Specialized Boulder Experience Center: I Rode a $10,000 S-Works

A Love Letter to Specialized

Unless I hit the lottery, get some artwork in the MoMA or work for Specialized, I don’t ever see myself buying a $10,000 shred machine. However, every part of my being was excited to try out a new S-Works Stumpjumper 27.5. Last week I booked an appointment at the Specialized Boulder Experience Center, where a recreational shlub like me can ride la crème de la crème from the Specialized lineup.

The Process:

Booking the reservation, picking up and dropping off couldn’t have been easier. With the pandemic happening I waited outside the building for a few minutes and by the time I was rung up at the cash register my bike was ready to go out the door. I got a quick brief about the Stumpy and with a smile from ear to ear, headed out the door.

The Bike

I rode this beast at the Valmont Bike Park for just a few hours. There would be nothing I would like more than to get a proper test session with this beast… I would hit all the local favorites and I would really consider that being the bike I would ride down some 14ers. The bike was 150 front and rear with just about everything carbon and outfitted with some killer Shimano components. The bike was confidence inspiring and opened up a ton of Valmont that I haven’t previously ridden on my HT.