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SOC15: Specialized launches Fuse, Ruze 27.5+, new Rumor 650 trail bike, Command Post & more!

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2016 Specialized Fuse 275+ 6fatty hardtail mountain bike

The new Specialized Fuse (men’s) and Ruze (women’s) trail hardtails are built from ground up for their 27.5+ (6fatty) wheels and tires, tailoring the geometry to the new tire size and introducing new parts and frame designs to go along with it.

Both bikes will come with new Ground Control 27.5 x 3.0 tires that tip the scales around 900g, and they’ll have Purgatory 27.5 x 3.0 (around 1000g) available separately if you need something more aggressive. Both have a 60tpi folding bead tubeless ready carcass, and the Pro model will have them wrapped around new 38mm wide (inside) welded alloy Roval Fatty rims laced to Boost 148 and 110 hubs.

The tires may have inspired the new bike, but it’s the unique design that makes them fit…

2016 Specialized Fuse 275+ 6fatty hardtail mountain bike

With a 3.0 tire, there’s not much room left for the chainstay to fit between the tire and chainring. Trek solved this by raising the chainstay above the chain on their Stache+. Specialized created the Diamond Stay, which split the tube above and below its usual position between the tire and chainrings, letting them keep the tire tucked in tight for better handling and maintaining normal chainring sizes.

2016 Specialized Ruse 275+ 6fatty womens hardtail mountain bike

It’s one large forged piece that includes the cable touting guides.

2016 Specialized Ruse 275+ 6fatty womens hardtail mountain bike

All have three water bottle bosses, and the top of the line Pro model comes with their SWAT tool carrying bottle cage…

2016 Specialized Fuse 275+ 6fatty hardtail mountain bike

…and and top cap kit.

2016 Specialized Fuse 275+ 6fatty hardtail mountain bike

All use a four piston front brake and two piston rear, a combination Specialized folks said balanced the braking properly for these bikes. The top two get SRAM hydro, comp gets TRP Slate.

2016 Specialized Fuse 275+ 6fatty hardtail mountain bike

All of them get a 1x drivetrain, and the Expert and Comp models use a 1×10 group pairing a 11-40 10-speed Sunrace cassette with GX/X7 derailleurs respectively. The cranks are new Specialized Stout crank with 76BCD cranks and designed for Boost-spaced chainrings.

2016 Specialized Fuse 275+ 6fatty hardtail mountain bike 2016 Specialized Fuse 275+ 6fatty hardtail mountain bike

A slacker 67° head angle adds trail and makes it a more aggressive all-mountain hardtail. Chainstays are 430mm. They chose this tire size because the outside diameter is the same as a 29×2.3, so you could run this as a 29er, too. The Pro is using those new Roval rims, the Comp and Expert get wider WTB Scraper i45 rims.

2016 Specialized Fuse 275+ 6fatty hardtail mountain bike

2016 Specialized Ruse 275+ 6fatty womens hardtail mountain bike

The women’s Ruze uses a dropped top tube for better standover clearance. The components use the same quality level of spec, but the travel and dimensions are changed a bit. The Ruze uses a narrower handlebar, and the fork and dropper post have different travel. The suspension fork is 120mm on the Fuse, and 100mm on the Ruze.

2016 Specialized Ruse 275+ 6fatty womens hardtail mountain bike

Three models will be offered: Pro ($3,100), Expert ($2,100) and Comp ($1,600). Available mid May with the Pro following in June.

2016 Specialized Command Post IRCC dropper seatpost

All come with the a dropper post, with the two lower levels getting a TranzX post that is custom tuned for Specialized. The Pro gets the new Command Post IRCC dropper post (Internal Remote Cruise Control). The Command Post uses several indexed positions in its travel, unlike the infinite positioning of something like a Reverb. The “CC” addition to the acronym refers to a series of 12 additional indents placed in rapid succession in the middle position. While they mentioned it allows more positions in the “cruising” height, the effect is really that it’s just much, much easier to get it to stop at the intermediate positions without dropping all the way past it. In my experience riding a Command Post, it was all too easy to blow right past that first stop, but these additional positions spread across what felt like about a 2.5cm section, gave the tactile feedback needed to stop it before it blew past. For those that like a stepped dropper over infinitely variable, this is a win.

2016 Specialized Command Post IRCC dropper seatpost

The remote lever can be mounted to a standard SRAM shifter/brake clamp. The new Command Post IRCC will be available with 75, 100 and 125mm drops. On the Ruse, small frame sizes get the 75mm, others get 100mm. For the Ruse, small gets a 100mm and the others get the 125mm.

2016 Specialized Rumor 650B 275 womens full suspension trail mountain bike

The new Specialized Rumor 650B gets an all new frame to use the mid-sized wheels. It joins the current Rumor 29er, offering a full range of frame sizes (s/m/l) in both wheel sizes.

2016 Specialized Rumor 650B 275 womens full suspension trail mountain bike

A bump stop added to Small/Medium frames keeps the fork from knocking the downtube and over rotating.

2016 Specialized Rumor 650B 275 womens full suspension trail mountain bike

Travel is set at 130mm front, 125mm rear, with suspension custom tuned for smaller, lighter riders.

A slacker 68.5º head tube angle gives it more trail-ready handling, and some of these changes are likely to make their way to the 29er Rumor soon. Chainstay length is obviously shorter than its larger wheeled sister, and stand over is a bit lower at 695mm for the Small.

2016 Specialized Rumor 650B 275 womens full suspension trail mountain bike

The Rumor also gets the new IRCC dropper post and adds internal routing to the frame, and it’s accessorized with the SWAT bottle cage and top cap.

It uses aggressive Purgatory / Ground Control 2.3 tires (F/R) on Traverse wheels with 29mm inside rim width. Cockpit has 700mm wide bars with Myth saddle. Cranks are 165/170/175 millimeters long depending on frame size.

2016 Specialized Ruse 275+ 6fatty womens hardtail mountain bike

Available now in three models: Base level Rumor FSR ($2,200), Comp ($2,700) and Expert ($4,800).

2016 Specialized Ambush all mountain full coverage mountain bike helmet for men and women
On the apparel and accessory side, the Ambush helmet is a new full coverage trail helmet that’ll come in men’s and women’s colorways. Weight is 279 without visor and uses a new retention system that pulls the cradle al the way around the head:

2016 Specialized Ambush all mountain full coverage mountain bike helmet for men and women

The small silver dial at the pulls the thin plastic retention straps, which wrap all the way around the inside of the helmet (under the pads up front) before connecting to the cranium cradle in the back. The effect is that it constricts in 360º rather than just pulling the rear cradle tighter. It’s a pretty clever design.

2016 Specialized Ambush all mountain full coverage mountain bike helmet for men and women

Not shown, there’s a new women’s SWAT vest that’s a thin material with extra pockets and storage in the back, and a new MTB Pro men’s SWAT bib, which upgrades to the SL Pro chamois and wider shoulder straps. I’ve ridden some of the standard SWAT bibs and they’re pretty comfortable.

Specialized.com

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29 Comments
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Jesse
Jesse
8 years ago

The Pro comes with a Reba fork? Really?

MM
MM
8 years ago

Chainslap city for a HT.

Max Power
Max Power
8 years ago

If they are going to make a tire to pair with the Ground Control how can the not call it the Major Tom?

Pynchonite
Pynchonite
8 years ago

That Fuse looks like oodles of fun.

JBikes
JBikes
8 years ago

All other things being equal, why would you go with the Fuse frame design over the Ruse’s increased clearance? Is the more acute rear triangle and seatpost tie-in that much weaker? Could you tell on this style bike?

James S
James S
8 years ago

I love to hate on Specialized, but these 27.5+ bikes are pretty cool. Good job, big evil corporation!

Robo
Robo
8 years ago

Into it.

Chsad
Chsad
8 years ago

27.5 plus is the same diameter as 29 correct?

Ascar Larkinyar
Ascar Larkinyar
8 years ago

27.5+ and regular 29ers = redundant…… except the 29er tires are lighter……

-s
-s
8 years ago

Not redundant if one provides more comfort over the other. There should be more volume (and a wider footprint) with a 27.5+ tire.

JBikes
JBikes
8 years ago

Ascar Larkinyar –

That’s the best part. You can essentially buy this fat tired 27.5+ and get a HT 29er for the cost of a wheel set. Outside a dedicated XC race HT, I see all “29ers” going the 27.5+/29 route. Why would anyone buy a limited clearance 29er over this?

dan23
dan23
8 years ago

At the Specialized Shrink it and Pink it department, the best name they could come up with was a name that means, fool, or trick. So, they are openly admitting that they will trick you or that they want to fool you into thinking their bikes are the best…

'Merika
'Merika
8 years ago

dan23: Well, to your point, looks like they’re trying to trick women only.

Drew Maito
Drew Maito
8 years ago

I like to tout my cables, too!

Chsad
Chsad
8 years ago

Thanks Tyler!

Chsad
Chsad
8 years ago

I can’t see xc 29ers with 2.8 rubber…

pilf
pilf
8 years ago

@Max Power – Marry me!

Sardinien
Sardinien
8 years ago

Haters gonna hate but when Specialized design a new bike they just can’t fault it. Heck…I had to sell my Stumpy FSR 29 because it was too good looking to be trashed,bought a beat the sh*t out of it Canyon Spectral ( wich is a much better bike in ALL aspects anyway).
Those 430mm stays means a lot of fun.

Sardinien
Sardinien
8 years ago

PS : I see this as a 3rd bike anyway.

Mat
Mat
8 years ago

I like that helmet.

jabronie
jabronie
8 years ago

wonder if the next trend will be 700c –

making it so that you can run the comfortable 25-28c tire but still get the lower profile of a 23c

preston
preston
8 years ago

Absolutely dismayed whenever I see a so called mountain bike frame that doesn’t take an FD. I’m very concerned the new SJ’s and Enduro’s might lose the FD mount, especially if they are trying to accomodate 27.5+. The plus thing is kind of cool but not if it forces mainstream fun (ie not core XC) bikes to lose climbing gears and create overly wide q factors, extra weight and other compromises.

Izzy
Izzy
8 years ago

Geo numbers of the 6Fatties please!

Izzy
Izzy
8 years ago

That rear end of the Fuse looks like it’ll fit a 26×3.7

The Dude
The Dude
8 years ago

Oooo no, Bikes for people that don’t shave there legs and know how to have fun. XC racing is over rated. Its nice to see the industry building road and mountain bikes for regular people that just want to have fun on 2 wheels. I like to race but I an excited about the future of + MTB’s for everyday riding. I don’t understand the negativity. XC bikes aren’t going anywhere, If anything they will benefit from the new tire tech mainstream plus tires will bring. If you don’t like them then don’t by one. If you don’t like progress I have a 1995 Trek you are welcome to ride.

Reformed Roadie
Reformed Roadie
8 years ago

The Dude abides…

Big Wheels
Big Wheels
8 years ago

Where’s the CARBON Rumor??????

Real Velo (@Realvelo)
7 years ago

Bought a white 2016 Fuse, 1,000 miles up in 6 weeks. most fun & best all round mountain bike I’ve had in 30 years. Totally addictive, a waterbed on wheels…

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