Just one year after a major update to the Stumpjumper trail bike, Specialized is beefing up the suspension and giving the bike a new name: The Stumpjumper 15 EVO. Though Specialized has long reserved the EVO designation for longer-travel versions of popular bikes, the Stumpjumper 15 EVO actually replaces the standard Stumpjumper 15, at least for the current model year. According to a press release, “all MY26 Stumpjumper 15 models will officially be renamed Stumpjumper 15 EVO—because this bike has earned its stripes.”

A longer fork, plus GENIE gets a piggyback

So what makes the latest Stumpjumper 15 updates worthy of the EVO name? For starters, the trail bike is now specced with a 160mm fork, up from 150mm. As a result, the head tube angle is half a degree slacker, now 64°. This suggests that Specialized has not made any changes to the frame geometry for model year 2026.

The Specialized Stumpjumper 15 was the first generation to utilize GENIE suspension tech, which promises a combination of “the control-enhancing linear spring rate of a coil spring through the ‘bump zone’ with the progressive spring rate of an air spring at the end of the stroke.” Having tested the Stumpjumper 15, I can confirm that the suspension works incredibly well and feels completely dialed.

Now, Specialized has added a piggyback reservoir to the Fox Float X GENIE shock. The upshot is this improved design should prevent the shock from overheating as easily for better consistency and sensitivity. The Stumpjumper 15 EVO, like the Stumpjumper 15 before it, delivers 145mm of rear suspension travel.

The Stumpjumpers get new Shimano wireless drivetrains

The release of the Stumpjumper 15 EVO appears to be timed with the release of Shimano XT and Deore Di2 wireless drivetrain groups. Shimano XTR Di2 was announced two weeks ago, however, only a few bike companies released bikes featuring the groupset, notably Pivot and Trek, and even those were limited to just one or two bikes in the brands’ lineups.

Judging by the photos provided, the Shimano Stumpjumper 15 EVO S-Works build comes with a Shimano XTR Di2 drivetrain and the new XTR brakes. The less expensive Stumpjumper 15 EVO Expert build features the all-new Shimano XT Di2 wireless drivetrain and XT brakes to match. Comp builds do not appear to be available at this time.

Prior to the release of wireless Shimano drivetrain groups, Specialized was only speccing Shimano drivetrains on alloy Stumpjumper builds. An alloy version of the Stumpjumper 15 EVO has not been announced, though it seems likely Specialized will add one down the road, given that the Stumpjumper frame geometry appears to be unchanged.

Updated handlebar and tire spec

In addition to the suspension upgrades and the rollout of wireless Shimano drivetrains, Specialized Stumpjumper 15 EVO builds come with higher-rise handlebars and an updated tire spec. Many riders, myself included, are finding improved comfort and handling with higher-rise bars, especially when descending. The MY25 Stumpjumper 15 already specced Butcher and Eliminator tires, so it’s unclear what has changed about the tire spec.

Is the mid-travel trail bike dead?

Looking at the current Specialized lineup, the brand no longer offers a non-electric, full-suspension bike with a 150mm fork. The Epic EVO has 130/120mm of suspension travel front/rear, while the Status 140 is 140/140mm front and rear. With no Specialized bike offering a 150mm fork, or 130mm of rear suspension travel, this could leave a gap in the brand’s lineup.

Or not. Specialized divides their mountain bikes into just three main categories: cross-country, trail, and downhill. Without downcountry, all-mountain, or enduro product categories, the brand is free to define their trail bikes more freely.

Pricing for the Specialized Stumpjumper 15 EVO S-Works is set at $11,299.99 while the Expert build is priced at $6,199.99. As of press time, regular, MY25 Stumpjumper 15 bikes are still available in a wide variety of sizes and builds, which suggests buyers will have a choice between the original Stumpjumper 15 and the EVO version, at least in the near term.