Specialized Chisel Mountain Bike in Red Sky

Specialized Chisel Mountain Bike in Red Sky

The claim sounds bold, but the numbers back it up. The Specialized Chisel is the lightest alloy full suspension mountain bike in the world, 18.4% lighter than its closest competitor, and built around the same geometry and suspension kinematics as the Epic 8 World Cup race machine.

For a cross-country mountain bike at this price point, that's a pretty serious starting position.

What's going on under the skin:

• The frame does the heavy lifting
  
  D'Aluisio Smartweld hydroformed tubes with continuously-varied wall thicknesses give the Chisel the lightest aluminium XC frameset in its class.
  
  Stiff where efficiency demands it, compliant where comfort and control need it. A one-piece hydroformed seat tube integrates the seat tube pivot, main pivot, and BB shell into a single unit, cutting weight compared to the traditional welded approach.
  
  
• 110mm of suspension with World Cup roots.
  
  The Chisel's Ride Dynamics-tuned suspension and progressive geometry come straight from the Epic 8 platform, honed on technical World Cup courses. Whether you're racing or ripping hot laps on local trails, it handles varied terrain with composure.
  
  The steep seat tube keeps you in the optimal pedalling position, and the anti-squat setup keeps pedal-bob in check, so every watt goes forward.
  
  
• Flex stay rear end, properly done.
  
  More commonly found on carbon bikes, the flex stay design here eliminates extra pivots and their associated weight and maintenance.
  
  Extensive lab and field testing confirm what's hard to pull off in advanced alloy: efficiency, control, and low weight, without the mechanical complexity.

Build highlights:

• RockShox Recon 120mm fork with Motion Control Damper
• X-Fusion rear shock, Ride Dynamics tuned
• SRAM NX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain
• TranzX dropper post
• Flip chip geometry adjust

The Specialized Chisel in Red Sky is available for sale now at Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative. If you're after a lightweight aluminium mountain bike that genuinely competes with bikes costing significantly more, this is a strong contender worth a proper look.