2019 Specialized Demo Race 29 Mens Downhill Mountain Bike - Black

If speed is what you’re after, the Demo Race 29 is your sled. Everything about this bike is designed to get you from zero to Mach 10: a new frame design, improved kinematics, better braking, big wheels, and all today's newest fancy bits. It’s time to get rowdy.

The Demo’s kinematics and suspension design have been refined with one overriding goal to improve the bike’s ability to carry momentum, no matter how technical the terrain. More momentum equals more speed, after all. Specialized began by altering the Demo’s axle path, making it more rearward in the initial stages of travel where sensitivity is most critical. The revised axle path reduces hang-up on square-edged bumps and that, in turn, transfers more energy to the suspension and less to you. Now, you finish a day of runs with less fatigue and more control.

Bigger wheels maintain momentum better than smaller ones, particularly over technical terrain. The Demo 29 weds 200 millimetres of suspension travel with bigger wheels in a package that’s crazy fast, yet still bike-park playful. The Demo’s suspension performance under braking was also improved and a bit more anti-squat was added to improve its pedaling performance. Bottom line, the new Demo rolls faster through chunky terrain than its predecessor.

The Demo 29’s new shock linkage places weight low on the frame, giving the bike a lower centre of gravity and an even more confident and planted feel at speed. The new linkage is connected to a Trunnion-mount shock, which provides the Demo with the same 200 millimetres of rear suspension in a smaller (225x75mm) shock package. That smaller shock package helped us build a stiffer front down tube. What’s more, the new Trunnion-mount shock features extra bushing overlap and adds ball bearings at the frame side of the shock, effectively boosting shock durability and making the suspension even smoother.

The Demo’s geometry has also been fine-tuned. A relatively short (105mm) head tube keeps handlebar height in the right spot with the 29-inch wheels. Specialized also compensated for the increased wheel size at the bottom bracket, keeping it at 350mm, in order to strike a balance between cornering stability and ground clearance. Lastly, the reach was increased by 20mm across the size range, starting at 425mm with the S2.

The devil is in the details, though, and the same rings true for the Demo 29, where a bunch of little details were added that make it easier to live with. A newly designed, ribbed chainstay protector makes chain slap a thing of the past and nearly silences the drivetrain. A moulded down tube protector, meanwhile, protects the frame from rocks while a co-moulded rear mudguard protects the shock from mud and debris. Clearance for up to 29x2.6" tyres allows for plenty of traction. You're also going to find 148mm rear-spaced hubs, a threaded 83mm GXP bottom bracket, 200mm available post insertion, and internal and external cable routing options for rear brakes. Add it up and the Demo is as easy to work on as it is to find replacement parts for.

For the Demo 29 Race, Specialized took a no-holds-barred approach to the component spec. The bike features Öhlins TTX front and rear suspension, a SRAM X0 DH 7-speed group, and Butcher tyres with an all-new BLCK DMND casing that rolls fast and is ready for some abuse. If you’re on the hunt for the ultimate downhill race bike, you just found it.