The video the people have been asking for! Cool to see the Comp build out ripping. I like that you admit that most riders don't need the highest spec to enjoy a bike. Well done, bro.

Thanks for this bike review. I’ve been waiting for ages for someone to do a review, and you did great even handed unbiased review.

Rock on bro! Great review. I think I’m smiling as much as you are because you just kicked the crap out of those trails on my bike and it performed great. My full squish is a ‘19 Stumpjumper, I enjoy it so much I got the Fuse to match because the geo on the two are very very similar. Your right about the stack, but they ride almost identical on the trail and I so enjoy it. I’m happy you liked it. I believed I made a good choice when I got it and you just proved to many that Specialized got it right on this one. Nice ride, nice review, lookin forward to the next one.

Your reviews are excellent and much appreciated. This vid made me pull the trigger in a 22 Fuse Comp. They spec it with NX now and my local shop actually had one in my size. I pointed out a small ding in the top tube and they knocked $400 off the price which I thought was amazing for the state of things these days. Can’t wait try it out. As a guy who has been mountain biking since ‘87 I have seen everything from the advent of front suspension, full suspension, and all the trends and fads pass through but this is my first real modern geo bike. 🤙

Everything I needed to know! Another appreciated review! Btw, that looked like a pretty fun trail you were on.

This is my bike but mine is in black...thanks for the review! I started riding almost 3 years ago...then I wanted a Mtn bike and got this. I am 54 and very much a beginner. After a bunch of research I chose this bike and I love it! I do feel the same you do about the short head tube. The rest is great so far for me. So far we haven't done anything technical but I have had so much fun riding the gravel roads and trails at our conservation area and am gradually adding some scary to me things. Still learning so much so going to Google to look up some of the things you mentioned. 😁 Thanks again!!!

Had this bike for 3 weeks now, love it so far coming off a 2012 Rockhopper. One reason I chose this was because the stack height of 652mm was a lot higher than similar complete bikes in the price range. Even then I put 38mm rise bars on.

Thanks for the review. You definitely had some great points about my bike that I couldn’t have figured out (due to lack of experience). Like the wider rims!

thank you for this ride review.. I just pulled the trigger on it and pre-order the Fuse comp 29 here in Australia & its my first Mtb and I hope it wouldn’t disappoint me was looking for full sus but I just like the simplicity of HT. Cant wait for it. Thank you and new sub here.

I started with the old Fuse, upgraded to a 140 Pike. Transferred it all to the new frame with the sliding dropouts. One of the best bikes I’ve ever had, simple fun. Most likely it’ll (or something similar) will be my forever bike.

I just bought this bike 2 weeks ago and after 10+ years of being away from the sport, the Fuse made me fall in love all over again. This was an awesome review. Cheers!

Great video again Steve. Your videos. Have really helped me understand more about mtbs.

After watching this review I went and bought one and MAN are you right about it! It is SO much fun, I just ride wheelies and practice manuals in front of my house every chance I get and it is a BLAST on the trails! Thanks for the awesome and honest review!

I actually pulled the trigger and ordered this bike after watching this vid to replace my aged trek 8500 xc bike to get back into mtn biking! Mountain biking and racing use to be my primary hobby but that has changed and now it’s to get back into shape and stress relief!!!

What a great review. Been watching your vids all day. Subd

Oh man, that scenery! Greets from Norway.

Great review Steve! Agree on the stack height - I have 30mm of spacers under my stem with 20mm rise bars on the L. Another thing worth mentioning is the lifetime frame warranty - it was one of the deciding factors when I decided to do a frame-up build; the quality of the welds inspires confidence!

Just got the 2021 comp and loving it so far!

Great review on the Specialized Fuze Comp, fun little bike. Seems like it was a little ripper, great second bike or first for that matter. Enjoy your week and have a great party in the mountains.

I have that bike. Specilized Fuse comp and really its very fun. I felt many difference on the down hills, its really incredible. And its not a fast byke, but i think that was my best buy. Great video.

Very cool review! And the place is awesome, so pretty!!! And congratulations on your technical skills, I couldn’t do half of the obstacles!

I love that you did the review on the bike.

I'm glad that you're loving the bike. I took my 2020 27.5+ out this weekend for its maiden voyage and had a blast! I'm new to mtb, and after riding on some gnarlier trails this weekend, I can really appreciate your riding skill through your videos. Haha :)

Loved the review. My expert should be here Friday. Just in time for a long weekend. I was waiting for the Johnny rotten and the price to come out. Just can't give up any more riding time waiting. Thanks Steve.

I agree with low stack being not ideal, especially for my aging back. The slack seat tube angle is great for me. I often like getting back in the saddle and engaging my Gluteus Max, most saddles on my bikes are slammed all the way back. Being to far forwards also causes me knee problems. Well, we all have individual anatomy, so it's nice to learn about the differences in bike geometry.

Just bought a Fuse 27.5 yesterday, I lucked out and managed to find one in that sick matte green color in size Large at a shop about 3 hours away. I know it has lower end components than the 29 Comp and a different frame but I’m sure it will still be lots of fun. And at least it has 38mm wheels! Just getting back into MTB and I’m sure it will be a nice upgrade from my 11 year old Kona Cinder Cone! Also it was nice to see a familiar face, I remember watching your videos on your other channel when I was shopping for a camper and dreaming about Airstreams, glad I found this channel!

The human analogies had me cracking up. Loved the review keep up the great work. 👍

I have the ‘21 Fuse Comp and the review for the ‘20 is pretty spot on. One of the first things I did is compensate the short stack with a riser handlebar and a slightly shorter stem to 35mm. I run the dropout about halfway but after watching this, I think I will experiment with that a bit. I agree the hub leaves something to be desired. When I do upgrade the fork it will go to 140 with a longer post and might need to go back to slightly shorter bars. I did replace the Stout cranks with a matching Deore crank and a Shimano HG (XT) chain. Pretty sure once the fork and hub (or at least rear hub) gets swapped it’s gonna be fairly dialed, but even now the bike is a blast to ride and it just eats up trails.

Great video, thank you. It has helped me to decide on my next bike.

Nice review! I'm glad you liked the bike, and you right, the SX drivetrain is good enough, once the cable stretches and the derailleur gets dirty you gotta fiddle with the tension, but even I am no mechanic head and I managed to fix my gears... Also, they are really sold out everywhere! My friend went to order one and the LBS had to deal something with Specialized on the phone to get a second one in Canada... LBS guy told my friend we would be the only two owners of this bike across Canada... How cool :D

Great review, "goofy bars on other budget bikes" love that comment. Your having fun so that's what its about.

You know how to party! Great trails. Can't wait to get my fuse back from the shop.

I have the gen 1 fuse, got over 10k miles on the frame. The XXL is one of the biggest bikes you can get, great for me at 6'7. Perfect ride quality for me, have heard lighter people find it too stiff(I'm 195lbs) I bought the comp level build and have slowly upgraded it as stuff died. Now have it setup 29er as more of an xc bike and the geo is spot on. Fox 34, shimano 12spd, slx 2 piston brakes and hand built alloy wheels. 25lbs with 2.4 tires, can get it do to 23lbs with gravel slicks. Full capable of sending double black diamonds, rips tight single track and can do big gravel epics if I put slicks on. I don't really like the pf30 bb standard in general, but never had any issues with it on this bike. I highly recommend it.

Completely agree with your frame assessment. Total blast. I have a 21 Fuse Expert. I've never ridden the comp spec, so I couldn't compare, but I really love my Fox Rhythm and SLX drivetrain. Great video.

for me i ask myself the question "what do i want from my next bike" then look for a bike with the right geometry then a fork that's 34mm or up(i am heavy and find anything under 34 to be flexy) the drivetrain i don't worry that much about as it will wear and ill probably change it out ,dropper is a must

i'm riding the 2019 fuse expert model, 27.5+, absolutely love it :)

I ended up getting the Fuse Expert 29 back in March because that's what was left at the shop-somehow. The bike is so much fun and confidence inspiring. I don't regret the hardtail purchase AT ALL. I absolutely love it and how Specialized set it up! Definitely a phenomenal bike for anyone searching for a hardtail.

I have friend that got one. He added a 170mm suspension fork with 2 internal spacers (buffers). He is ripping everything in the trail. Sick!!!

Excellent review!

Top Notch review mate. Clearly a bunch of peeps were waiting for this one. Thanks Steve! “...even though these SRAM Level brakes are goofy looking...” 😆

Do you need help deciding which bike to purchase next? I offer a one-on-one bike consultation service through patreon. It's how I put food on the table for my family, and how I'm able to provide custom bike advice for my vieewrs. Become a patron today for access: sign up for the monthly bike consultation tier, and cancel at any time. Most people sign up for a month or two, and we work together to discuss their needs, riding style, etc. to narrow down the list of all the great hardtails out there. When they get the info they need and they no longer have any questions, they cancel. Become a patron today: patreon.com/hardtailparty. Also, make sure you check out my links in the description above for coupon codes and discounts to some of my partners. A few notes. 1) Unfortunately i can't recommend absolute bikes anymore. Their service has gone downhill and they treat the locals rude. 2) a lot of people love to hate on the sx drivetrain. While I can't speak to its longevity, it felt flawless to me. I can feel the difference between a gx shifter and the sx shifter, bit the derailleur would be hard to tell the difference. It's a great budget groupset. 3) these are almost sold out everywhere. So if you want one, you're going to have to get creative. 4) this shares the same frame as the fuse expert. Only difference are components. 5) a lot of people are hating on the RockShox 35 that comes on the expert. A few of those forks were manufactured with incorrect tolerances. If yours has unnecessary striction, talk to your dealer and get it checked out. 6) if you have one of these bikes and you hate the fork and brakes and want to sell them, hit me up. I'm always looking for more brakes and forks for my builds.

I have 2018 Fuse, I love it, but I had to make some adjustments. Came with 3.0 tires, and I put 2.8, which made it way more nimble. Great little bike! Loves to get air!

That hoot at 10:05 man that is the best endorsement a bike could get! That’s what it is all about … laughs and hoots per mile. Edit: I have never heard you hoot so much in a review. Wow. I am sold!

Just picked up the Fuse a few weeks ago...and i agree with you completely

Thanks for the lengthy review! I bought the exact bike for the wife and I to share today. Luckily we found one! I've got a Trance 27.5, which I love, but miss the hardtail GT Zaskar from back in the day so this became an option. Plus, budget for this year prevented me from upgrading to a full suspension carbon. This is an awesome compromise!

Thanks for the review Steve 😊

Great review! Like that you didn't belittle the bike for being entry level. If you are ever in SoCal, I have a Medium Size W.A.R. Draconic that you can take for a spin.

Thanks for the review. I just got on one yesterday, and noticed the seat position just like you said. I felt really leaned over sport bike style. This was on a large frame, and I'm 5'11.

I had levels on my previous bike and never had any issues stopping. They're not codes but they do work !

Another great vid. You always give great commentary and opinions . .

Immediately ordered my Expert from my LBS after reading Bike Magazine's review back in June 19. It's so much fun I find myself riding it more often than my 150/140mm rig that's 3x the $. A lot of the fun from hardtails comes with the challenge of keeping up with buddies on FS rigs but by keeping it stock there's the added satisfaction of having them seeing you right there with them on an "entry level" build, dropping out of trails a hardtail really has no business being on. Definitely a capable bike.

Love the review! I am looking into get this bike once they are back in stock. Love to hear the opinion and things to look out for. Thanks!

Great review...I'm on a Rockhopper now and this is my next one.

I own this bike. Got into riding only 2 months ago. The thing climbs and charges. I'm really pleased with my purchase. The 29" wheels roll over everything. I love the thing so much. Its got me riding 3 times a week. If you want a solid hardtail you can't go wrong with this.

great, very informative feedback. i fond it very helpfuf

Excellent video, the bike looks great

Love your insight into this bike I'm looking at the Fuse Expert how does it compare to the Santa Cruz Chameleon ?

Woow, I'm amazed at the fuse. The past few years I drove the commencal meta ht with 27.5 wheels and to be honest I was considering buying a new one but 29 wheels. but after watching this video I definitely need to see the fuse before making my decision.

How the feel in comparison to Salsa Timberjack 29 ?

Just ordered the 2021 Fuse Comp. Pretty jacked. Upgrading from a 2021 Marlin 7. Thanks for the video!

Great review. Getting this for my kid.

Great review - this is at the top of my list, unfortunately out of stock here in So. Cal - hopefully, a 2021 version will be released soon...thanks for reviewing this one.

Thanks for an awesome, honest, unbiased review...On the bike and mountain biking in general. I wanted one so bad, but specialized down here (s-africa) decided to not to bring any in (probably because we’re all xc nuts). Great channel.

Glad you enjoyed the Fuse, I know I've enjoyed mine since I built it up in March! But like some others have said, distributor inventory on the Fuse bikes is all sold out. If you spot one at a dealer, don't wait, grab it. It'll be until this fall before they are back in inventory based on what my LBS has said.

Just bought the 2021 based on this review. Will enjoy it for awhile before I change anything, but wheels to 35mm was a good tip. Hearing the crank is weak. May have to buy some of your time. You are heads and tails better than anyone else on youtube I've found.

Awesome video 🤙🏽 thank you

I bought a Fuse Comp 29 in black as a first time mountain biker. 4 weeks later I regret nothing. And the frame is so nice I think over time, I'll build it into something really great.

Love my fuse. Tested a good amount of bikes when I was looking. The fuse was the most "fun" bike I tried. I do not like the engagement. I do find being clipped in does help a little with that.

Awesome review man! Did you do Marin San Quentin review? I must’ve missed that. I owned that bike for 2 months with good parts such as Stans Baron/Hydra hubs, Carbon cranks, bars, XX1, etc... I take it on smooth trails in Mid-Peninsula, Bay Area. It’s nice! Then I took it to Demonstration Forest. 😏 That frame has no give at all! I felt like a pinball getting bounced around. I couldn’t let go of my brakes! Couple of weeks later, I moved the parts over to my GG-Pedalhead and took it to Demo (Braille Trail) and I matched my Full Suspension PR on that Pedalhead. Super compliant frame! That SQ is good on smooth trails but for a ligh rider like myself, that frame is stiff! I’ll send this link to my friends who are looking for budget hardtail. 🤙

I’ve got a 130mm recon with lockout on a mtb. Although it’s heavy it’s an air fork and the difference between air and coil is night and day. Love air forks. The extra weight can be an advantage as the bike has more momentum

This review helped me narrow my options down and I would up getting a second hand version of this exact bike. I was looking into getting a new one, but the retail price jumped up by almost $400 compared to last years for the same spec. Would have loved the warranty, but I’m stoked I found a deal. If you had to pick a good budget wider rim set for those 29+ tires, what would you wind up with you think?

I'm glad I have the the fuse comp 29er 2wks old and That's why I only I believed hardtail party😊🍺 - from canada

Hey Steve, thx for the review. You just helped me make my decision on my next bike! I messaged you a few weeks back. I am previously the owner of a 2019 Timberjack SLX +. I say previously because my pride and joy was a casualty of the looting in Los Angeles a coupla weeks back of the Santa Monica REI. I originally bought the bike from REI partially with some of my member dividend. I recently purchased an upgraded wheelset, Raceface Affect R 30s, and I was already running 2.6's on the WTB boat anchors it came with. Brought it in to swap out the upgraded wheels and wouldn't ya know it, the store gets looted. REI is reimbursing me for the bike and the few upgrades I've done. They have no stock in TJ's nor does Salsa. I now have to find me a Fuse Comp. Thanks for helping me with that decision! Bike inventory is real low out there. I may have to drive a ways to pick one up. Oh, and I still want to come rail some trail with you guys someday... Thx!

I have the expert version of this bike. I like it so much that I have been upgrading it. I just put a pike Ultimate on it, whole other level. Took this bike on White Rim in a day, flawless. Can't say enough on how this bike handles itself.

This was high on my list when building a custom hardtail but the frame is crazy overpriced. $800 for the AL frame I think. Crazy. But maybe at some point I can find a used one to swap my parts to. For now I'm loving my Honzo ST. Anyways, thanks for the review! Love how you advocate for riding in general in all of your reviews.

🔥A lot of very useful information!! 🔥 I WANT ONE !! it’s gonna cost me the price of one to fix up my enduro! It would be perfect on my local loam.

Love my Fuse 29, but I intended to pay less than say a chameleon so that I would have $600 to upgrade it. Here are my gripes: The SX derailleur is godawful and broke after a month of use. I upgraded to a GX Eagle and it’s a night and day difference. Never any chain slapping, and nothing but responsive shifting. I upgraded the brakes because even after changing the pads and bleeding the brakes it still did not have the stopping power that I needed to feel safe on the trail. The last one is a big one: the adjustable dropout is cool in theory, but it’s tied into the derailleur hanger. Consequently, if you have to replace the hanger, as I have to now, you realize that no one sells this part online and it’s hard to get. The 27.5 fuse by comparison doesn’t have the adjustable dropout, but shares a derailleur hanger with pretty much all common specialized bikes. I love how this bike rides, but the amount of work that I’ve had to put into it to keep it trail ready is pretty staggering.

Appreciate the video Steve! Thanks for doing what you do. I was surprised to hear that you like this over the steel middle child though. Is it a material or geo thing? Just curious as I'm in the market haha

You just convinced me of buying this!

Great stuff!

Sick video!

Nice bike, the Expert has a better color too. I agree with your point on 35 wheels, I think the only brands using 35 wheels are Ibis and Devinci. Waiting for the 2021 Fuse and DV9 to come!!! Keep up

the brother anology :) hahahah love it i think ill take one, upgrading from my rusty 2011 rockhopper 29 base model. Been researching for a bit and having a local shop to check it out is outweighing the lower end components and risk of spending 2k on something unseen for sure . plus my shop does a free year of tune ups after purchase ..Thanks!

Great review Steve! I got lucky and stumbled across a 1 week old used one for ~$1100 because the guy wanted to go full squish. My only gripe is the limited seatpost insertion when the seattube is otherwise straight. I'm contemplating drilling out the rivnut to fit a 180 dropper as I think this bike would be even more awesome if the seat could be totally slammed. If anyone reading the comments has done this let me know how it worked - while specialized would probably void the warranty I can't see it compromising the integrity of the frame if done carefully.

Great review, might be just what I'm looking for to complement my 160mm full suspension. Sounds super fun trail ripper that can go anywhere. So hard to find HT in local shop that isn't budget or XC. Had older Commencail and was fun till got new fully and made me not like the short reach, was looking at Honzo nice you had comment on that. Cheap components really don't matter, can all be swapped.

I can hardly follow your talking... the scenery you're riding in is beyond beautiful. What a fantastic landscape for biking!! :D

I bought the 2020 Fuse 27.5+ that starts at $1249. It comes with 2.8” tires and 38mm internal width. You might have enjoyed it more and it’s probably the better value. I love this bike. I have to change the BB and Crankset after the second ride though because the square taper BB was stripping the crankset so I just upgraded to DUB and NX cranks. The Tektro HD-275 were garbage and I finally upgraded to SRAM Guide Ts. The fork is Rockshox Judy which isn’t the best but works fine when I fill it about 40 PSI over recommended like you did. The fork and rear hub are the next things I’m looking to change but I’ll probably wait till the end of their life span because it rides amazing as is!

Im new to the sport and I was literally debating this bike and the commencal....this might have just tipped the debate and i can pick this bike up locally. Great reciew man!!

Hey man, Great content. Keep it up! I haven't seen you ride a Specialized Chisel. Love mine and would like to hear your thoughts about it, since I haven't ridden too many other hardtails.

I wish I could come out and let you ride my Nukeproof Scout 275 to get your opinion on it.. Really enjoy the channel, your turn video has helped me out a bunch with getting out over the bars. Still getting used to doing it though. One other thing, I have the same fork on mine, and I’m 275# but am not bottoming out with it at 192ish psi.

Great review as always. Hope you could get a chance to review the lower specced 27.5+ version.

Wow the issues I had with it are exactly what you spoke of here, I'm a novice and struggled when I pulled the trigger as the "direct to market" I was considering was a couple hundred less. In the end I came to a similar decision and picked up the comp as it was local and the bike shop is reputable and available for any issues. I can honestly say it's a freaking blast, thing I will adjust the chain stay as you mentioned, great video thanks for sharing.

I have the same bike in an xl, when I adjusted my chainstays to the shortest setting my gears would skip. I was wondering if you removed a link from the chain. I also switched to a 32t oval upfront maybe that combo caused the skipping. But more recently I switched to longest setting and im amazed at how this thing climbs now

Inspiring budget MTBers!!! But NOT the Walmart bikes, like some other KZfaqrs have demo’d. Thank you!! I do wish the tire companies would keep the 27.5 x 3.0s!!!

That's kind of funny I looked at it on paper and said that's perfect had a stump jumper before I'm just waiting for that bike to come back in stock. or a chisel I just have to find one to test ride in a medium

I have the 27.5+ version of this bike and I LOVE it! It's got the wide rims you're looking for (38mm internal width and 2.8" tires). I might go down to a meaty 2.6" after I finally wear out the stock tires.

Looks super solid! Great overview!

great job man always good reviews, would be great if you do a review from any of the ragley bikes, specially the marley, sounds up on your street, regards from the basque country

Are you going to review the base model version of the fuse as well? Would be interesting to see how it compares to this more expensive model on the trail.

2 rides so far on my new expert. It’s pretty burly. Feels great. The fork is plush and haven’t had any issues with it so far. Gonna start playing around with the chain stay see what feels best for me.