M4 Premium Aluminum, 148mm thru-axle, adjustable dropout, SS compatible, tapered head tube, internal cable routing

SEAT BINDER

Alloy, 38.6mm

SUSPENSION

FORK

RockShox 35 Gold RL, air spring, 130mm Travel, 44mm offset

COCKPIT

STEM

Stout 3D-forged alloy, 31.8mm, 6-degree rise

HANDLEBARS

Stout Riser, double-butted alloy, 9-degree backsweep, 5-degree upsweep, 15mm rise, 750mm / 780mm width, 31.8mm

GRIPS

Specialized Trail Grips

SADDLE

Bridge Comp, Hollow Cr-mo rails, 155/143mm

SEATPOST

TranzX dropper, 34.9mm, XS-S: 100mm, M: 120mm, L/XL: 150mm Travel

BRAKES

REAR BRAKE

SRAM Level TRL, hydraulic disc, 2-piston, 180/160mm

FRONT BRAKE

SRAM Level TRL, hydraulic disc, 4-piston, 200/180mm

DRIVETRAIN

REAR DERAILLEUR

SRAM NX Eagle, 12-speed

SHIFT LEVERS

SRAM NX Eagle, trigger, 12-speed

CASSETTE

SRAM NX Eagle, 12-speed, 11-50t

CHAIN

SRAM NX Eagle, 12-speed

CRANKSET

Sram NX Eagle, DUB

CHAINRINGS

Steel, 30T

BOTTOM BRACKET

SRAM DUB, BSA 73mm, Threaded

WHEELS

RIMS

Alloy SL, disc only, double-wall, 29mm internal width, 28h, tubeless ready

FRONT HUB

Specialized, sealed cartridge bearings, 15x110mm thru-axle, 28h

REAR HUB

Specialized, sealed cartridge bearings, 12x148mm thru-axle, 32h

SPOKES

Stainless, 14g

FRONT TIRE

Butcher, GRID TRAIL casing, GRIPTON® compound, 2Bliss Ready, 29x2.6"

REAR TIRE

Purgatory, GRID, GRIPTON® compound, 2Bliss Ready, 29x2.6"

INNER TUBES

Standard, Presta valve

* Weights based on production painted frames as pictured. Actual weights will vary based on colorway, frame size, and component variation. Specifications are subject to change without notice.

Geometry

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XSSMLXL
Crank Length170170170170175
Handlebar Width750MM750MM780MM780MM780MM
Stem Length4545454545
Saddle Width155mm143mm143mm143mm143mm
Seatpost Length356356406456456
Seat-Tube Angle74°74°74°74°74°
Head-Tube Length95mm95mm95mm110mm125mm
Head-Tube Angle66.5°66.5°66.5°66.5°66.5°
Front-Center698mm718mm738mm764mm790mm
B-B Drop60mm60mm60mm60mm60mm
B-B Height315mm315mm315mm315mm315mm
Bike Stand-Over Height727mm747mm750mm754mm793mm
Fork Length (full)540mm540mm540mm540mm540mm
Top-Tube Length (horizontal)579mm599mm619mm643mm667mm
Seat-Tube Length340mm375mm410mm455mm505mm
Stack625mm625mm625mm639mm652mm
Reach400mm420mm440mm460mm480mm
Trail113mm113mm113mm113mm113mm
Fork Rake/Offset46mm46mm46mm46mm46mm
Wheelbase1122mm1142mm1162mm1188mm1214mm
Geometry

Rider Reviews

4.9

10 Reviews

 

One Fun Hardtail

I went down to my LBS / Specialized dealer and asked them to order me a Fuse Expert after reading Travis Engel's ""First Ride"" review in Bike Magazine back in June 2019. TBH, I was hooked on the looks. Specialized nailed it with the understated satin brushed finish and black componentry. Since the purchase I've logged over 700 miles on my medium and boy was I happy to find out she performs just as well as she looks. As the article indicated this bike comes ready to shred. I've only swapped in a stubbier 32mm stem and 35mm bar for a better fit. With just enough new school geo., big volume 29"" tires, Eagle and a dropper this bike handles about 90% of the riding I do in Marin County, CA. Half of that riding can be considered ""technical chunk"" so I've definitely put her through the wringer. Needless to say the bike is so much fun whipping around the trails seeing what I can clear that I find myself reaching out for it more than my 140/150 DW-Link squishy bike.


Name:
Vince

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Single track Slayer!!

I've had mine since January. I've been riding it 3 to 4 times a week since then and all I can say is I love this bike! Its very quick on technical climbs and fast and in control going down . I will add that I also use clipless pedals and inner tubes . Yah I'm old school. But I'm loving this modern geometry with 29 inch wheels. There's been alot of questions about the Rockshox 35. All I can say is maybe I was one of the lucky ones because mine was butter smooth when I got this bike. Last weekend I did a lower leg service myself and it's still buttery smooth. The fork performs well , good travel, stiff construction and plush. I'm sure I'm not the only one who likes this fork. The only thing I wish was different out of the box is the rear hub. A bike with ""Expert"" in the name deserves a quicker engagement hub. All in all , I've had no problems with this bike and nothing but fun killer rides!!.


Name:
Kevin

Helpful?

Good Bike, OK Fork?

I love the looks of this bike, and it rides just as well. It feels very nimble on the trail, and climbs good too. I bought mine as a secondary bike, for when I can't ride my full suspension.I noticed on my second ride, the fork, as others have mentioned, was sticky and kind of clunky. After taking it in to my LBS, they were advised to do a lower service by SRAM. After the service, I took it back out, and while being a little bit better, the stiction was still there. Small bump and slow speed felt horrible, but bigger hits, and higher speeds felt fine. After taking it back in, my LBS contacted SRAM and had it sent off for warranty. As others have stated, the lowers were replaced, being out of spec. The fork feels much smoother now. I wish Specialized had spec'd the bike with a better fork, such as the Fox 34. Other than this issue, I wish the size Medium had a 150mm dropper post. If you're slightly taller, but can fit a medium, be aware that you may have to run your seat post at minimum insertion. Overall it is a really fun bike with a great frame and some really good components, and the raw aluminum finish with chameleon graphics look amazing!


Name:
Jb

Helpful?

All Around Excellent After Fork Issue Was Fixed

I've had my 2020 Fuse Expert for about five months. It is a fantastic bike. Geometry feels spot on. The components have all performed very well with the exception of the Rock Shox 35 Gold fork, which suffered from the same malady as one of the previous reviewer's described. It was noisy and felt stiff at the beginning of its travel, but worked fine on big hits. There must be a manufacturing issue with this new fork. However, my local Specialized dealer had the fork fixed under warranty by Rock Shox in short order, and it's working fantastic now.


Name:
Hardtail'r

Helpful?

Beautiful & Bombproof - Thank you Specialized.

I've owned this bike Fuse Expert (L) since February 2020 - I ride roughly 10 hours a week. I've taken this bike to bike parks, my local singletrack (Ashton Court/ Leigh Woods), trail centers (Cwmcarn), some light freeride and my local pump track. It's brilliant on singletrack, climbs & flow trails. Handles techy stuff well - the head angle is slack enough to give you confidence, I'd be interested to know what it would feel like even slacker?. It was perfect at the trail center - feels like a very capable hardtail. I've been learning freeride on it with my friends who have full suss 27.5 - I havent felt that limited apart from on some big drops full squish certainly gives you big benefits. I love pump tracks, I live 3 minutes from one and I use them for fitness and typically do it on my 24'' dirt jumper - this pump track is all little pumps so mainly legs with tight berms. Now this is a 29er so the feeling is muted, and the effort required is more so that con unavoidable. Anyhow - I went round it on this with a friend for a joke - it was actually great and i've now sold the DJ and just do it on this bike, it's fine, gets you fit & is amazing practice. I'm not amazing at cycling - and I crash a lot, this bike seems to just take it - though I did upgrade the wheels & tyres but i'm sure the stock ones are just fine. Frame design is immense allowing me to run 27.5 SS and 29er geared depending on what i'm doing. Every frame every should have these drop outs - just keep simplifying the adjustment so it can be done easily ( I couldn't find a guide on how to do it online so lots of trial & error) Cons - The seat - The head angle is slack & the seat angle is steep - this is great, however, long days in the saddle I realised the seat was not designed for that combo (if it was then it was designed poorly) I swapped it out for a better seat. Very happy with this bike - If you want a fun, good looking, simple hardtail that is fine just about anywhere then this is the on


Name:
Cfb

Helpful?

Amazing hardtail

I upgraded to this bike from a 2018 rockhopper expert and i'm very glad i went with this. The geometry is amazing, very playful and the slack geometry helps relax some of the rougher stuff. The 2.6 tires aren't insanely wide, but they offer good stability and traction. My only complaint would be the brakes. Out of the box they felt sticky and the pads didn't return properly. I had to put DOT grease on the pistons, and while it made them feel much better, the pads are to close to the rotor, so a lot of work is needed to make them not rub, the rotor has to be practically perfectly straight for them to not rub. Everything other than the brakes are amazing though, geometry is dialed, good fork, good drive train, and i would be happy to buy again.


Name:
Sam M.

Helpful?

Excellent frame, good components, faulty fork(s)?

I bought a medium and I loved riding it from day 1. From singletrack to gravel, to small jumps and everything in between, it handles very well. My fork was extremely sticky and not ""plush"" by any means. It would handle big hits OK, but small bump compliance was nonexistent. I had it sent in for warranty, and RS's official statement was that the lowers were ""out of spec."" Read: wrong size lowers... How or why that happened I cannot say. However, the lowers were replaced quickly under warranty, my shop got me back up and running in 2 weeks and it feels WAY better up front. Specialized should consider revising their fork choice for this bike. 8/10 would recommend to a friend, but I'd recommend having the fork serviced or lowers replaced before even riding it if it feels sticky like mine did.


Name:
Benjamin

Helpful?

All around great trail bike

Just went for my first ride this afternoon.....still smiling. This is my 6th 29r that I have owned and by far the most balanced. The components are noisier than I expected, at one point when shifting up I cranked too hard and it sounded like a I broke a part off - all is good- it is a tough bike. I plan on pushing it to the limits. The geometry is excellent, I have Been riding a rigid 29 plus for trail riding- my other bike is harsh but the Fuse just eats up the trail with ease.


Name:
Deacon

Helpful?

The Perfect Hardtail

Looks great, rides great. If you're looking for a fun trail bike, get this one.


Name:
Gabriel

Helpful?

Just got the new Fuse Expert 29er!

So far so good... Tried around the city, because trails are close (too much rain). Couple of jumps here and there. Feeling excited about my new MTB! Will come back for another review after I visit the trails...


Name:
Boricua P.

Helpful?

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