2019 Specialized Chisel DSW Comp X1 29

If you're thinking about taking the plunge into XC racing, do it with the Chisel Comp. It embodies all of the qualities you'd expect from an XC race bike, like light overall weight, incredible stiffness, and a race-oriented geometry—all with one-by gearing, too. Consider it the vessel that's bringing performance to the masses.

Traditional welding methods create frame joints by connecting tubes to cylinders, leaving the performance and security of the connection up to the skill of the welder. D'Aluisio (DSW), however, allows us to move the joint away from the area of the highest stress, making for a lighter frameset that's stiff, compliant, and incredibly strong—the optimal characteristics of a hardtail XC rig. So what does this mean for you? You'll be powering up climbs, shredding singletrack, and everything in between on a bike that has you questioning why alloy's gotten such a bad rap.

And to further improve this feel, the Chisel also features our XC geometry, which took our previous XC race geo and added some trail DNA to the mix. This equates to a longer top tube, a shortened head tube, and a slacked out front-end, the result of which is a tremendous increase in downhill stability, plus a wider range of fit. And just as importantly, this doesn't require any sacrifice of climbing proficiency.

The build on this Chisel features a Shimano SLX one-by setup for ease of use along with a wide-range of gears. You'll also find powerful MT500 Deore hydraulic disc brakes, the renowned RockShox Judy fork with up to 100mm of travel (size-specific), and 25-millimeter-wide alloy wheels that are optimized for weight and traction.