Should you buy a 2021 Specialized Chisel? My one month review!

Рет қаралды 28,106

Күн бұрын

#specializedchisel #hardtail #whybuyahardtail #chiselreview
I bought a base model 2021 Specialized Chisel and absolutely love it. I review it here and tell you the pros and cons and how I went about buying a new bike. Let me if you have any questions and comment below.
0:00 Should you buy the 2021 Chisel?
0:29 How I went about figuring out which mountain bike to buy
1:55 How to use Specialized website to find a local bike
2:20 Test ride of the bike
2:45 Overview of the Specialized Chisel
4:58 How does it ride?
5:40 The geometry
6:45 Upgrades I made
7:50 Should you buy the Specialized Chisel and which one to get?

Пікірлер: 51

@patrickthompson6636 2 жыл бұрын

Epic review! Ready to cop my chisel 👌

@tautvydasbucnys5169 2 жыл бұрын

Got mine Chisel last summer. This winter made an upgrade - switched a new fork - SID SL 100 mm travel, DT Swiss wheels X1900, Shwalbe Thunder Burst tyres, XT shifters and a carbon seat post. Now its a monster. Save up to 1.6 kilos. Rides amazing tho.

@michaelthompson1640 2 жыл бұрын

Love it !!! Those are the exact upgrades I eventually want to make as well. Excellent fork and wheel choice. How do you like the Thunder Burts? I am looking for new XC tires. XT shifters is on the upgrade list too. Enjoy riding and glad you love the Chisel too!

@abdennafiaabari3297 7 ай бұрын

What weight does it have now ?

@tautvydasbucnys5169 7 ай бұрын

@@abdennafiaabari3297 10.6 kilos

@aleixcampsarcarons5958 2 жыл бұрын

Great review! Thanks from Barcelona 👍

@michaelthompson1640 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! 😊

@rule3036 Жыл бұрын

Get one...I have a Ltd Fire red frame build with XT group set, brilliant bike👍

@rule3036 Жыл бұрын

Totaly agree. Wanted a modern HT to replace an old Orange P7 26 3x; Brought a 21 Ltd frame built up with XT group set, Hope wheels Maxxis 2.5 tyres , Ergon saddle and grips, Judy silver forks. Best bike I have ridden, capable and forgiving perfect for UK trail xc style, gravel riding . Downside build was heavier than I wanted....dead on 12kg but doesn't feel heavy once moving......thinking of getting lighter carbon components for long distance xc events seen similar builds down to 9.5kg. Great bike, cant go wrong in my opinion🇬🇧🇺🇸

@michaelthompson1640 Жыл бұрын

Nice build! Glad you love it too, such a fun bike and so fast 💨

@ricardoas4350 2 жыл бұрын

I have a chisel comp 2019 that came with a dual chainring and I love it, definitely prefer it over the single one, specially for getting into the trails riding. I changed the stem from 70mm to 44mm and now i can tackle crazy steep technical descents. Overall i love this bike even for “trail rides” over my specialized fuse

@michaelthompson1640 2 жыл бұрын

Love it and thanks for the comment! It’s such a great bike and the fuse was on my list of bike I was looking at as well! I shorter stem is a great idea and I think I’ll do that next soon! Which brand/model stem did you get?

@ricardoas4350 2 жыл бұрын

@@michaelthompson1640 My friend lent me his “wake” stem from amazon (just to try how it felt with a shorter one) I liked it, so I ordered a hussefelt stem to put it on my fuse and use the fuse stout stem on my chisel. Definitely recommend a shorter stem, it changes a lot the feel of the bike on gnarly descent, now I feel as comfortable as in my fuse, but lighter! And faster haha

@miguelkieling532 Жыл бұрын

Great video. I have a Rockhopper Comp 2021, with MicroShift 1x9. It serves me well on urban use + mid level trail riding. The problem is the suspension. It’s coil and heavy. I’m wondering if I should simply upgrade the fork to something like a RockShox Recon or if it would make more sense to sell the bike and buy another, like a Chisel or Trek X Caliber 9. What would you do?

@michaelthompson1640 Жыл бұрын

I'd sell the bike and get a chisel, because it has better geometry and boost spacing. No matter how much money you put into your Rockerhopper it will never get to the level of the chisel. Baseline chisel will be a great start for you to build on.

@DanielDiaz-no7nu Жыл бұрын

Great video, I live in RVA similar terrain as you and looking between Chisel and Comp. Which one would you choose based on todays prices? This is my first MTB I’m a roadie

@michaelthompson1640 Жыл бұрын

That's a tough call but I would get a chisel just because the level that you can take it too will be higher than the Rockhopper. I'd get the cheaper chisel, I think it's 1800 new and just ride it till it breaks and start upgrading then. Even better if you can find one used, most of the time they go for $1000 -1200 which is a similar price to the rockhopper new

@DanielDiaz-no7nu Жыл бұрын

@@michaelthompson1640 Sorry, I meant between base Chisel and Chisel Comp based on todays prices. You’d pick base Chisel and upgrade over time? Thank you!

@michaelthompson1640 Жыл бұрын

@@DanielDiaz-no7nu got it, then yes to base model as there is a $600 difference, the frame is the same and you’ll change out the other parts eventually. If you can’t find a base model in your size then comp great

@petepark9791 6 ай бұрын

Hey there Michael, How do you think the Chisel does as an all rounder bike? I live in Arizona where its pretty rocky but I want to enjoy riding in both rocky and paved trails. Do you think the Chisel can handle this based on your experience? I'm looking at the base 2022 Chisel.

@michaelthompson1640 6 ай бұрын

Hey! Yes! Absolutely- the chisel is perfect for that mixture. Maybe upgrade the fork and add a dropper if it’s super tough trails. But the frame is perfect

@petepark9791 6 ай бұрын

@@michaelthompson1640 appreciate the response! I went with the Chisel and I love it! Thanks for the video!

@user-ux9wk4zq4o 5 ай бұрын

"I have the Chisel Comp 2022 , and honestly, it's an excellent bike-ultra-stiff and fast. However, for me, being 1.81 m tall, I got it in size XL. In size L, it's a bit too small; the geometry is borderline."

@michaelthompson1640 5 ай бұрын

Yea I’m normally a medium in MTB and went for the large. The reach isn’t very long on this bike

@urquhaja 11 ай бұрын

Hi, can you please tell me how tall you are please? I'm 5 feet 9 and cant decide between the medium and the large.

@michaelthompson1640 10 ай бұрын

I’m 5 feet 10 inches, I was torn too but went large and I’m happy

@KuzyoYaroslav Жыл бұрын

I'm 6"1 feet - what do you think is L frame size going to feet me. I have no way to test it that is really sad. Thanks for the video.

@michaelthompson1640 Жыл бұрын

Yea I think a large be OK, I'm 5;11 but have long legs and a shorter torso.

@KuzyoYaroslav 9 ай бұрын

@@nevermind3486 Hey, I have got L and I love it. Thinks to consider - its my first XC bike so I really like that its more manageable. With my current experience I'm not seeing myself running on XL.

@jcabb1 2 жыл бұрын

Have you tried the medium Chisel?

@michaelthompson1640 2 жыл бұрын

I haven't tried a medium but i'd imagine it's similar, reach is going to be a bit shorter. Buy one if you can.

@jcabb1 2 жыл бұрын

@@michaelthompson1640 ya, I’m the same height as you but I got the medium. It fits quite well. This bike rides really nice & is alot of bike for the price, best bang for the buck!

@michaelthompson1640 2 жыл бұрын

@@jcabb1 that’s awesome you got one. I think me and you are in between sizes!!! It’s such a great bike and I was passing bikes this weekend that are 10x the price

@icantgivecredit871 9 ай бұрын

I'm considering this bike, but I'm disappointed it now comes with low-end SRAM components.

@michaelthompson1640 9 ай бұрын

Yea I hate how they spec the new bikes. You almost have to just buy the frame and do your own build

@icantgivecredit871 9 ай бұрын

I did consider it, but the full Chisel does not cost that much more than the frame. @@michaelthompson1640

@thedrinksomechoir7918 Жыл бұрын

it is now 2023/

@flowbike4487 2 жыл бұрын

down country bike "DC" bike = AC joint separation :(

@michaelthompson1640 2 жыл бұрын

oh man, sorry to hear about that; hope you'll be back out there riding soon!

@marmarcberserker5503 2 жыл бұрын

@@michaelthompson1640 soon"- no way, once torned ligaments will never heel. I mast lern to live with this injury :/

@TeoSluga 2 жыл бұрын

Sorry, but if you want a best bang for the money you just don't buy Specialized. There are plenty of other bikes to choose from, respectively from brands like Vitus, Decathlon RockRider, Radon, etc. And to be even more specific, my 300 EUR RockRider 1.6 kg Boost frame is actually made in France, not in China like Specialized.

@theymademepickaname1248 2 жыл бұрын

No bike shops in my area sell any of those. Specialized is overpriced and mass produced in Asia, but they do put out quality bikes and are available. You have to take what you can get, especially in these times.

@TeoSluga 2 жыл бұрын

@@theymademepickaname1248 I'm aware of that. I just get really angry when brands (Specialized, Trek,...) sell QR rear axle frame bikes for 1500 USD... It's like they are making fun of us and want to push customers to buy bikes that cost over 2k.

@michaelthompson1640 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment. I'm pretty sure they don't sell those brands in the US or where I'm from Washington, DC. I still think the Chisel is a good bang for your buck especially at $1600 when compared to the other bikes available in the area/market. Also just because a bike is made in Asia doesn't mean it's bad, the Chisel is quite well engineered for a mass produced frame. I would agree with you though that Specialized/Trek doesn't put much thought into their other low priced MTB/road frame options.

@Monkeyseemonkey79 2 жыл бұрын

The Chisel is an incredible frame. The weld quality is far superior to anything fron any of the brands you listed. I bought a 2018 Chisel frame (back when they were only $700) and built it up with a Fox StepCast fork and a dropper. Four years later I am still riding the hell out of this bike and love it. They are actually very good value for $1600-1900 dollars. They are so light, efficient, and fast and the frame quality is exceptional.

@DilbertMuc Жыл бұрын

@@michaelthompson1640 The Chisel is underpriced, you say? Specialized recognized this error and adapted the price. It's EUR 2000,- now for the basic model with horrible SRAM SX that weighs a ton.