$3800
27.2 pounds
5.1-inch rear wheel travel
Specialized, (408) 779-6229
Maxi test: July 2006

Highlights: Three Stumpjumper models incorporate Specialized's revolutionary Brain shock, the $7000 S-Works Carbon, the $5500 S-Works Aluminum and the $3800 Stumpjumper Pro. While the Stumpjumper Pro isn't cheap, it rings up closer to most riders' new-bike budgets. The Brain Fade shock is a second generation of the Fox Brain shock originally featured on the 2003 Specialized Epic. The difference is a tunable platform (which really means showroom plushness). This allows a rider to determine the amount of force necessary to activate the shock. The platform can be dialed by hand, or more easily with a 4-millimeter Allen key. The Pro's aluminum chassis doesn't deliver the torsional rigidity Specialized designed into the S-Works Carbon Stumpjumper's frame, but it is not far off. Most riders would have to ride the bikes back-to-back to feel the difference.

Best quote: "The Pro's geometry inspired confidence. The agile Pro can corner with the best of them."

Bottom line: You may not think of a $3800 mountain bike as Ã'entry level,Ã" but the Stumpjumper Pro is. It is the entry level for a Brain-Shock-equiped bike, and considering the $7100 S-Works is only a pound lighter, it begins to look like the bargain of the century. The Stumpy Pro has no major weaknesses. It's a lightweight, five-inch-travel ride dressed with performance-oriented components and a rear suspension that delivers an amazing ride without any rider input to dials, levers or switches. Just pedal.