Bike Check: Scott Beaumont's Specialized Enduro SX

Jun 4, 2021
by Nick Bentley  


Scott Beaumont has built his Specialized Enduro SX to be one thing: a 4X race-winning machine. There have been no compromises here. This bike has been stripped down with all of its bolts replaced with titanium ones and then rebuilt with every possible gram shed with one thing in mind: pure speed.

If you have ever spoken to Scott this will come as no surprise, he is an extremely competitive-driven racer who has hand-picked all of his parts fitted to his bike to give him the best possible platform to perform on. Even to the extent of getting involved in the design of the Ultimate handlebar and stem to ensure the utmost performance from them.

I would like to say that this bike is rare and for the most part it is (although Scott has 3 of them). However, with UK riders witnessing Scott's domination of 4X over the years there are more and more popping up throughout the field. The Specialized frame at the heart of this bike went out of production a while ago but Scott is adamant it is still the best tool for the job of winning 4X races.
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Scott Beaumont // Beaumont Racing
Age: 43
Hometown: Kidderminster UK
Height: 182cm
Weight: 82Kg
Instagram: @beaumontracing
If you look at his results it's hard to argue with that statement. You only need to look at this bike briefly to notice it is put together in a thought out calculated way. So sit back and enjoy this 4X thoroughbred of a Specialized Enduro SX.

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"The Enduro FSR SX Frameset is purpose-built for dual slalom and slopestyle, meaning that it's made for catching air. And to make sure that you're going to carry blistering speed out the gate and throughout the entire course, we built the frame from M5 aluminum on our Slalom/4X racing, 26-inch geometry. Compared to an Enduro FSR 29, you can expect an even shorter chainstay length, top tube, and seat tube, as well as a much lower bottom bracket height. Combined, this creates a confident, snappy geo that's purpose-built to rail through corners at speed. And when paired with 120mm of travel at the rear end, we guarantee that you'll be sending it with confidence in no time." Specialized
Specialized Enduro SX
Frame: Specialized Enduro SX, 120mm of travel
Shock: Fox Float Factory CTD, 203x44.5mm,
Fork: Fox Factory 36 831, 120mm of travel
Rims : Sun Ringle Charger Pro SL, 28 holes, 26"
Hubs: Sun Ringle Cartridge Bearing Hubs
Tires: Schwalbe Nobby Nick 26"
Cranks: Sram Carbon XO DH 175mm long
Chainring: Sram Direct Mount 36T
Cassette: Sram XO DH 7 speed.
Derailleur:Sram XO DH 7 speed
Shifter:Sram XO DH 7 speed
Pedals : HT X2 Clipless
Brakes: Hope Tech3 X2
Brake Rotors: Hope Floating Rotor 180mm Front 160mm Rear
Seatpost :Ultimate Duro Carbon
Stem: Ultimate Vyce 35
Handlebar: Ultimate Boom Carbon 35
Grips: Gusset S2
Size: Large
Weight: 11.64Kg
More info: Specialized Enduro SX

bigquotesThe best bike that Specialized ever made and they don't even know it, no other frame gives the rider more feel.Scott Beaumont

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Upfront of Scott's Specialized Enduro SX is a Fox 36 831 finished in orange with the factory Kashima coating. This is Fox's Dirt jump/Slopestyle fork, these are almost as hard to come by as the frame to which they're mounted. Scott's forks are running 120mm of travel with 110 PSI of pressure in them and no volume spacers inside the air chamber. Scott has the rest of the setting set to be as firm as possible and the rebound set to slow as well. Obviously riding and racing a lot in the UK there is an RRP front fender to keep the mud from covering the rider. On top of that, you will see the UK Midlands 4X Club logo which Scott is a founding member of. Head over to the usual social media platforms and give them a search if you want to get more involved in 4X.
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A quiet bike is a quick bike and the cable management on the Specialized Enduro SX is external and clamped to the downtube of the frame for the most part. The only spot left with a bit of cable noise is the cables hitting the crown of the forks so Scott has fitted the loop side of some velcro to keep the bike running as quiet as possible. The same velcro loops can be found on the Specialized Enduro SX's chainstay to keep the chain quiet as well.

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For the rear suspension, the Specialized Enduro SX uses Specialized's FSR suspension platform. The shock is a Fox Float CTD, Factory shock that is running the open position at all times. The Kashima coated shock is running no volume spacers inside and 270 PSI of pressure. It's the same story as the front the 120mm of travel is set up to be as stiff as possible with the rebound set to slow.

It's also worth mentioning to protect his bikes from theft Scott has wisely coated them with the Datatag UV security system

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Cockpit-wise Scott is running full Ultimate components set up with the bar being his own signature Boom Carbon 35 diameter, 30mm Rise bar which has a Sweep of 7.5º back/5º up and is constructed from UD Carbon. Scott has his bar on his race bike cut to 760mm wide. The Boom Handlebars are mounted to an Ultimate Vyle aluminum stem that is 40mm long. The Vyle stem has a really unique twin bolt clamp design that clamps both bars and steerer tube, which gives it a unique almost one-piece look. The final part coming from Ultimate on Scott's bike is the Ultimate DURO Carbon the 10mm layback UD carbon seat post that is cut as short as possible and then fitted as low as possible in the frame. Scott's cockpit is finished with a set of Gusset S2 grips.

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Scott is running Sun Ringle Charger Pro SL 26" wheels, that's right 26" is not dead. The Sun Ringle Charger Pro SL rims are aluminum and have a 28mm outer width. These are laced to Sun Ringle's Cartridge Bearing Hubs via 28 Wheelsmith Steel, straight-pull spokes. wrapped around these for the Harthill round is a pair of Schwalbe's Nobby Nic 26" x 2.25" in the Addix Speedgrip compound pumped up rock hard.

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For brakes, there is Hope Tech 3 X2 twin position calipers fitted front and rear, with a 180mm Hope floating rotor on the front and a 160mm on the rear,

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The drivetrain is taken care of by SRAM's DH-specific XO1 groupset. This groupset only runs 7 gears with the XO DH 7 speed rear cassette having a built-in spacer to accommodate the 7 speed 10-24t cassette on a normal freehub. Scott uses 175mm long carbon XO1 DH cranks fitted with a Sram 36t chainring. For added insurance, there is an MRP carbon chain guide fitted.


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For pedals, you will find HT's X2 DH race clipless pedal. These are an aluminum pedal with a platform around the clipless mechanism. Scott sets his X2's up with no pins in them and the tension on the clipless mechanism tightened up as high as it can go.

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I would like to thank Scott for his time during a busy race weekend to let me take a look around his bike.

Author Info:
Mandownmedia avatar

Member since Nov 28, 2019
259 articles

71 Comments
  • 89 6
 Strange name for a Scott bike, 'Beaumont's Specialized Enduro SX'. Don't understand that Specialized doesn't sue them.
  • 27 4
 Seems their Marketing guy has a bit of a Gambler attitude, saying yes to this Spark of creativity during the naming strategy Demo.

Over at Specialized legal an Epic Fuse might have blown and nobody know’s if hell be able to afford the Ransom.
  • 4 3
 I thought 4x was dead...
  • 5 2
 Specialized will surely seek to Venge this, perhaps a ruble on the Tarmac with a Pitch fork. I Shiv at the thought.
  • 27 0
 "the best frame they ever made, and they don't even know it" ........the prices just went up.
  • 2 1
 They would have increased prices with an inferior frame all the same
  • 4 0
 I say the same every time I sell a bike or component!
  • 19 2
 What's 4x? Is it a bike thing? Like a racing something?
  • 12 0
 That bike was sadly short-lived. Only '13 I think. The previous generation was something like '09-'12 and it was just called "SX" and resided in a family beside the SX Trail which had similar lines and paint and more travel. That bike was really fun
  • 1 0
 a href="https://www.pinkbike.com/photo/20730003/">2011 SX set up as a trail bike with a dropper/a>
  • 2 3
 Yep. Leave it to specialized to not make fun bikes anymore.
  • 1 1
 I have an 2007 SX. I have been riding it hard since I bought it back in 07. I do back to back laps with my 29er camber and I get the same times. It’s been an amazing bike all these years for XC, DJ and light FR.
  • 14 2
 It might be because I’m old, but I can’t think of Boom Boom without thinking of Kona, he’s just not right on any other brand. I mean obviously he’s still winning, but it’s not the same.
  • 1 0
 I remember him being on a giant back in the day, as well as Kona of course. Got a set of Z1 duals for my Kona after seeing him using them Smile
  • 3 0
 I associate him with that white Rocky Mountain that had all of the sponsors (ALL OF THEM) along the top tube.
  • 1 0
 Makes me think of Brooklynn Nine Nine. Nutra boom!!
  • 1 0
 @jomacba: Boom Boom Jake
  • 1 0
 Didn't he used to trace s hardtail?
  • 13 0
 This Beaumont guy needs to spend less time winning races and more time in the pb comments section. We'll help him get his bike sorted!
  • 10 0
 Scott is an absolute perfectionist when it comes to bike set up. Back in the early 00's I managed a bike shop that Scott would buy stuff from. Scott was a big time pro with 4X still part of the World Cup circuit and was sponsored by SRAM. At that time though SRAM didn't make a cassette that had the exact ratios he wanted so he would come and buy from us Shimano cassettes at full retail. I got the impression that Scott believes in the idea that lots of little things that aren't quite right can add up to make a significant difference on race days.
  • 11 0
 Like Clive Woodward wanting to “Do 100 things 1% better”.
  • 1 0
 Also, even shimano sponsored athletes don’t get pro deals lol.
  • 13 0
 Bring back 26inch slope bikes!! these new school 29" "jib bikes" aren't the same.
  • 2 0
 Yes!! I have a Cove Hooker that I put a Magic Mary or two on and rode down a DH track on. Very, very fun, but I should have added another brake...
  • 13 0
 NICE!
  • 12 0
 This bike is so dope
  • 8 0
 Literally one of the last if not the BEST 26” play bikes ever made. Wish I had never sold mine.
  • 5 0
 I had the original Enduro SX, the white one with the coil shock and and the shock tunnel added to the Gen 2 Enduro frame. That's on the list of ones that got away, although I traded it with a coworker for an Imperial...which is also one of the ones that got away.
  • 2 0
 This bike changed how I saw XC riding - everything was a playground. Low, slack, fast, tough, but with short travel to keep you honest. What bikes are out there like this now? Maybe a Tallboy?
  • 1 0
 @wa90: Spur, ranger, optic, any down country bike
  • 4 0
 I used one of these as a trail bike with a 140mm Pike DJ for years, one of the most fun bikes I ever had, regret selling it. Other than the seat angle everything else is on point, the rear shock that comes with it is progressive enough to handle anything.
www.pinkbike.com/photo/14836107
  • 5 0
 Also had one of the '04(?) SX frames, made such an awesome trail bike BITD. reasonably light, slack, nimble. Bought the whole bike off Jordie Lunn, had the pink/purple camo Shermans. www.pinkbike.com/photo/1575026
  • 2 0
 Thats one frame I still lust for! For now, my Pokygon Trid ZZ will have to be the compromise (even though the only DS event in Oz this year will be Sea Otter Aus, which I wont be able to make)
  • 1 0
 Funny they still call it the Enduro. I thought they split those line-ups at some point (in Enduro and SX)? Obviously well before enduro became associated with what we call enduro racing nowadays. Purpose built, yes. But it has always been a hugely versatile bike. A bike for racing "supercross", yet it was the same bike Anneke Beerten raced to second place (after ACC!) as a privateer in the Lisbon Urban DH race and Matt Hunter used to herd the cows in The Collective movie. So even though it bears the name of two very different racing disciplines, I think this kind of bike (low, short travel) can be a huge lot of fun for anyone on any trail, as long as you're willing to stand up and actually move that bike around.
  • 1 1
 There's technically a spiritual successor to the Enduro SX which is called the Pslope now, so it's very well defined as being a slope bike now, think Mitch Ropelato(Probably butchered his name lol) raced 4X or DS with his Pslope.
  • 2 0
 @Kieran-Young: I've got a feeling people riding trails, 4x etc can be picky about pedaling performance and the bb-centric suspension pivot chases them away. DMR also made their Bolt Long as a trail bike based on their Bolt jump bike but not everyone appeared stoked. In general it appeared like those riding the bike with the X Fusion Vector shock with a lot of heavy damping were excited whereas those on the more simple O2 shock weren't. It seems like for a bike to successful as a trail bike the pedaling efficiency shouldn't be too dependent on a platform shock. Something similar goes for the YT Play. Not sure if that carbon version was ever actually released to the public. But if it is (even in aluminium), I don't think it won't be as popular on the trails and 4X races as the original one was.
  • 2 0
 @Kieran-Young: yep, except they canned that too. I understand the most bike sales come from 29" xl trail bikes but damn some variety of options would be nice. To find a good slopestyle bike your just looking through the scraps on pb buy and sell now.
  • 4 0
 @luckynugget: There was the Trek Ticket for a time but they were always only available to the pros for a good while until around 2013/14, before then there was the SX Trail and the Black market killswitch, the Pslope was released and I think the Trek ticket shortly after and then the Canyon and Polygon too, there was a lot of slope bikes out in the last 7 or so years and they’re not too hard to source now if you know people, it’ll be hard now with all the stock shortages everywhere but also sometimes companies cut their production and reserve the bikes for the pros only, that’s what it used to be. The Ticket S started off as a modified Remedy frame and then they got their own frames for the slopestyle. NS seem easy to get hold of too!
  • 5 0
 Such a sick bike! Need to see more 4X bike checks
  • 1 0
 4X bikes are fun, but tough if you don't have anyplace to ride one. I had an Intense Tazer VPP for a few years and while it was a great bike for the type of riding it was designed for, my opportunities to ride it as intended (which are also far above my capabilities) were limited. I thought it would be fun at pump tracks and dirt jumps, but when I rode it at those venues, I ended up switching to my 20" after a few runs.

I ended up selling the bike, although I have a feeling the guy I sold it to really didn't understand what the bike was meant for by the he was asking questions. But he paid me the money, so hopefully he is enjoying it.

Given the FSR patent has expired, there isn't really anything preventing a small builder from duplicating an Enduro SX in small batches.
  • 4 0
 VYCE stem, not VYLE. I think?
  • 1 0
 U.S.E. VYCE 35. i run one
  • 3 0
 I can't get past the fact that he is going full out on knobby nics pumped to "rock hard" and not killing himself.
  • 4 1
 top cap not being straight is hurting my OCD
  • 6 6
 Go to a psychologist and get some treatment.
  • 1 2
 I like to keep my top cap a little sideways to keep the photos looking good.
m.pinkbike.com/photo/20729875
  • 3 0
 2 Best bikes ever:

Process 167.
Late SX Trail.
  • 3 1
 This bike was a bomb and still is
  • 3 0
 Boom boom!
  • 2 0
 Interesting, cool, purposeful, I like it.
  • 2 0
 Ohhh so much want! Makes me miss my dual slalom/4x racing days...
  • 1 0
 I just bought me a transition bank frame to build it for a trail bike Smile . Get them before they become antiques
  • 1 0
 @pballbiker: And I have a Transition T.O.P I am doing the same with! What is your build like?
  • 1 0
 @rosemarywheel: so far I only have cranks for it. Hope evo gen 1 cranks brand new. Other than that. Not much beside alot tires i have for it. I want fox forks for it. Not sure which one i want on them. Since theres not much of a selection for them. Might do a 27.5 fork and wheel.
  • 2 0
 And just like that a ~68 HT angle and 426-440 reach is now cool again.
  • 1 0
 I didnt realise Scott had moved away from Yeti. Nice ride though. Kudos.
  • 1 3
 Notice the design of the frame is very much Rocky Mountainish. There bikes are the most playful to me and feel very very connected. that fsr and top tube shock mount really are a winning setup.
  • 1 1
 downtube mount.....im an idiot.
  • 1 1
 4X ... Oh you mean Four-Cross!!!! It took me 2 articles to figure that out.
  • 1 0
 Bring back this and the SX trail and a 26" demo
  • 1 0
 120mm rear? That year came with 100mm rear.
  • 1 0
 I still have my enduro sx. Great machine.
  • 1 0
 Short Shot Geometronicum
  • 1 0
 Love it
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