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TODD CANNATELLI: Hi, welcome to SBCU.
We're here to talk about the Specialized Crave.
Three years ago when we created Crave, we realized
that there was a need for a bike between a Rockhopper and
our Stumpjumper Hardtail, and that need was really for an
entry-level cross-country race bike.
And that's exactly the void that Crave fills.
So back when we started this project, we tapped [INAUDIBLE]
over and to really help us develop a bike that was going
to be raceable, deliver performance, but was actually
going to be accessible and approachable for that
entry-level rider.
And so I'm going to walk you through the frame, the
geometry, and some of the tech highlights that deliver on
that entry-level cross-country race performance.
So let's talk about the frame.
So the goal of this project was really to deliver a frame
that was going to be stiff and efficient, but that was also
going to be comfortable and compliant to ride for an
extended period of time.
So every Crave frame is a fully butted M4 aluminum frame
set with a tapered head-tube, 27.2 post compatibility for
that thinner post, for that vertical compliance, and then
3D-forged post mount dropouts.
I think probably what I'm most excited about was the
performance we were able to put into this frame, just from
the tube manipulation.
So what you see here you notice these c-stays go from
thinner up here at the seat-tube to a little bit
thicker down there at the dropout.
What that allowed us to do was to be able to deliver the
stiffness where you'd want it down here at the dropouts for
that stiff chassis, and you actually get some compliance
up here by the seat-tube to make that a comfortable ride.
So we are able to deliver 12 1/2% more vertical compliance
from last year's frame, 5% more lateral stiffness from
the stiffness down there at the dropouts, and maintain the
BB stiffness that we had before.
So what you have now is a stiffer, more efficient, and
more compliant frame than years past.
So let's get into some of the frame geometries.
Like I said earlier, the goal of this platform was to
deliver cross-country race performance, but also make
sure that it's approachable for that entry-level rider.
So Crave is a 29 only platform.
All the benefits that you get from 29--
whether you're an entry level rider or a World Cup racer--
are all delivered here in our Specialized 29 way.
So Crave delivers on that Specialized XC 29er geometry
with a roomy top-tube, a low BB, and shorter chain-stays.
But Crave has what I like to call neutral cross-country
race geometry, and that's by putting the rider more in the
center of the chassis, rather than over the front for
someone who might be an aggressive world country or
World Cup cross-country racer.
And so we do that by putting a slightly shorter stem on Crave
than we would , say, a Stumpjumper Hardtail, to keep
that rider weight a little more over the center.
We spec 100 millimeter travel fork on all Crave models,
rather than a 90 millimeter on the Stumpjumper, so the handle
bar height is a little higher, so the rider position is a
little more upright.
And we have slightly longer chain-stays than a Stumpjumper
Hardtail, so you get an overall more stable platform
than you would our Stumpjumper, which is really
an out of the box World Cup cross-country race platform.
So let's get into some of the spec highlights.
So Crave comes with our Body Geometry grips-- the XC
Contour grips--
and our Body Geometry saddle.
So of course, our Body Geometry grips are designed to
help decrease numbness and take the pressure off of that
nerve in the palm that would result in numb hands when you
ride for longer period of time.
And then of course, our Body Geometry saddle, to decrease
numbness where you really don't want numbness and makes
for a much more comfortable ride as well.
Crave has 31.8 bar and stem control, so you have a much
bigger bar and stem interface, stiffer and lighter than you
would, say, from a 25.4 that you'll see on
some lower end bikes.
All Crave models have a tapered air sprung fork.
They all have tapered alloy steers, so much lighter than a
steel steer.
The tapered steer also creates a much stiffer interface at
the head-tube for more precise steering, than, say, a
straight 1 1/8 steer tube that you'll see on
some lower end bikes.
And then of course, the air spring, two things.
One, it's significantly lighter than a coil spring,
and it allows the rider to adjust the spring rate for
their weight without having to swap out springs.
Move down here to the drive train, we have our 2x10 drive
trains at all levels of Crave, and it's very similar to what
you see at the high end, say, on Epic or Stumpjumper
Hardtail, and that 36/22 gearing that you see on those
bikes as well.
That's 29er gearing that we spec on all bikes, and so this
shares a lot of what you see at the high-end race level.
We also spec clutch type rear derailleurs on all models, and
so what that is is that's Shimano's plus system here
that decreases the amount of movement that you get from the
rear derailleur, so it minimizes the chain slap.
It creates a much quieter ride, but it's also much more
reliable, because the chain isn't hopping all around.
And then the tires, we spec a Ground Control in the front
and a Fast Trak in the rear.
And the reason we do that is you want a
little more bite upfront.
You want some traction from that tire, so we put a Ground
Control that has a little bit more meat on there.
And then a Fast Trak in the rear, because it's a much
faster rolling tread design, and so you get a nice fast,
efficient rear tire with a front tire that's going to
deliver the handling and the grip that you need.
So that's the Specialized Crave.
It's your perfect entry-level cross-country race platform.