Specialized Rumor Review

Specialized Rumor Review

Last week we talked about the best all-around mountain bike for men, the Specialized Camber. Today we will look into the Rumor which is a women’s-specific trail bike similar to the Camber, designed specifically with women’s size and body types in mind. Specialized did not take the Camber and tweak it slightly and slap a different paint job on it to make it “women-specific”, they started from the ground up and made the Rumor a truly female-specific bike.

Starting with the M5 alloy frame, Specialized designed women’s specific tube sets to improve the ride quality and create an ultra-low stand-over height. Specialized offers the Rumor in a 29er which might seem to contradict the lowered standover. A lot of misconceptions about 29ers are that they are just too big for a woman to ride. The thought has been that bigger wheels mean a taller bike, and a taller bike means that shorter women aren’t going to be able to straddle the bike comfortably or at all. But the lower stand-over height eliminates this issue, making it a bike that can still be easily ridden by women under 5 feet tall. I am by no means short, but I do enjoy the lower standover for ease of getting on and off the bike. Also, since the bike is equipped with 29er wheels that means that the speed and responsiveness of the Rumor are equal to that of the Camber. I do most of my riding down by the Minnesota River, this area is mostly flat, but still has some technical areas. Having a bike that can fast helps a lot in the flatter areas, but it is still very responsive, which gives me the confidence I need to get through the technical parts of the route.

Another issue women can face with riding men’s or unisex mountain bikes is that the suspension is not as easily tuneable to their size and weight. I may be tall, but I am still a light rider, especially compared to men the same height as me. With that in mind, Specialized also design the suspension from the ground up, customizing the spring rates based on women’s center of gravity and weight distribution. This gives the female rider the ability to utilize all the travel, creating a more comfortable and controllable ride. And the best part is that the Rumor also contains the auto-sag feature as mentioned yesterday in the Camber post. This feature makes it easier and quicker to set up the suspension so you can be out on your ride sooner.

In addition to the women’s-specific frame and suspension, it’s the little details that really complete the Rumor. From the women’s Body Geometry Myth saddle is designed to support riders on their sit bones for all-day comfort, to the Enduro grips with a smaller diameter that are tailor-made for women’s hands. Everything about the Rumor line is well thought out so riders can just grip it and rip it.

The first time I got on the Rumor, I felt as though I was mounting a horse. But as I whipped around corners with ease and comfortably rolled over large objects like rocks and branches, I ended the ride with excitement and the urge to go and do it again. For all-around trail riding, we encourage you to try out this well-designed, detail-oriented Rumor. Specialized continues to innovate with women’s cycling, not content to use small men’s frames but giving women a completely designed riding experience. So, whether you are a seasoned rider or new to mountain biking, the Rumor will give you the power, control, and confidence you need to shred on the mountain.

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