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Chocolate LogSpecialized 09 spy shots
16 June
Specialized stick with the understated paintjob for their 09 bikes.
Whistler is a fun place to ride, and just about as good as anywhere to test a good all rounder bike, or a bigger tank weapon like the Specialized SX Trail and Big Hit. I know my trusty 06 SX has taken another couple of days of pounding this weekend and was still hauling me through the day with a massive grin on my face. I wasn't about to interrupt a perfectly good 30 minute line-up for the chairlift by getting better shots of these two new bikes, but here's a couple of phone snaps grabbed hastily at the time:
The Big Hit (front) and SX Trail (back) - the family freeride bikes of choice.
New toys, spotted in Whistler.
The SX has gone all curvy, with a fairly linear shock position as before but a full[er] length seat tube. Having seen it climbing and descending, it looks like it works, but is that a custom shock in there, or some sort of extra linkage? Could just be a prototype to test stuff out for a later linkage. The jury is out, but it appeared to be a custom lower eyelet allowing it to be joined around the seatube and avoid the seattube hole forging of the original SX trail, saving a few grams no doubt, but at what cost to stiffness and easy upgrading? Obviously the colour is shit, that's a given. Looks like a 1 1/8" to 1.5" Headtube on the SX too but I wasn't paying attention. I'm sure all will become clear when a more diligent journalist gets on the case. The Big Hit (according to the stickers) looks to have the same flowing shape, although these two pics show similar looking bikes with both 1.5" and 1 1/8" headtubes so we could be looking at a pretty major overhaul of their bigger bike range again. Anyway, I think this looks like a winner, even with the odd looking shock position. Smooth lines and a simple shock linkage:
New Specialized Big Hit?
New Specialized Big Hit prototype
Both had the Horst link at the back, so no doubt they'll still be able to be ragged, brakes on, through the chunder. Luckily for us amateurs. Here's Duncan, looking aghast at the massive queues that are now the standard sunny Whistler weekend fare. Silverstar anyone?
Strangely, the trails themselves were quiet. I wonder where all those people go once they get off at the top... Perhaps the Meat Grinder is just mincing them up, bike and body, leaving no trace. Post a comment |
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Comments
That would be a demo 7 not a big hit... my opinion of course
Posted by: Brett at June 16, 2008 06:33 AM
The sticker said Big Hit, but yeah, it could be a Seven, without that sub-seatstay thing... which would be a lot lighter.
Posted by: wa at June 16, 2008 06:49 AM
Demo's (sub-seatstay) will continue as is apparently.
Posted by: Lord Of The Thundercats at June 16, 2008 08:23 AM
were you too shy to ask the riders what they were? ;-)
Posted by: e1 at June 16, 2008 09:06 AM
The model name was on the bikes....
Posted by: Creampie Cathy at June 16, 2008 04:09 PM
I thought duncan would have learned not to ride with bastards like you, look what you did to him last year!
Posted by: zak at June 16, 2008 08:22 PM
Better pics here - http://www.sicklines.com/2008/06/16/2009-specialized-sx-spotted/
Posted by: j-claw at June 17, 2008 12:02 AM
interesting - not sure I like the bent look
Are the queues always like that?
Posted by: bakes at June 17, 2008 11:26 AM
It's been getting steadily more rammed each year, but I think because it's been pretty damp so far this summer, everyone was out this weekend for their fix. It hardly even calmed down until very late (6pm ish). It used to be that if you got out early or late in the day you'd get some clear laps.
Also, the Gondola wasn't open, which eases some pressure, and the upper mountain trails are still under snow so everyone's riding runs that rarely take longer than 5 minutes. (some Garbanzo trails can easily take 30mins+ until you know them well)
Posted by: wa at June 17, 2008 07:01 PM
What's wiv the really short shocks? Tehy look like they've been nicked off an Apollo.
30 minutes to get down Garbo? You need to ride a shitty single pivot. It's impossible to brake on In Deep as the horrendous brake jack will throw you into trees, so pin or die ;-)
BTW, can't you change the anti-spam word? It's getting a bit predictable.
Posted by: Wankeater at June 18, 2008 04:17 PM
BAH fekkin tourists with their lineup for half an hour to ride the trails nonsense. Good job the park is open during the evenings now, nice and quiet then. Yeah i was aghast, bollocks to that for a game of soldiers. Time for a spot of Lunch.
Zak - i was a little worried about the JCL curse getting me for the third year in a row, but i survived unscathed. Still another 10 days to go to break the June = Duncan broken curse though....
Short shocks on the new bikes looked crappy. The burlier bike is definitely a big hit, it is the same design as the Bighit Grom, just a little beefier. Not a fan, looks ugly and cheap.
The new designs seem to eliminate a lot of the cold forging, making them cheaper to make. That's my take on why they have gone that route.
Anyway - take her easy.
Duncan
Posted by: duncan at June 20, 2008 11:29 PM
The new designs seem to eliminate a lot of the cold forging, making them cheaper to make. That's my take on why they have gone that route.
True and I agree about them getting a little cheap looking.
Posted by: JCLooser at June 23, 2008 06:00 AM
Not really digging the look of either of those. I much preferred the look of the existing/previous SX Trail frames.
Posted by: Mike at June 24, 2008 04:24 PM
Still working...?
Posted by: wa at June 25, 2008 01:39 AM
I think they look alright like.
Posted by: DanLees at June 25, 2008 02:51 PM
Looks fuggin awful like that mong RM frame but without triangular tubes.
Posted by: scruff at June 27, 2008 09:55 PM
heyy is that duncan mortimer haha i used to work with that guy haha!!
Posted by: Tyler at June 29, 2008 07:37 AM
You guys complain because of the queues getting into Whistler you should consider yourself lucky to have a place like that to ride because we havent got S#%T like that in Australia.
Posted by: Robert at July 2, 2008 04:57 AM
Yeah well, think on that mate.
No i fact don't think about it, there's already 15 too many fucking whiney aussies in Whistler as it is.
Posted by: duncan at July 3, 2008 11:49 PM
there was a lot more than 15 last week
Posted by: beard at July 4, 2008 09:09 AM
They've taken what used to be a really beautiful bike and made it look like one of the most mingingest bikes ever.
More pics are on nsmb.com
Posted by: Rog at July 29, 2008 09:59 AM
Duncan, go to bed.
You're lucky the Aussies are there to show you how to ride properly hahahahahahahahaha
Posted by: Duncan's mum at August 25, 2008 10:19 AM
i was looking at a diff website and thats the bighit not the demo and the bighit went through changes... they were saying that the bighit is better with a more comfortable cockpit and lower standover
Posted by: jessy at September 19, 2008 02:35 AM