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Noticed some big reductions on the Specialized Chisel, reduced from £2k to £1k. How "stiff" is the frame? A few reviews refer to the frame as "stiff and efficient". Looks to be pretty impressively light for the build, would likely swap out the Rockshox Judy (100mm) for a 130mm Revelation, would that mess with the geometry too much?
Guy Kesterven did a write up on his saying how much he liked it.
I’m pretty sure it’s only rated up to a 120mm fork.
I have one a similar 50% off deal, bike feels very responsive and lively when climbing but at the end of the day it's a hardtail but I can't Say I've noticed it be be harsh. 29 " wheels help I suppose.
The fork on the base model although plush for the travel is very heavy and lets down the bike a bit, the Crank in an SX but with a heavy steel BB. I've changed mine to an GX on a Wiggle Sale.
Possibly if you change the fork up to 130mm it may push the geometry too far back when climbing, possibly 110mm would be the limit.
Check out Guy Kes TV he's done a project build and this should provide you with a better insight.
I’m pretty sure it’s only rated up to a 120mm fork.
Actually it’s only rated to a 110mm fork.
I bought one a few months ago when they were first discounted (mine is the Chisel Comp).
It's a great bike. I think it's genuinely worthy of significant upgrades further down the line, there are a few videos where people have built that exact frame up really quite bling. There were also a couple of threads on here about them, a search for Chisel should find them.
All I've done with mine is convert the wheels to tubeless (the original tyres work fine) and add a dropper post (it has the internal routing channels, was dead easy).
It's my first real foray into modern MTB after years on 26" so it's been a bit of a different feel but the bike is really nice. Where it absolutely shines is flicky smooth singletrack, it feels really responsive.
Rather than a Revelation, I think it'd really suit a SID. It seems to want lighter weight kit but in its stock guise, it's proving a great reintroduction to MTB for me.
The Epic can be had for £1500 with NX rather than SX. Having looked at both I’d go for the Epic, if I decide to buy.
I've got one it was the base model the only one in a 15" I could get at the time due to COVID, mines had a couple of upgrades, as beicmyndd says the crank is a heavy SX with an ISIS BB that weighs a ton so upgraded to a GX chainset, Specialized SL stem (lighter than a lot of carbon offerings) and a Ritchey carbon bar and AXS GX rear mech and shifter and Flite saddle. I'm still running the stock seatpost, wheels, and fork. The wheels are okay just means I have to run an NX cassette rather than a GX and I agree with crazy-legs that a SID would suit it much better.
As for comfort, I find it just as comfortable as the alloy Trek pro-caliber with the ISO speed it replaced. I did look at the carbon Epic but some of the reviews reckon that was harsher than the Chisel.
Just buy that Epic for £1500, can't go wrong.
I have a Chisel and love it. Brought mine as a frame set a couple of years ago and built it up from there.
I wouldn't say its particularly still. With a dropper its a lot of fun to ride.
Thats not a great spec but for 1k might be worth a punt if 1k is your budget
Edit stiff not still🙄
I have a chisel. It’s a great bit of kit. Perfect for XC and ‘light’ trail riding. And compliments my enduro bike well, being the opposite end of the spectrum.
in the future I would like to upgrade a few bits and try and make it lighter.
i was torn between the epic HT and the chisel, but the chisel gets rave reviews across the board. The epic ht very much less so.
so you could buy an excellent HT or you could buy the epic, assuming ‘fancy’ carbon is more important than how well a bike rides.
Staggering that the RRP of that Epic was £3300 with that spec 🤯
Guy Kesterven did a write up on his saying how much he liked it.
Guy likes every bike he rides....