First Look: Specialized Chisel Dual-suspension

I’ve become well acquainted with the Specialized Epic and Epic EVO over the years, and my first reaction when I was asked to ride the new Chisel alloy full suspension was intrigue. I’ve become so spoiled with my carbon equipment that I wasn’t sure what to expect from a modern aluminium, mid-level bike.

Having preached “it’s not about the bike” for many years, in the name of investigation I headed to my original home trails in Tokai to rally this new offering. Bigger travel bikes aside, I think the last time I rode a dual suspension alloy frame in Tokai was with my Specialized Rumor back in 2015.

I’m so happy I did. It served as a much-needed reminder to me that bicycles don’t need to be full factory racing spec to be fun, and fast. Here are my first impressions after a few laps of ‘Vasbyt‘:

What’s new?

The obvious answer is that the new Chisel moves away from the hardtail format and is now a full suspension mountain bike. The kinematics and geometry have been borrowed from the new Epic 8 which launched earlier this year. The new Chisel offers 110mm rear travel, paired with a 120mm fork.

Notable features include low weight as a result of the D’Aluisio Smartweld process used in the frame production, and a single piece hydroformed seat tube that integrates the seat tube pivot, main pivot, and bottom bracket shell. A flex stay design, unusual for an alloy bike, also helps keep the weight down.

I tested the Chisel Comp Shimano build which comes specced with Shimano SLX 12-speed groupset. A RockShox Deluxe Select+ shock paired with the RockShox SID 120mm fork with a Rush damper takes care of suspension duty. A TranzX dropper post comes standard on all models and serves as a good indicator of this bike’s capability on the trail: it shreds. In terms of rubber: a Ground Control 2.35″ Control Casing T5 on the front is paired with a Fast Trak 2.35″ Control T5 on the rear, offering an excellent pairing for rolling speed and grip on most South African trails. A Power Saddle Sport and Specialized Trail Grips complete the finish. The claimed weight for the medium size out of the box is 12.86 kg.

On the Trail

The Epic 8 heritage is noticeable immediately in the pedalling efficiency and the sense of contained energy the Chisel gives you the moment you turn a pedal. Like its sibling, the Epic 8, the Chisel feels like a coiled spring just waiting to turn your watts into forward momentum. Whether it is the light weight, or the kinematics or the way in which the alloy has been deployed in the frame design, or more than likely a combination of these factors: the Chisel doesn’t feel like a typical alloy bike. It has none of that slight energy-sapping ‘give’ that I’d previously associate with the material.

The first word that come to mind was “lively”. The Chisel felt snappy and responsive and ready to tackle the climbs. I love a bike that gives back what you put in, and the Chisel had this in spades. I enjoyed weaving through the rocks, and pushing out of the corners, up the Faerie Garden trail. Much like the Epic 8, the front wheel goes precisely where you put it, and pops with ease.

Pointed downhill I immediately felt comfortable, and found myself seeking out trail features to play with. The Chisel handles with the precision of an XC weapon, and the capability I’ve come to expect from modern “down-country” bikes. I appreciate that, out of the box the contact points didn’t need to be changed. I’d happily roll the dice on a big day out with the standard saddle, grips, and tyres.

I’d need to give it more time in the saddle, but my initial impression was that the Chisel is race ready. I’d happily tackle a local marathon or stage race and expect the bike to hold its own.

To find out more about the design and development of the Chisel, take a look at the full press release here:

The All-New Chisel

The Lightest, Fastest Alloy Full Suspension Bike in the World

With advanced kinematics and geometry from its big sibling, the Epic 8, combined with cutting-edge D’Aluisio Smartweld technology, the Chisel mountain bike delivers performance you can feel—whether you’re racing “between the tape” or ripping solo hot laps on local trails.

Lightweight | D’Aluisio Smartweld

Thanks to D’Aluisio Smartweld, the Chisel boasts the lightest aluminum XC frameset in its class. Traditional alloy frame construction joins tubes with welds at the highest stress point. D’Aluisio Smartweld delivers the highest strength at the lowest weight by using hydroformed tube junctions that allow us to move the joint away from the area of the highest stress and create a “valley” for the weld bead to lay in.

One-Piece Seat Tube/Bottom Bracket

The first of its kind, Chisel shaves extra material and weight with a one-piece hydroformed seat tube that integrates the seat tube pivot, main pivot, and BB shell. On a more traditional bike, the seat tube is typically just a “tube” with pivots and BB shell welded on.

Killing it Softly

Our D’Aluisio Smartweld technology not only makes Chisel the lightest bike in its class, it also delivers previously impossible handling and ride quality. Each highly manipulated frame tube boasts continuously varied wall thicknesses and shaping that deliver stiffness where you need it – for efficiency – and ride-smoothing compliance where you want it – for comfort and optimal control.

Capability

Capability, Dialed to 11

The high performance pedigree of Chisel can be traced directly to the Epic 8, our World Cup race machine. DNA from the Epic 8, like advanced suspension kinematics, Ride Dynamics tuned suspension, and progressive geometry honed on technical World Cup courses can all be found in the Chisel, making it more than capable of handling varied terrain with confidence and speed.

Smoother Is Faster

We engineered a flex stay rear end for class-leading suspension performance, while eliminating the extra weight and maintenance associated with pivots required in a traditional design. More common on carbon bikes, extensive field and lab testing prove that Chisel has achieved the impossible—the efficiency, control, and light-weight of a flex stay design, in advanced alloy.

Spec Callouts

• Cockpit: 29mm rise bars
• Fork: 120mm travel RockShox fork
• Shock:  110mm of rear wheel travel (metric 190×40)
• Dropper: Dropper posts on all models
• Brakes: SRAM Level T Brakes
• Front Tire: Ground Control 2.35 
• Rear Tire: Fast Trak 2.35

Geometric Capability

Progressive Geometry for Modern XC and Downcountry
Chisel’s progressive geometry delivers technical terrain capability alongside fast and efficient climbing and acceleration. The generous cockpit centers the rider on the bike for optimal traction and cornering control. The low bottom bracket and slack head tube keep things composed in the rough.

• Head Tube Angle: 66.5 
• Reach: 445mm 
• Chainstays Length: 438mm
• Seat Tube Angle: 75.5 degree
• Bottom Bracket Height: 336mm 
• *(Size medium) 

Engineered to Disappear – Specialized Ride Dynamics

While you were cutting school to ride your bike, some kids stayed in science class. A few of those kids rode their bikes, too. They grew up to be members of Specialized Science Club, creating evidence-based performance for riders. The Ride Dynamics team is an elite part of the Specialized Science Club that relentlessly focuses on holistically developing the chassis, geometry, kinematics, spring curves, and damping performance of our bikes to achieve a singular, elevated ride. A ride so good, so intuitive, that it disappears underneath you, leaving nothing but the pure exhilaration of the riding experience.

Two Styles, One Goal

How did we make the Chisel equally at home on the race course and technical trails? Well, its lightweight and efficient kinematics help it fly up the climbs, while its suspension and geometry make it a capable, downcountry weapon.

Efficiency

Chisel pedals with incredible efficiency thanks to the utilization of geometry and kinematics that went into our World Cup racing Epic 8 platform. The steep seat tube positions the rider in the optimal pedaling position, and honed anti-squat reduces pedal-bob. Put it together and Chisel translates every watt applied to the pedals into maximum forward motion.

Balance of Power

The leverage rate and anti-squat on Chisel were designed together to give the balance of suspension performance and pedaling efficiency. As a performance benchmark, it sits between the new Epic 8 and the previous Epic EVO in terms of overall kinematic profile. Not too race-y, not too rowdy. Just right.