Aaron Gwin's Prototype Demo Race Bike - Andorra World Cup

Jul 24, 2013
by Mike Levy  
photo

Gwin's custom Specialized Demo utilizes a 440mm chain stay length, 19mm longer than stock. The black and blue paint will be production for 2014.


Many racers would have been quite happy with 20th and 6th place finishes at the first two World Cups of the 2013 season, but Aaron Gwin isn't just any racer, and he is likely not exactly over the moon about the 8.9 and 4.1 second gaps to first at Fort William and Val di Sole. His much publicized move from Trek World Racing to Specialized during the off-season left many fans wondering how he would take to the Demo and its drastically different geometry from the Session that he dominated on. And whether the bike is the reason or not, his results this season have paled in comparison to the consistent battering of the field during the previous two years. Have his main competitors stepped it up? Is it the bike? Dominance can't last forever, just ask McGrath, Rossi, Schumacher, or any athlete that once ruled the roost, but the common theme among these phenoms is that they are constantly searching for an advantage that will keep them at the top. Gwin is no different, and Specialized is happy to oblige.

Val di Sole saw Gwin compete aboard a large-sized Demo instead of his usual medium, with him saying that he was looking for a longer, roomier bike, and his race run was much closer to the winning time than the margin at Fort William. This weekend's World Cup on the fresh track in Andorra sees him go back to a medium frame, but with a prototype rear end that adds 19mm of length over the bike's stock 421mm figure. That means that his custom Demo runs a 440mm chain stay length, pretty damn close to the 439/441mm adjustable length of his previous race bike. The fact of the matter is that the very large majority of the downhill bikes being raced on the World Cup circuit perform at a level that even an insanely fast local pro
wouldn't be able to push to the limits, but the key for many of the top racers is to simply be on a machine that they feel 100% comfortable aboard, that often means personal tweaks that the average fan wouldn't be able to take advantage of. ''Like other athletes in the past, he's been testing various lengths, and 440mm is what he likes at the moment, for that track,'' Jason Chamberlain, Senior Design Engineer at Specialized, told us. ''When it comes to DH, we are happy to provide whatever setup an athlete needs to win.'' This leads to speculation that we may still see Gwin switch back to the shorter length for other courses. Interestingly, both Troy Brosnan and Mitch Ropelato still prefer the stock 421mm length.

Gwin s Demo

The added length is found in the chain and shock stays, while the link and yoke remain the same. Travel now sits at 215mm.


The extra length at the back of Gwin's bike comes courtesy of both longer chain and shock stays, with his Demo still using the same magnesium link and shock yoke as his previous rig. The longer stays also mean that his bike's travel is bumped up to 215mm, with Chamberlain explaining that ''the spring rate and damping are tweaked to adjust for the tiny increase in leverage ratio.'' While the additional 19mm obviously means that the bike sports a longer wheelbase, all other geometry remains the same.

Will the new, longer rear end propel Gwin to the podium? We wouldn't be surprised, to be honest, given that he has likely spent the gap between the Fort William and Andorra races testing the new parts extensively, and him choosing racing the revised bike surely means that he feels happy with the changes. And a happy racer is a fast racer, isn't it?

www.specialized.com

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Reviews and Tech First Looks Aaron Gwin


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367 Comments
  • 443 12
 his bike blue me away
  • 134 5
 Gwin really knows how to stretch his bike to a new level.
  • 150 7
 i blue myself
  • 17 82
flag renio (Jul 24, 2013 at 13:49) (Below Threshold)
 Why have you deleted my comment?!
  • 61 5
 Public service announcement: A homophone and a homophobe are two completely different things
  • 28 60
flag renio (Jul 24, 2013 at 13:52) (Below Threshold)
 Exactly. Some people are just so ignorant. I love homophones. They make make great puns.
  • 17 4
 Christ these puns are getting worse, I cant help but be amused though
  • 22 2
 Yea, mods, why did you delete his comment?
  • 6 2
 maybe no yellow is making him blue.
  • 19 1
 grouchymuffin.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/bluemyself-icecream-2.jpg
  • 10 1
 no need to get the blues aaron, you'l be fine
  • 10 2
 Bike gave me blue balls
  • 5 2
 Ya blue yerself? Wow thanks for sharing!
  • 6 1
 and specialized is known for short chainstays....
  • 24 2
 Specialized Session 8.8
  • 1 1
 gwin is so hanus, switching from medium to large frame then going back to medium lol
  • 305 8
 Maybe by the end of the season, his demo will "look like a session"

Haha
  • 18 89
flag coolmann (Jul 24, 2013 at 15:02) (Below Threshold)
 Actually looks like a Session now.
  • 39 12
 ^^^^^^^ STFU!!!
  • 46 0
 Way to go @coolmann, you really pissed off @derpdownthehill on that comment...
  • 3 1
 Zach your a champ. Just thought you should know that.
  • 1 2
 yew!
  • 5 10
flag wilkey (Jul 24, 2013 at 21:50) (Below Threshold)
 @dirtworks911. Do you think it looks like your session?
  • 7 20
flag wilkey (Jul 24, 2013 at 21:51) (Below Threshold)
 and norbs got robbed\
  • 3 0
 @wilkey, sure does look like a session, except for it having two rear swing arms...On second thought, it doesn't at all! Wink
  • 2 4
 WHAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTT!!!!!!!!! (insert jackie chan mind blown picture) memegenerator.co/instance/29060361
  • 1 3
 Dude, @wilkey, people are hating on you like they know you!
  • 9 4
 Youre all a bunch a cock suckers!
  • 216 3
 wish my girlfriend made this big a deal over 19mm.
  • 28 1
 THESE PILLS ARENT DOING ANYTHING. GET THE PHONE HONEY
  • 37 6
 "I got 8 inches in my rear, no homo!"
  • 12 4
 its actually 8.46" Wink
  • 27 4
 I can do 10" inches but I prefer the more maneuverable and 'playful' 8.5" Wink
  • 12 2
 whoa whoa whoa, size is everything here! you cant be giving yourself an xtra .04" of length! thats preposterous! Wink
  • 33 2
 are we still talking about mtn biking
  • 13 3
 B=====D
  • 2 1
 now thats whats up! in be4 i get another warning about 'staying on topic'
  • 34 0
 i think the moral of this story is that gwin needs to learn its not the length its how you use it.
  • 13 0
 Gwin is about to show us what all girls already know...size matters
  • 6 2
 B========D is always better than B===D
  • 3 0
 sessalized, or seshalized?
  • 104 3
 Protour was right for once?!
  • 17 8
 dude, protour is my new god.
  • 5 2
 Can someone please fill me in on this?
  • 18 2
 He was ranting about how the Demo's chainstays are too short and how that's what's holding Gwin back. Go to his profile and check the comments, you'll find some relevant ones in a jiffy
  • 9 6
 Well we don't know if that was the issue... Yet! Big Grin
  • 25 1
 "you'll find some relevant ones in a jiffy"

but you will also have to sift through the sea of BS as well. watch out!
  • 21 1
 Protour was right. Never thought I would hear the words.
  • 37 0
 Even a blind chicken finds a kernel of corn every once in a while.
  • 9 2
 Protruding was right on; autocorrect pun unintended but left anyway
  • 15 1
 Is Protour a Pinkbike Prophet???
wwooaahhhhh....
  • 12 1
 Even a broken watch has the right time once a day (twice for analog).
  • 3 0
 if he is a 'PB prophet' then what does that say about PB...? Wink
  • 4 0
 The site attracts all sorts of lunatics...
  • 2 1
 Pinkbike is a religion?
  • 56 1
 Could Protour be Aaron Gwin.....
  • 15 6
 I've never understood the hail of downvotes that rain down upon Protour every other comment. The dude isn't even really trolling, he's just expressing an opinion that people disagree with. We should only be downvoting comments that detract from threads or are purposeful trolling.
  • 3 3
 Next would be a longer TT (GT Wink ).
  • 3 1
 Only Pinoy understands bro lol!
  • 1 3
 The real point to be made from this story is that all other Specialized bikes, apart from the Camber/Stumpy 29", could benefit even more than the Demo from longer rear centres.
  • 2 3
 this track has lots of tight twisties...so wrong track for longer chainstays...

:P
  • 4 0
 @fr33riding....what are you talking about? This track is STEEEEEP. Perfect track for a longer bike.

The Syndicate is doing something similar with their headsets to lengthen their effective toptube & wheelbase as far as possible.
  • 6 2
 steepness needs a long wheelbase.

lengthening the chainstays, increases the wheelbase, but also makes the bike less agile.

moreover, the longer back-center puts more weight to the front, which is already accomplished by the high steepness of the track. when a rider has a far back attack position, he needs longer cs in order to bring more weight to the front...but that applies in medium steepness tracks. in high steepness tracks, the center of gravity, does that for the rider...by applying more force to the front...

so when in steeeepy tiiiight tracks, you need:

1.long wheelbase
2.short chainstays.

specialized did a wrong move...the demo would be fine for this track...

a perfect track for the gt...432cs for agility and 1230wb for stability...probably will win...
  • 12 0
 Thanks professor....you're right, the GT will win b/c it has slightly shorter chainstays, not b/c Gee Atherton is riding it.
  • 1 1
 fr33riding, you adjust for different track steepness with spring rate changes. Short chainstay agility is a myth. Watch Hart's run at Chempery, shortest front to rear centre ratio bike in that race.
  • 1 1
 JCLV dumbing up another thread. It's one rider that prefers longer stays. The rest of the team prefers the shorter stays.
  • 1 0
 Looking forward to see what Protour has to say about this
  • 6 0
 @donch15

i am not a professor my friend and diddn't imply that the bike itself will win...gee is a huge factor Smile

what i was trying to indicate, is that the gt bike, has the perfect geometry for this track!!!!

how much a bike is affecting winning or losing a race, for some tenths of a second, isn't measurable...

we are just saying theorethical bullshit in order to have some fun Razz Smile
  • 1 1
 Guess what Jaydawg69, the current world champion's bike has an even longer rear centre. You'll figure it out in a few years.
  • 1 0
 Jclnv... The chainstay length on V10 (and on many other bikes) is as short as the suspension design allows it to be. There is no way to make a shorter CS on V10, so it's no conscious choice. You base your assumptions completely on nothing, and as to Protour it was exactly the same. In previous discussion it was Willie1 providing reasonable arguments for longer stays.
  • 1 0
 Rubbish. If it were a requirement to have such short stays it could easily be engineered into a V10. In fact, I think Santa Cruz made a very conscious decision to have that length rear centre. Oh and I base my assumptions on centre of mass distribution and load transfer.

Yours?
  • 3 1
 Ok, go ahead and put a shorter stay on a VPP bike. You might want to turn on a no-clip cheat code for the bearing and the axle so it goes into the BB. I designed a few frames and You have no clue mate.
  • 1 0
 Comparing Gwin to Rossi and Schumacher? Ha ha ha... Nice one Pinkbike! No one can accuse you of not having a sense of humour with that one I guess.

Just measured the back end on my Konig, and that is short as hell, and it's 2 or 3mm longer than a Demo. And I think the back end is too short on my bike. Good move for the big S in my opinion. Clearly the Session is a better bike, so why not copy it? All they need now is to change the crappy Horst link to Split Pivot, sorry, I mean ABP that Trek stole from DW, and they'll be back at the top of the podium!
  • 5 0
 In my opinion Demo has too short top tube in relation to such short stays. And I really don't get it why you prople want to ride bikes that are less fun to ride. Short stays equal better air-time. A bike that is easier to pop and manual. If they make chainstays longer then Demos will be just another racing bikes. I thought it is good to have diversity and different bikes for different likes. I simply can't believe what I am reading here. So according to a lot of you guys the world would be a better place if all bikes looked and rode like Sessions? It's almost here anyways, C'm on, zoom put, get a little perspective
  • 1 1
 You're right, except that the Demo is marketed as a WC level DH bike, not a park bike or a playbike.

The short back end makes it more playful and easier to manual, but it also makes it unstable at high speed. I'd love to have some custom dropouts made for mine that extend the back end by 20-30mm and slacken the HA a touch, just to use for the three days a year when we have races over here. Because my bike is great fun for messing around on, but when you start pinning it down a hill it's not ideal. Its not worth buying a real DH bike for three days a year though.

You can be sure the big S will capitalise on this anyway. I bet there is a limited run "Gwin Edition" or similar next year. You get the longer back end and some "GWIN" on a USA flag background stickers for your extra $300 over the standard trim. Or maybe the Ohlins shock will also be Gwin edition only and the price will be hiked $1000 over stock.

I'm all for it.
  • 1 0
 Jaame it all would be fine if short stays were actualy naking the Demo a worse bike. But no one rants about Demos top tube being shorter than on most bikes, a factor being much more important for handling and stability. and Stability comes from many factors, mainly wheel base and fork trail if we were to isolate geometry completely. How do you know if Athertons and Minnaar are not using coil 40s while Aaron rides Air? The whole issue of relating Aarons results to the bike is way off in my opinion
  • 1 0
 It's the most obvious connection. He killed it for two years on one bike, and this year he's totally off the pace on a new bike. Yes it could be a number of things other than the bike, but the bike is the single most obvious change. Changing frame size the day before the second race added legitimacy to the speculation. The Demo may or may not be a good bike, but it derailed Sam Hill's career and now its looking like doing the same for Gwin's. On the other hand, it made Troy Brosnan's. Speculation is fun, when all's said and done. Specialized bashing is a great hobby too.
  • 2 0
 Don't forget, Specialized basically redesigned the Demo to Sam Hill's exacting specifications...
  • 1 0
 @jaame: Brosnan is also a midget...super short top tube + super short chain stays = a bike made for midgets?
  • 1 1
 Hey WAKI, I suggest you have a close look at a V10 and the rear triangle packaging and compare it to a Bronson for example. And if you think top tube lengths are more important than rear centre lengths on a DH bike you're on crack. Please explain how the position of a saddle is important on a bike you don't sit down on... Man I'd love to see some of your "designs".
  • 2 1
 "I designed a few frames and You have no clue mate." - WAKIdesigns

Hahaha....ever notice how the people who have never really done anything are constantly talking about all the things they've done?

Dont worry man, I'm sure all the designers and engineers @ Specialized, Giant, Trek, Santa Cruz, etc are telling 14 year olds on Pinkbike they don't know what they're talking about too.

It's not just you...f'n loser.
  • 1 0
 Well it looks like Protour wasn't totally right, gwin being 20 seconds behind hill
  • 1 0
 You sir are correct!
  • 1 5
flag WAKIdesigns (Jul 26, 2013 at 9:16) (Below Threshold)
 As I thought, no clue...
  • 1 0
 Still waiting for an explanation of your hilarious top tube comment.
  • 1 2
 Clue nr1: reach
  • 1 0
 I see your point Waki, but I feel reach is not so important because if it's too short, you just get a bigger frame size. That's what Gwin did isn't it. The rear end of the bike is the same for all frame sizes, except on Cube and Norco I believe. For example, a comparison of the New GT Fury and the existing Wilson, one can see that the Medium Fury is the same length as the XL Wilson. Danny Hart started at Giant on a large, then when they changed geometry he went to a medium. The frame size nomenclature is not as important as the actual length. Too short on a large? Get an XL. The name doesn't matter.

Some people here have made offensive remarks towards you, I know you're a good bloke who knows a thing or two. You may well be right about the front end of the Demo being relatively short. That could be why Gwin went large.

Who cares anyway, just speculation. One thing is for sure, Gwin isn't the man he used to be and I for one hope he bites the shit sandwich again tomorrow and Hill brings home the bacon with someone else cool in second.
  • 2 0
 "Some people here have made offensive remarks towards you, I know you're a good bloke who knows a thing or two. You may well be right about the front end of the Demo being relatively short. That could be why Gwin went large."

If anything he's the offensive one. He also has zero idea what he's going on about as anyone who's been around bikes for more that 5 minutes will be able to tell you that a Demo has a longer front centre (god knows why he keeps mentioning top tube?) than 90% of the DH bikes on the market. Gwin went to a large because he was looking for stability and front grip and had no other quick fix. He's now on the right size bike again but with better weight distribution.
  • 1 3
 @jaame -
heh as for my way of seeing things you hit the nail on the head. I know that using the same chainstay length for all sizes is economical - let's skip that. If cs length is so important, then it would vary between sizes, at least on XC racing bikes that evolve in the right direction for at least 10 more years than DH bikes. So they would sort it out by now. When riding the bike in normal stance, a 200cm tall brother will have his hips few cm further out towards the rear end than a shorter 170cm bloke.

So in theory, if the difference in reach between S and L frame is up to 4" then the CS length should differ like half of an inch or more. Eventual rear wheel travel increase would be irrelevant as shocks are shimmed differently for different sizes anyways.

I always enjoy arguing with you Jaame whether it is agreeing ir disagreeing Wink
  • 1 0
 I think the rear end is very important and should increase with frame size. That it doesn't is down to the accountants and marketers in my opinion. It seems pretty obvious that a big tall guy will need a longer bike at both ends to get the same ride character as a small guy on a small bike. What company wants to tool for four sizes of front end and four sizes of rear end? Not many by the looks of it, but a lot do adjustable dropout chips now hey, which is a cheaper way of achieving the same goal.

I read in Mountain Biking UK magazine that they predict a lot of other companies will follow the lead of Norco and start to adopt different sized rear ends too. I also read that they predict 650b will kill off 26" in two years on mid travel bikes... and clearly that isn't going to happen.
  • 1 1
 So how about we propose Specialized to either bring back Demo 7 or release longer stays only on the S-Works Demo? And off course prolong the top tube on all models? Volks-demo FTW!
  • 1 0
 longer stays on the s-works demo and longer toptubes... What did you know back then
  • 1 0
 An assumption that Specialized wanted to have a bike leaning slightly towards fun side of things as their freeride legacy (Berrecloth, Hunter, Söderström) would suggest, but racer wannabies sht on that because they always want the Race geometry, despite not being able to come even close to speeds a full on race bike is designed to be ridden at? They want a felling of riding idols weapon and something that will take them through the gnar better than what they have, so that they can feel a bit better about the skills they have - people want it easy, some put e-motor on their bike while some want a bike that will get down gnarliest rock garden and they don't care that they cannot make it turn in a flat corner? Look at Enduro bikes, a bike gets 66.5 HA and people are "what? Not slack enough!"
  • 1 0
 What did I write about 650b. What a tool I am. MBUK is always right!
  • 69 4
 Read through the article thinking "The comments will include:
-Criticism of the Demo.
-Criticism of Gwin.
-Criticism of short chainstays.
-Criticism of 650b and 29".
-"Looks like a Session"."

Not disappointed.
  • 5 0
 its kinda depressing that most people on here seem to base technical arguments/opinions on what certain world riders are trying..
  • 9 1
 If it wouldn't work that way, sponsoring riders would be a waste of money.
  • 1 0
 completely true
  • 5 6
 You see, a living proof that all people are stupid in one or another way Big Grin
  • 16 42
flag cuban-b (Jul 24, 2013 at 15:34) (Below Threshold)
 It's "living proof," not "a living proof". And it's "in one way or another," not "one or another way".

Example: You see, living proof that all people are stupid in one way or another Big Grin
  • 31 0
 Dude's first language isn't English. It seemed pretty clear what he meant.
  • 11 0
 You've got to forgive the mistakes connected with articles as they are non-existent in Polish and many other languages. It may be difficult to choose whether to use a definite or indefinite article or omit it altogether, if you can't find an equivalent in your own language.
  • 5 25
flag cuban-b (Jul 24, 2013 at 16:22) (Below Threshold)
 Ironic that an American is correcting grammar, whilst the Englishman is giving a free pass. I was just trying to be clever anyway - looks like it didn't work out very well lol
  • 7 0
 -Criticism of Jason Chamberlain. Having met and spoken to the guy, I don't think he knows the difference between suspension kinematics and his left hand. If the laws of physics hold true, the bike is likely to be at least part of the reason that Gwin isn't doing as well as he was. Of course it could be to do with other psychological or physical variables, but when it comes to bicycles, numbers don't lie.
  • 10 2
 ^ Finally - someone said it. Having only interacted with him on Pinkbike, I am not in any position to have any opinion on his true character, but his online persona is not welcoming nor community oriented. But hey, that's just, like, my opinion man.
  • 4 0
 +1 for the BL reference (:
  • 3 1
 Also ironic that an American actually understands irony. Actually, not ironic, more like unusual.
  • 9 0
 No, you're not wrong Walter, you're just an asshole!
  • 1 1
 yeah!!!! looks like they are doing anything to try and make him win! i guess there demo sales are going to suffer seeing how 2 world cup champion riders have switched to specialized and started losing. not saying it doesnt make it a super fun great bike. but dang. their premier riders havent made it look like the best bike ever over the last few years!
  • 4 1
 Your talking about semantics with someone from another country every other language uses words in a different order than English and its the most difficult second language so leave that Guy alone I see tons of comments from the U.S with worse typos.
  • 5 0
 I love the fact that nearly all the ESL Europeans on PB have better english than the Americans
  • 1 0
 That's true for the most part
  • 2 1
 Yea, the dude speaks English as a second language and he's talking about definite vs indefinite articles. Few Americans could tell you the difference.
  • 1 0
 you guys are taking this very seriously
  • 3 3
 Looks like a trek session.
  • 53 2
 Surely this is something that should have been sorted out during the incredibly long off season?
  • 21 2
 he didn't know he was slow until he lost by a large margin - so maybe no reason to change anything? i cant wait for the next race. if he doesn't podium...it's going to be embarrassing
  • 6 1
 well he said he didn't test it on super super rough tracks, so maybe only something thats become apparent on those tracks.
  • 17 3
 Its also hard to simulate WC speeds, even at a National-level event.
  • 17 11
 Maybe if he spent less time mucking around racing on the clown bikes he would've realized before the season started that his actual race bike was a bit slow...
  • 30 2
 I think he got complacent (& potentially spoiled). In one of his interviews they asked him about training during the offseason on the big tracks. His response was he "liked the Cali summers" and didn't want to bother. That does not sound like a top Pro who wants to stay on top when you have the likes of Gee breathing down your throat. I wish him the best and hope he gets back to top of his game.

And....I do think these things should be ironed out during the offseason. No excuse.
  • 1 0
 @tom

ZING!
  • 3 0
 That's why he needs to Strava his local trails, when he can't beat his times from 2012, there's something wrong. OH WAIT, nevermind, I just thought of Gwin as the ultimate Stravasshole.
  • 2 0
 He would have figured it out sooner if he wasnt stuck racing 29ers.
  • 1 0
 you cant tell me that he didnt even go do a couple of runs on the demo in the off season...
  • 23 2
 ''When it comes to DH, we are happy to provide whatever setup an athlete needs to win.''
PR translation: We will do whatever it takes to make us not look like a bunch of idiots.

"Interestingly, both Troy Brosnan and Mitch Ropelato still prefer the stock 421mm length."
Remember Troy is ahead of Gwin in the WC standings right now.
  • 15 4
 gwin is in full scramble mode right now.........

desperate times call for........

you know the line.

trying to salvage the season and this MASSSIVE pr blunder are all that is on specialized and gwins mind right now.
how to get the egg off their faces...

what a fiasco.

kinda reminds me when js7 went to jgr and fell flat on his face, making the bike and him look real bad.

is the gwin era already over?

and where did they test this new edition of the demo? laguna? skyline? elsinore? the kamloops bike ranch?his driveway?
did he even get to test this edition on a real track/terrian?
  • 12 0
 and to think... they signed Gwin thinking it was a win-win for another championship season, and a walk in the park for the Spesh marketing/engineering team for the next however many years. With the amount of confidence going into the season from both Gwin and title sponsor, this is the epitome of fiasco.
  • 8 0
 It reminds me most of Rossi Ducati, walking into a situation where everyone was already questioning the equipment, full of ham and bravado, then falling flat to the delight of all the naysayers.
.
I don't think this will turn out like Rossi Ducati did, the red monster really is that bad and nobody (except Casey Stoner) has the balls to pin it and be damned. Gwin's just got to get his eye back on the ball as Gee, Greg, Stevie, Brook and Sam are not going to wait for him.
  • 7 1
 Great way of putting it: "full of ham". Because that's what team Spesh was top to bottom -- So full of confidence that Gwin couldn't be bothered to leave California and the rest of the team being okay with it because, as Gwin put it himself, part of the attraction to switch teams was to create his own training schedule/regiment... from the outside looking in, it just shows poor preparation and mindset, and does not set a good example for up and coming riders.
  • 4 0
 Well, with how bad it is going maybe it will set a good example? Don't be Lazy or you will NOT win!
  • 7 0
 @stacykohut "his driveway?" Classic, lol. I can just imagine them doing the parking lot test. "Feels buttery, pulls wheelies, I think we're ready to take on the world's best racers".
  • 6 0
 pop a wheelies and skids all day long with popsicles in the freezer. driveway sesh circa '76. goodtimes.
  • 3 1
 Brosnan should be made to run 430mm. He's too young to know what's up but I have no doubt he'd be even faster with a little more rear centre.
  • 5 0
 C'mon guys, give them some credit. It's a driveway to curb drop off test. Good thing the travel is bumped up to 215mm.
  • 3 0
 @Fix-the-Spade - Nailed it. That whole Rossi/Ducati thing was a gong show for everyone but Stoner. I can't see this Gwin/Specialized thing going the same way.
  • 2 1
 Weight distribution is as critical as wheelbase/head angle/BB height etc. The bike is very good apart from the rear centre that now been lengthened. I'll be surprised if Gwin isn't at least top 5 in Andorra.
  • 2 5
 OMG!! the neg propping of every reasonable comments is getting old!!!
  • 1 0
 He was here at Keystone bike park 2 weekeneds ago testing.
  • 1 0
 troy beats gwin again
  • 1 0
 So does Gee. Everyone has up'd their game.
  • 22 0
 Protour is never going to shut up about this
  • 1 0
 Forgive my ignorance but I missed Protours rant. Linky?
  • 31 1
 It's Protour's moment to shine. Let's give it to him.
  • 4 0
 Even the man chimes in! Impressed! Punch Bingston!!
  • 6 0
 every post with a specialized or Aaron Gwin in it.
www.pinkbike.com/u/mattwragg/blog/Tested-Stumpjumper-FSR-29-S-Works.html

www.pinkbike.com/u/mattwragg/blog/First-Look-hlins-TTX-Rear-Shock.html

www.pinkbike.com/u/richardcunningham/blog/Push-Industries-Air-Volume-Tuning-Kit-for-FoxTrek-DRCV-Forks-and.html

www.pinkbike.com/u/mikekazimer/blog/Video-Specialized-Racing-at-Val-di-Sole.html

and it goes on FOR EVER
  • 7 1
 HE IS A GOD.....

Protour (Jul 14, 2013 at 7:0Cool
I should race the World Cup circuit based upon what I've typed on the Internet, that's brilliant. the pedaling issues on the demo are a slight disadvantage, but the short chainstays on the demo are what is really holding Gwin back
  • 1 0
 give me a couple of minutes to cook up some popcorn.. anyone want some? im gonna be here for a while
  • 13 0
 OH MY GOD...yeap....I knew it...Protour seems to know a crapload of stuff...but some people did not believe him...

Protour (Jun 21, 2013 at 22:44)
The Demo doesn't needs adjustable chainstays, it just needs longer chainstays. And it needs them by the next World Cup race next month! Keep the short chainstays on the Status freeride bike but for World Cup DH the Demo needs longer chainstays, and especially for Arron Gwins forward leaning style, as described above by fr33riding. With Specialized resources they should be able top get a new chainstay made by the next race that's an inch or so longer and I'm going to be very disappointed as a Gwin fan if they don't come through. As far as I'm concerned Specialized has already cost Gwin 2 likely World Cup wins by not having him adequately prepared for the season with proper testing and keeping him on the same bike is going to make for a really long, painful summer in Morgan Hill, and not just from the increased heat of global warming. The brand has taken a hit but it's not to late to learn, improve, innovate, and adapt. It's also not to late for Gwin to win the overall. It would be a challenge with Gee's lead but if Gwin could get back on a bike that fits his style and get back his old dominating form anything is possible
  • 7 0
 Hell hath frozen over.
  • 17 1
 I'm stoked for protour. Dude always keeps the comments sections interesting. He'll be ecstatic when he reads this article. You were right protour!
  • 1 0
 Those protour posts are actually kinda scary. Im sitting here going WTF.....and laughing my ass off at the same time. Crazy.
  • 7 1
 Protour does not say what Protour says for Protour. Protour says what Protour says because Protour IS..... Protour.
  • 1 1
 If Gwin doesn't win, or even podium (possible) is Protour wrong then?
  • 1 0
 holy crap - its like some kind of prophecy.
  • 1 0
 I am not too proud to say that I would chide Protour like the rest of em, but he's right on this one, big time! The ONLY thing Protour was wrong about in his prediction (given this comments section):
"I think Specialized could put longer chainstays on the Demo without too much marketing embarassment."

"Gwin will have longer chainstays, he will start winning again, and I will take full credit. Deal with it."
and If Gwin does start winning again then protour must be god.
  • 2 0
 well depending on how you look at it, theyve already been sort of embarrassed by the first two rounds..

its already been stated somewhere on here.. but im seriously wondering why he didnt mess with this in the off season. even if mr levy says its hard to replicate WC simulations on anything else (another comment on here), aaron is the top of his class in the WC right now (next to gee) and to say he couldnt ask spesh to find him a track to practice on that would simulate WC conditions is a bunch of BS.. if he can get a custom rear end made, he can find a damn track to practice on in the off season (even if it requires traveling across the pond)

/rant Wink
  • 33 12
 Looks like a session.
  • 19 6
 possibly funniest usage on this ever
  • 3 1
 ... said no one ever
  • 16 0
 IMO what that bike really need is a 3rd seatstay. Wink
  • 1 0
 Brilliant!
  • 10 0
 I don't understand why bigger frame sizes don't get longer chainstays anyway, seeing as the balance point becomes further forward if the chainstays stay the same length. i found it odd riding short chainstays on a large frame (I'm 6'1") now have a mukulu with 445mm chainstays and its awesome.
  • 3 2
 Cost more to manufacture I guess...
  • 1 0
 but these aren't cheap anyway, so...
  • 10 1
 Cost more... yea 4 grams of alloy for one of the largest bike builders in the world... breaking the budget there.
  • 3 0
 Norco are advertising this as a feature of their frames under the "Gravity Tune" moniker.
  • 4 0
 Liteville does this as well. I think you will start to see it more in the future. Obviously the ideal solution will be modular dropouts that allow you to choose the length you prefer, and change to a 650b wheel size if the course demands it. Hopefully this will be come the norm.
  • 2 0
 @milf - not the cost of 19mm extra raw material, but the cost of tooling and machinery to create a one off different length chainstay/seatstay. Think about it.

I think Norco (and some others possibly) have been doing it right increasing the chainstay length as sizes get larger in the range. No one wants an extra large bike with a rear- centre exactly the same as on a x small bike. Doesn't make sense.
  • 7 0
 @DirtyDee... is Miff a Milf?
  • 12 0
 I wonder why they go ahead and publish such changes before they see the results.
  • 4 0
 I wish you got first comment.
  • 10 1
 I think this may well help him but I don't see it stopping Gee mans roll this season , hes flawless and brimming with confidence on his own custom bike that he's clearly comfortable on and enjoying.
  • 18 10
 'That means that his custom Demo runs a 440mm chain stay length, pretty damn close to the 439/441mm adjustable length of his previous race bike.'
Guess he's trying to turn it into a Session then?
  • 39 10
 Turning into a Session because he rear end is the same length? Really? Not so much.
  • 12 2
 It doesn't look like a Session.
  • 7 5
 mikelevy - we'll see, wonder what changes next to bring it more towards a geometry he dominated on.. phatone17 - I never said it looked like a Session...
  • 11 1
 teamtool was just making a witty comment, no need to take it all seriously
  • 12 2
 nhp890 - people get very serious when it comes to Gwin or Specialized
  • 28 1
 @Mike, this is a quick fix, wait till it gets a new front centre and rocker link based suspension, then it'll look like a... Norco.
.
This is an interesting move from Spesh, whether they admit to it or not this will be seen by many as a mea culpa, admission by default that the Demo is not as good as it could have been and never was. It's kind of a marketing nightmare for Spesh, not only was the Demo 'worse' than the Session, it was so much worse that to give the fastest rider on the planet even a chance of winning, they have to make it more like the Session. Bet they didn't bank on this when they gazumped Trek.
.
Of course their lack of testing and proper training is really why Gwin hasn't won a world cup yet, but no way are they going to turn round and say 'we lost because we've been sat on our ass for six months,' Mike Sinyard would kill them.
  • 5 2
 Fix-the-spade - well said!!
  • 2 1
 @teamtool, I was going for a pun. I got your point Smile
  • 8 10
 gwin fast, slow, not prepared, whatever...i'll take a gwin/spesh problem with one bike over a trek/lance problem with a whole brand any day. i would imagine any kind of high level racing with a sudden change in equipment can run into adjustment periods. It would be worse if your sponsor didn't respond to development. bsides we already know who the goat is in dh..
  • 5 1
 phatone17 - didn't work ;-) Cheers
fullbug - you have just proved my point about the Gwin/Spesh fanboys perfectly haha
  • 5 2
 you assume..but i was speaking from a business perspective. the goat is vouilloz. hope that clarifies it for you. i do own an enduro but fan of hill ,smith and kovarik actually. since I don't race dh i prefer style over results.
  • 3 1
 So touchy
  • 2 1
 haha. pretty numb these days, actually. got popcorn?
  • 2 0
 but is he feely too?
  • 6 1
 seriously, what is it with the Spesh fan boys' animosity when there's only a hint of criticism. It's the same manner of defensive responses from the Lance fan boys after he was caught doping and were ashamed at their hero's fall from grace. being defensive and hostile just makes you look worse and super guilty.
  • 1 1
 nah. numb.
  • 3 2
 yah. dumb.
  • 1 3
 well theres a lot of assumptions. Each rider is diferent and a longer chainstay for one race as mentioned in the article doesnt mean anyones trying to make it like another bike. It means they are tweaking rider position and handling to get the best possible position. Fsr is not comparable to the said design so it seams stupid to bring it up and annoys anyone who actually cares about the sport and not snark remarks that are not witty
  • 1 1
 y'know...i can relate to that cuban-b. in regards to the article it's a "wait and see".
  • 2 1
 lol someone went on a neg prop streak here...
  • 2 1
 Obviously a tard
  • 9 2
 Where's the actual World Cup coverage, pinkbike? Gwin's bike with a normal-length rear end is interesting and all, but aren't people starting track walks? Setting up their vans? Can we get a course preview? I'm looking for sweet pre-race coverage to get me STOKED about this weekend and so I don't have to do work at work.

Thanks! You're the best.

-sam

PS. there should also be a poll about who will win this weekend.
  • 9 0
 it's coming, day 1 was today, the boys are locked in a room working on getting track walk up, couple more hours perhaps?!
  • 1 1
 awesome! i wasn't lying when i said you're the best... love me some pinkbike.
  • 1 0
 Woooo!!! NEW WC COVERAGE!!!
  • 2 0
 Talking about polls, it would be interesting to see some kind of pedal sum-up of the top30 guys, who is running clips, who's still on flats...
  • 1 0
 God it feels like ages since the last race.
  • 5 0
 it's alright that gwin is fallible. it's alright that he and specialized are doing everything to get it right. it's alright that perhaps the offseason training regimen was not perfect. as maybe gee atherton showed in the two seasons he lost consistently to gwin, too much winning may create a modest amount of comfort in the winner. now that's reversed. what is interesting now is how the season will continue to develop with gwin's early struggles, the early dominance of gee atherton, and the rising stars gaining fast.
  • 9 1
 He tempted fate by saying he was the fastest rider in the world. Now he is failing miserably.
  • 1 0
 +1!
  • 4 0
 Isn't it also true that the geometry that Sam helped design with the latest demo was based on a small frame. Hence why the short chain stay was appropriate. Like someone else mentioned a chain stay should grow proportionate to frame size.
  • 5 0
 Damn that bike is slick looking. A little surprised to see a blue Specialized considering how their team colors have almost always been red, but I am glad Gwinny is going with this color scheme. It looks awesome!
  • 6 0
 For sure, red IS Specialized. This black and blue colour is production for 2014, though.
  • 4 0
 Sam and Brendog used to race on the black and flouro yellow bikes though so it's not always been 'Team' red. These paint scheme is the same as their S-Works Enduro from this year.

www.pinkbike.com/photo/5637645
www.pinkbike.com/photo/5637492
  • 2 0
 I always had the feeling the black/flouro was more a Monster colour scheme than a Specialized one. Could be wrong though.
  • 10 2
 Won't make any difference at all.
  • 7 1
 i was just about to post - so let's say after Andorra nothing changes in terms of his race times being off the pace, then what? what will they blame next?
  • 3 0
 What will who blame next? The kids on pinkbike who would be left for dead by Gwin even on a scooter.
  • 1 0
 Haha awesome miff. The fact of the matter is most riders on here don't go fast enough and aren't agile enough to need or use these crazy long bikes the PROS are using now. The best lowes in the world use/need longer stiffer skis. It's related to speed almost as much as measurements
  • 3 0
 Cuban-B, spot on! They should have kept this SECRET. This is a major error in judgement from someone at S.
  • 2 0
 @iamamodel - I was wondering if the spesh team should have kept this quiet too, maybe they were concerned with it being discovered by some eagle-eyed journo or fan. That would have been another awkward PR moment I reckon. I kinda feel for the Specialized team at this point because they seem to be between a rock and a hard place, they must be pulling their hair out bigtime.

I mean, I'd bet there've been some seriously long hours worked this month over there and if Gwin doesn't perform well this weekend there'll probably be plenty more sleepless nights.
  • 2 0
 They're shitting bricks probably only because they spent a lot of money acquiring Gwin. Nobody has mentioned that DH bike sales do not make up much of their revenue, but I'm sure it helps the brand image and marketing. So who knows, maybe they really don't care, but if I were the owner and knew how much we spent sponsoring Gwin, I would expect wins too.
  • 2 0
 Agreed, image is everything. And pr disasters can make shareholders go bald and grey real quick.
  • 1 0
 now what? how about the long chainstays on the large frame - they haven't tried that combo yet.
  • 9 5
 I will be laughing if he won't win - no, not from Aaron, all the best to the guy, but from people who believe that race results are any kind of indicator whether certain product or design solution is better or worse.

Neggie?
  • 9 1
 Should of stayed on trek !! Lmao.
  • 6 2
 Specialized should just buy a Trek Session 88, and put their decals all over it for disguise like so many used to do with the old Turner dhr years ago...I think the cat is out of the bag as to which bike/suspension design is superior..it would be easier than continually modifing the Demo until it practically mimics a Session.......
  • 1 1
 Exactly my thoughts.......
  • 4 1
 Why not? The first thing that Sam did was make the Demo more like a Sunday and get some tires that were like Maxxises... Maxxi... tires made by Maxxis.
  • 11 4
 I actually like that demo!
  • 4 1
 Just my opinion but I hate the way Specialized keeps increasing the progressiveness of the leverage ratio of the Demo with each year and then making it so that you need a shock like a CC DB so that you can slow down the high speed rebound to control all the force at the end stroke. Maybe that is the reason they started specking CC DB instead of the normal Fox RC4, as the bike tends to hang up on the big hits if you are running anything other than a CCDB.
  • 4 0
 If you think that's a normal RC4 you are in for a surprise...
  • 1 0
 I know,I was referring to older Demo's that were specked with RC4's. Aaron would not be fool enough to run an older RC4 on this thing.
  • 1 0
 its normal for aaron Wink
  • 3 0
 Calm down people. Everyone keeps saying about Sam making it like a Sunday and Gwin making it like a Session. That is half the reason these pros are employed by a company to tweek the designs and geometry of the bikes to make them better. Specialized didnt really have a race bike until Sam came along and he obviously was going to try to make it similar to the type of bike he liked. In fairness Specialized shouldnt really have publicised this as it doesn't really seem like good publicity.

There are so many other factors that could be influcencing Gwins results. Firstly the lack of proper off season training (he said it himself he didn't really ride anything rough), his over confidence/arrogance and potentially even the Fox suspension and the way it works with the Demo. I am not saying Fox suspension is crap before anyone jumps on that but maybe the suspension characteristics of Fox just dont match well with the Demos geometry. All the other riders are on Rock Shox and seem to be pulling in good results. The bike certainly isn't holding Troy back and Sam last year was regular top 5 on a comeback season. Also reading forum threads and reviews etc most people have switched to Rock Shox suspension on the bike as it just seems more suited to the bike.
  • 7 0
 tabarnak !!!
  • 3 3
 En effet, le dude ne gagne plus donc il blame son commanditaire.
  • 8 3
 Aaron to Specialized. Can you just make this bike ride more like my Trek Session? LOL.
  • 4 1
 Sam to Specialized. Can you make this bike ride more like my Iron Horse Sunday.

Specialized. Why doesn't anyone we poach like our bikes?
  • 8 2
 Soo mr.Gwin are you riding now a limousine long Demo
  • 5 1
 It sounds like Spec has been trolling the PB comments. They lengthen the chain stays after everyone says they're too short. Hmmmm......
  • 8 0
 more like lurking, but we knew what you meant
  • 3 0
 Thank you
  • 5 2
 comparing rossR and Schumacher to Gwin is a little bit different... they don't dominate anymore because they're old now, although rossis move to ducati is a bit like gwins move to specialized
  • 2 1
 Good point. I was more just referencing that the fastest guys, no matter what the sport, are always looking for advantages. Testing and doing new things.
  • 2 1
 What in the actual f*ck, how is it different finnrambo? It's EXACTLY the same as Rossi and Schumacher. Just because they aren't the current champions of their sports, it does not change the fact they went through the EXACT SAME bullshit when changing bikes/cars/sponsors etc.

They copped a lot of shit and criticism... and guess who ate their words. Those same people who thought they'd never win under a different manufacturer.
  • 6 0
 Can I have his old medium and large frames please?
  • 3 0
 U can say its 20% Bike and 80% Rider. I think Aaron just didnt worked hard like some others. Since he left Trek there was some trouble for him that it was Emotional for him for sure. So i guess hes alot under pressure atm.
  • 1 0
 I've never been a huge fan of his. I honestly think he has a bit of head noise. He threw his toys out of the cot when he had the brake failure and he then left Shimano. But in saying that, it's not uncommon for a rider to change a bike to fit their needs. Sam did it and Gee did it. I don't think it is a big deal. What is completely friggin' stupid though, is how under prepared he has been this year. He has taken it all for granted and now he's scrambling with last minute adjustments that are usually reserved for a desperate man. I hope Brosnon wins this week. Man that would be HUGE!
  • 8 2
 mother of god....
  • 33 29
 its not the bike that needs to change gwinny just needs to pull his head out of his arse !!
  • 30 21
 You, sir, are an idiot.
  • 26 8
 Poor workman blames his tools!
  • 16 8
 @phatone17 .. hows that ? he didnt seem to have any bother with a demo before the wc season started & now he wants to change it cos he had his pants pulled down !! haha
  • 6 4
 I'm not going to even try explaining how to pull one's head out of their arse........
  • 16 2
 Small changes (not the 19mm is small) can have a huge effect on a racer at the top of the field who is used to how a bike handles. This doesn't mean that one bike is necessarily better than another, but that certain geometry suits certain people.
  • 1 0
 where gwin lives there is NOTHING similar to a uci course, so while the bike felt good at home he had no idea how it would feel at the races
  • 7 3
 @phatone .. haha bit of a gwinny fanboy are we ?
  • 2 0
 I totally agree with MR MOD . And I hope he gets the bike dailed just how he likes it . And bloody good luck old chap :-)
  • 2 1
 EmmettS....Specialized have just made adjustments to a frame for him, im pretty sure they could have allowed him to spend some time abroad racing WC style tracks.
  • 3 3
 @savemeister, fan? hell ya, really like the dude. fanboy? nope. Gee is the man right now, Gwin has got a lot to prove, and lots of other dudes are charging harder than he is as well.

However, stating that a 2x WC champ has his head in his arse just because of a 20th and 6th place finish on a new bike, qualified you for my first reply. You're welcome Smile
  • 1 0
 @phatone .. i never said anything about results !! i know he,s fast but like someone else said : a poor workman blames his tools .. i dont belive they didnt test different sized bikes & correct me if im wrong but the problem he said he had with a medium demo was not enough room at the front so how are longer chainstays going to solve that !!

i hope he does pull his finger out & start winnig again because allthough i dont like gwin Im a hugh specialized fan !!
  • 3 1
 @mike levy: how much did specialized pay you to say that? The marketing department effed up, the geometry went too far, and here we are!!!!!
  • 5 1
 I been waiting to see what Gwinn changes on the demo. Hope it works for him.
  • 6 1
 At least you can still get a demo with Hills geometry...
  • 3 0
 Is 19mm really gonna make that much of a difference? I guess we'll just have to wait till this weekend. The bikes new paint job is so BOSS!
  • 1 0
 Specialized trying so hard to reassure the clientele that nothings wrong with the Demo. "Average fans" this, "whatever setup an athlete needs" that, like everybody's going to never ever buy a demo again because Gwin asked for a temporary 2 cm change.
  • 1 0
 Didnt gwin not do good first round cause he was on a med!!!! an didnt he swich to large for val di sole? An didnt he say he felt better on the large. Iknow the rear end is a little longer but, wouldnt you think an i would have thought he would be ridin a large! Not a med! Dunno i guess well see sun ! Hope a podium for gwin this time!
  • 1 0
 For me Aaron Gwin definately doesn't give off the same joyful vibe that we're so lucky to get from some pro mountainbikers. You know, the guys who create edits that make you wanna buy them a beer, but when I watch him shred in edits (rare, I know) like this old one I can't help but warm the the guy....

www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNNhFvgWlq0
  • 1 0
 So let me get this straight his new demo is 19mm long at the back making his medium frame end up with the same wheelbase as a large assuming he is running the same headangle on both. So he now has the same straightline stability as the large but with added rear travel and added rear traction due to the longer chainstays. I doubt he is running the stock 64º headangle but if he is then I think slacken that would make a bigger difference...
As for the Rossi, Schumacher comment well I get what you were trying to say but you can hardly compare them to Gwin seeing as he has ONLY won 2 world cups championships and they have 7. Anne Caroline Chausson is the closest person you can compare to those to due to her absolute dominance back in the day!
  • 1 0
 What I want to know is if the radius or a 26" rim is 19mm different than a 650B rim? In other words is this actually a future production rear end designed to fit a bigger wheel and Spesh is just using it to gain wheelbase on a 26" setup???
  • 1 0
 They said that the dominance can't last forever but if you dont change and the others change you'll fly down,but if you get better too,like Gee,you'll still in the dominance for a long time.
  • 5 2
 wagon wheels are a joke..... good to see him on 26ers!
  • 1 1
 somethin tells me that gwin is gonna do something like the atherons and make a new design for the 2014 demo never the less its only a time till he will take hes 1st win i 2013
  • 3 1
 We are gunna still see Sam hills geo for the demo next year but i have a hunch there may be a redesigned demo for 2015 but the 2014 demo is going to have the sweet ohlens rear shock
  • 1 0
 That might be tough at this point. Didn't the Carbon Demo just come out last year? That would be a big change to completely rework the flagship DH model after only 2 seasons. The GT was due for an overhaul.
  • 1 0
 i mean new geo not a complete makeover
  • 1 0
 In for a penny, in for a pound with carbon: gotta make new molds if you change anything, small or big. the only way they can get around that is what they did here: change only one piece of the linkage.
  • 2 1
 It was great to see Sam so relaxed and having fun on the chains video. Seems discontent does not stay with the rider but the team!
  • 2 0
 if they put this long stay version into production, I would finally consider buying one
  • 4 0
 rides like a session
  • 3 0
 It's not the bike, it's the brakes and the tires
  • 2 0
 What's next, swapping the linkage for abp? Looks like gwinny's making another session.
  • 2 0
 And damn, Protour was right! Thoughts of great people are always unpopular Wink
  • 1 2
 We will see how Gwin will go. There will be the last chance for him (and for Specialized) to prove he can be at the top of the stock. Andorra is a short track and there are many riders that will fight to overcome (Gee to pin another win on his record, MacDonald who feels so comfortable on his new Session, Smith who is angry for a win, Hill and so on).
Another damn struggled Worl Cup race!
  • 2 0
 Why they DH riders are using G3 discs instead of newer ones?
  • 2 0
 Did not notice that at first. But a closer look tells they're not even g3's but g2's. Hmm, I'd like to know why indeed!
  • 1 0
 I was thinking, are they G2 or G3. I saw CRC team running these also...
  • 1 0
 good call.
  • 3 0
 More surface area on the "lower end" disc means more friction forces = moar stopping power.
  • 2 0
 more material means better heat sinking which means less break fade. Petey does the same thing
  • 3 0
 It's all about heat management.
  • 1 0
 g2's have more surface area=more stopping power and this disc is stiffer than the newer models or maybe its a completely redesigned disc?...
  • 1 0
 Which all goes to show that unless you are obsessed with a few grams, the "top tier" components arent always needed or better.
  • 2 0
 Damn Amazing what a effin paint job will do to a bike!!!
  • 1 0
 That colour is not stock for next year I've seen the 2014 line up , unless its a USA colour only???
  • 1 0
 Didn't they only release the aluminium frames? Meh I love the colour combo.
  • 2 0
 i just chortled a lil bit
  • 4 2
 every race a new bike just because he is aaron gwin? come on guys Frown
  • 7 6
 Back on a medium frame! Thanks Aaron, now I don't have to sell my medium anymore. WOOP WOOP!
  • 2 0
 i want this bike (for free)
  • 2 0
 still an alloy rear end, get with the times specialized!
  • 1 1
 Isn't the V10 the same way. The rear is more fragile
  • 3 0
 no the syndicate team has a full carbon dh bike
  • 2 0
 Oh okay
  • 1 0
 Don't forget the demo is a Junior and Senior world championship bike (Sam Hill & Troy Brosnan). Gwins got no excuses.
  • 1 0
 also, currently Troy is ahead of Gwin in the WC standings. and Troy prefers the shorter stays
  • 1 0
 2014 specialized demo, not bad. If Aaron Gwin earn andora buy a demo in 2014 !!!!
  • 1 0
 Gwin qualified 53rd...looks like the new chainstay is not working that well -_-
  • 2 0
 Clever move Protour, for not getting involved here. I see what you did..
  • 1 0
 Wow is that one ugly ass bike.
How busy can we make this design? THIS BUSY
  • 1 1
 No saint brakes anymore ??? Did the front brake problem at the world championship in Leogang pushed him away from shimano ?
  • 2 0
 he's on sram now so it's not really his choice ahhaha
  • 2 0
 From what it was said that Gwin got to chose his sponsor and he went SRAM.
  • 1 0
 what i meant was because he chose sram, he's got to use their brakes
  • 2 0
 It's not like he pushed Saint away, which at the time was still proto (and some physical damage prior I believe), but in the end it's all about the sponsorship as it seems Spesh + Sram have a good base connection and would of been the default choice of components as he switched to Specialized.

Also, Gee is using Saint system and has been giving him good results, so to one brake to another, or to say one is performing better than the other, isn't really comparable, rather it's based more on actual sponsorship/team. Gwin defo didn't want to drop Fox though, that's for sure.
  • 1 0
 when it happened i said how it's not exactly shimano's fault but rather gwin's for using prototype brakes when productions ones were available. sure they might have felt better or he might have been more used to them but i couldn't trust ptototype components in terms of reliability
  • 1 0
 one could think that his whole problem is actually braking...hard to go fast if you can't reel it back in.
  • 1 0
 mum
  • 1 1
 just saying it does seem like he is just using the bike as an excuse for not being at the top of his game...
  • 1 0
 Gwin is so lucky. This bike is amazing!!!
  • 1 0
 take a black mat session... and put it s-works stickers dude...!!! #lol #
  • 1 0
 I dont know where to begin
  • 1 0
 It's pretty nice haha. Looks better in blue than his other Demo.
  • 2 1
 We'll find out just how much a difference this makes Saturday evening.
  • 1 0
 im just tellin you what happened flymcg
  • 2 1
 Damn, just painted my bike red to match his and now they do this?!?!
  • 1 0
 nothing new old link thanks arron hehe
  • 1 1
 Demo is the best looking bike for me. Just my opinion but I think I'm not alone, who thinks that way.
  • 1 0
 OR, why not just re-decal a Session?
  • 1 0
 Remember kids, Its not the bike that makes you fast, It is the rider
  • 1 0
 The bigger they are the harder they fall.
  • 1 1
 They added 20mm to the chain-stays. Who woulda thought????? OMG several of us knew the geo was shite!!!!
  • 2 1
 Whoo Hoo! +1 for the real world, and -1 for marketing!!!!!
  • 1 0
 black blue sucks, paint it to black and Kashima brown
  • 1 0
 so the prophecy on his frame size at the end of this season was wrong
  • 1 0
 they should try him boarding the status
  • 1 0
 Not too sure about the blue I liked the red better.
  • 1 0
 I am waiting for Protour's comment now Smile
  • 2 0
 Same, he is conspicuously absent from the thread.
If i were him i'd be like "TOLD YOU BITCHES!"
but i don't have class like protour.... wait
  • 1 0
 when you lose, its the bike fault.
  • 1 0
 He is going to fly on this thing !
  • 1 0
 But will it be faster than a GEE T ?????
  • 1 0
 Think my one is still prettier
  • 1 0
 Looks like a Session! Lol. Copying the Geo good one.
  • 1 0
 Its sad they dont sell this color scheme =/
  • 1 0
 that looks sick....
  • 1 0
 niiceeee!!!!!
  • 1 0
 I would finger that bike
  • 7 6
 Gwin for the win
  • 1 0
 funny Wink
  • 1 0
 Looking MINT !
  • 1 0
 amazing
  • 1 1
 why does it have X0 i thought he rode saint???? :s
  • 2 1
 The Shimano deal was with Trek World Racing rather than Aaron Gwin specifically, given that they also have One Ind GT and the Syndicate I'd doubtt Shimano were all that interested in forking out megabucks to get Shimano on Specialized Racing as well.
  • 2 1
 Excuses! Excuses!
  • 1 1
 Aaaaaaand i just had an orgasm
  • 2 1
 CALLED IT FUCKERS
  • 1 0
 "So long, chain stay"
  • 2 3
 Wait 'til his bike has an Ohlins shock.
  • 3 1
 Aaron is sponsored by Fox..?
  • 8 11
 The new Specialized Demo, an over priced Session wannabe!
  • 4 6
 I joke really, it is a very nice bike.
  • 6 8
 it looks like a session
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