The Specialized Chisel – An Alloy Cross-Country Mountain Bike with Carbon Fiber Performance

Cross Country Mountain Bike racers want to race at a high level but not all racers have the ability to purchase a carbon fiber bike. Thankfully, the re-designed Specialized Chisel delivers carbon fiber performance without the carbon fiber price!

Designed with NICA and other younger racers in mind, Specialized has re-designed the Chisel to be lightweight and stiff by using their revolutionary D’Alusio Smartweld process for all models.

D’Alusio Smartweld

So, what is D’Alusio Smartweld (also known as DSW?) DSW is a method of connecting and welding hydroformed aluminum alloy tubes that balance weight, strength, and rigidity better than any other alloy construction method out there.

By rolling over the edges where tubes meet you are able to provide a wide channel to apply the welding bead. This eliminates the opportunity for inconsistency in the welding process, resulting in a more uniform and quality weld, every time. This increases surface area without extra weight and also delivers a frame that is stiff for energy transfer without extra materials.

In the left of the picture above, you see the previous generation of Chisel headtube/top tube/downtube juncture. With DSW, Specialized was able to improve the integrity of this juncture and in return stiffen up the front-end handling while still dropping weight by using less aluminum and welding materials.

A big improvement for the 2021 models is at the top-tube/seat-tube/seat-stay junction. This area was redesigned to remove a gusset that was previously used to increase strength in some sizes. By using the DSW method here, they were able to remove that gusset which reduced the weight of the bike and gave riders more standover height, especially at the smaller sizes.

Finally, each frame size gets its own size-specific set of tubes, custom-made for that size bike; something that is almost unheard of at this price-point of the bike! The end result is an alloy cross-country mountain bike that delivers amazing performance at a respectable price. Like a frame that weighs only 1350 grams, internal cable routing, progressive XC geometry with a 68° headtube angle and a longer reach, boost spacing, a threaded bottom bracket, simple and efficient 1x drivetrains, and a 30.9 dropper post compatible seat tube!

Models

Chisel Comp

• RockShox Judy Gold suspension fork with 100mm of travel (80mm for size x-small) and the Motion Control damper
• Shimano M6100 2-Piston Hydraulic Disc Brakes with Centerlock rotors
• Shimano SLX 1x Drivetrain with a 32t front chainring and Shimano Deore M6100 10-51t 12-speed cassette
• Specialized Fast Trak Control Tubeless-Ready tires in 29×2.3″

Chisel Base

• RockShox Judy Silver suspension fork with 100mm of travel (80mm for size x-small) and TurnKey damper
• Shimano M6100 2-Piston Hydraulic Disc Brakes with Centerlock rotors
• Shimano Deore 1x Drivetrain with a 32t front chainring and Shimano Deore M6100 10-51t 12-speed cassette
• Specialized Fast Trak Control Tubeless-Ready tires in 29×2.3″

Framesets

• Specialized D’Aluisio Smartweld M5 Alloy
• Hydroformed tubes
• Progressive XC geometry
• Internal cable routing
• Threaded bottom bracket
• 12x148mm spacing
• 30.9mm dropper post compatible

Check them out!

So, if you’re an up-and-coming XC Mountain Bike racer or you are just looking to get the most bang for the buck out of your race machine, check out the Specialized Chisel at your favorite ERIK’S Location or at shopERIKS.com!