avidone1

Got my 2016 comp disc fitted today. It's now home where it belongs.
I was pleasantly surprised about the color scheme.
Looking at the pictures on the web I wasn't thrilled with the flat black finish,
but I'm happy to say that I love it. Very bad ass. LOL
I'm adding some blue accessories (to bring out the blue in it's eyes)
so far I have a blue bottle cage, and saddle bag. Pedals are next on the list.
Pics will follow soon.

deviusdragger

Post them pics!!

avidone1

the new specs are up on the specialized site. the expert, and the new pro disc. Specialized has taken the suspension to a galaxy far far away.

bgreen19

hey guys. i recently bought a 2016 crosstrail comp disc. i'm 6 ft tall and got fitted for a large. the stand over height is just right but while riding it i feel a little cramped. did i get the wrong size?

ColonelSanders

What do you mean by that?

bigjer2

Depends on many factors.....such as leg length...and arm length.....maybe the Crosstrail just needs a few more adjustments?
I am 6'4" with 33 inseam......and I LOVE my XXL Crosstrail Expert!!!

avidone1

I meant to say "suspension hybrid" meaning they took a bike that many companies still view as a lesser product line peaking out at 6 or 7 hundred dollars tops,
and added high end components to make it a genuine high end cycle.

avidone1

There is a lot that can go into a proper fit. I will be changing out my stem on Friday. I need it a few inches higher (arthritis).
If I were you I would call the shop where you got it, tell them your issue and ask for a re-fit. I don't see them having a problem with that.
You have a great bike and should feel comfortable riding it.

ColonelSanders

You probably just need a longer stem, possibly you might also need to raise the height of your seatpost.

ColonelSanders

Thanks.

I thought you were suggesting that they had done something super-dooper with their suspension, so I was wondering if they had a new suspension for this year that I had missed.

trainchaser

...nothing has changed that much other than tweaking the colors and componentry lineup a bit, the comp and expert are basically the same as last year. The most noticeable difference is the Crosstrail Pro with its high end SRAM setup with compact single crank and 11 speed cassette along with higher line components such as SRAM GXP bottom bracket and sealed cartridge bearing hubs...

I can also add how important it is to have a proper fitting done by someone who truly knows what they're doing. A bike that fits you correctly is going to be an absolute joy to ride.

ColonelSanders

Good on Specialized for adding more options for consumers to try out, but they have made an improvement to the Crosstrail Expert in giving it an 11 speed 11-40 cassette, which pretty much makes the Crosstrail Pro redundant, so I will be surprised if the Crosstrail Pro sells enough to be kept around in the same form, once this year's allocation runs out.

badger1

So, quick question avidone1: is the fork on your '16 Comp air or coil spring? Specialized's updated website (Crosstrail) still contains reference to 'air sprung' for the Comp/Expert/Pro in the 'features' text, while the fork description in the specs doesn't. ??

badger1

Not sure I see that. Both have excellent but very different drivetrains: 2x11 XT (Expert) or 1x11 SRAM X01/GX (Pro). A real choice, to my mind. There are two other substantial real-world upgrades on the Pro: full Deore brakes (600 series; rated 'best buy' pretty much everywhere), and cartridge bearing hubs.

ColonelSanders

With a 44T up front and 11-40 cassette on the Expert, most people won't need to shift out of the big chainring, so it effectively will be a 1x chainring setup.

badger1

We'll have to disagree on this. The Pro is a dedicated 1x frame; there is no provision to run a front derailleur. If one wants a true 1x11 drivetrain, that makes sense. Further, while it is true one could ride around on the big ring with a front double ... why not go 1x and eliminate the redundant bits and improve the chainline?

So again, I don't see the Pro as redundant; prospective purchasers are being presented with a choice. Choice is good.

avidone1

If you check the specs you'll see that the pro, expert, and comp all have the same fork.
I notice in the description they mention air, but not in the specs. There is a decal on the fork that says "multi circuit dampening by specialized" so I'm guessing that specialized contracted with suntour for a proprietary fork.
A look at the suntour website shows various models of the NCX and some of them specify "air".
I can only say that the fork is tight, quiet, and serves the intended purpose.

badger1

Thanks avidone1! I know what the specs say -- it's the reference to air fork in the 'features' description that has me curious!

Please don't take any trouble, but if you could be bothered you could easily check: one of your fork legs will have the lockout on top, the other will have either a turn dial for preload or removable top cap under which is a device to turn for preload (coil spring in either case) or it will have a removable top cap under which is an air valve (air spring). I'd be interested to know which. As I say, if it's a bother don't bother!

ColonelSanders

If the Expert's rear cassette was 11-36, instead of 11-40, then I think the Pro would end up doing better than I think it is likely to do.

I certainly won't be concerned if the Pro is a raging sales success and becomes a permanent part of Specialized's line up, because like you, I also believe choice is a great thing, and having the Pro around, doesn't detract from the experience of anyone who buys an Expert or even a Comp.

It is just my prediction that the Pro won't do so well, not just because of the Expert's drive train, but because I think Specialized have made a mistake with going for Sram stuff here.

Sram's 10-42 cassette is a very expensive piece of equipment(so who wants to pay for it and then its replacement) and I think Specialized would have been better off going with Shimano's XT 11-42 cassette and making the front chainring bigger than the 36T they have chosen with the Sram GX crank.

Also one can't get a gear indicator with the Sram GX shifter, whilst the Shimano XT shifter does come with a gear indicator.

Mattyb13

You all know I have the 2015 Expert disc. I have been tweaking and tuning and cleaning and just learning the guts of my bike. One question I had for the experts in this column was regarding my disc brakes. My rears kinda suck. I pull hard and they sorta slow me down. My fiancé has the 2014 sport disc and her rear brakes seem to grip much harder? What should my rear brakes feel like? are there upgrades to my brakes that I could perform to make them grip better? Pads etc? ALSO, when going really slow my brakes squak and are loud. Thanks!

badger1

OK, I'll play one more time! Points in order.

1. The stock 16 Expert's gear range is 109.9" to 22. Changing to 11-36 would give 109.9 to 24.5. I'm not sure of the significance of this? Hard gear is the same, easy gear is so close as to make no difference; you could climb a wall with either. And, for practical purposes, the range on the Pro 1x11 is the same: 98.9 down to 23.6. Anyone who wants to could cheaply/easily change the 36 ring to a 38: 104.4 to 24.7 range.

2. SRAM vs. Shimano -- personal preference. GX and XT groups are both great. Would I prefer new XT 1x11 on the Pro? Probably, but I've been using SRAM on one bike for years; no problems/no complaints.

3. The XG1150 cassette is a little more than the XT8000 (e.g. today the former is 160 or so on Chainreaction, the latter 120 or so). I don't see that as terribly significant.

4. Personal preference. I have no idea whether people in the market for either bike would care about 'gear indicators'. I have them on both bikes; haven't looked at them in years. Drop down a cog: harder gear. Shift up a cog: lighter gear. So a non-issue for me.

avidone1

I would take it to my LBS. It could be a calibration, or worn pads or some other things that are not a big expense. Upgrading is probably not needed.

ColonelSanders

I was suggesting that with a 40T cog in the Expert's cassette, it would allow many people to use the expert in the same manner as the Pro, that is as a 1x setup, but you would have that emergency bail out gear ready just in case you need it.

Yes the Pro does 1x a bit better because it is purely a 1x setup, but it does come with a $300 price difference, when many people would already be thinking the Expert is very expensive for a hybrid.

Okay I made a mistake here and thought the 10-42 Sram cassette was much more expensive than the XG1150 actually is, so this weakens my argument by a fair degree on this point.

This is just another little niggle for some potential purchasers of the Pro.

prj71

Comp/Expert/Pro on the Specialized Website say air sprung 50mm travel.

The rest of the crosstrail line is 63mm travel.

Something is different with the fork on the top 3 models

ColdCase

Somethings gotta be amiss there. My Comp, which also uses the shimano M447 and is very good. Much much better than my spouses Ariel sport disc, which has the same components as the crosstrail sport disc. No contest. Her brakes are noisier and harder to modulate, mine is a one or two finger pull, and are quiet with only a slight hiss when braking.