# Opinions on the Specialized Safire Comp?



## chong (Mar 4, 2011)

Hello ladies, I was wondering if any of you ride the Specialized Safire Comp. My wife participated in the local demo day and liked this bike the best compared to the Giant Cypher (wanted to demo the Anthem X3W, but they didn't have one in her size) and the Cannondale RZ-120 (wanted to demo the Lexi, but they didn't have one in her size). Sadly, Santa Cruze wasn't represented so she couldn't ride the Juliana. We also called the only local Santa Cruze dealer in the Metro Detroit area and they wouldn't let her demo the bike on a trail so we're not willing to shop there. All of our local (Ann Arbor) bike shops will let us demo any bike on a real trail if they have the bike in their stock. All of the big brands are represented locally. What else should she be riding? For reference, she's 4'11" tall and 100lbs and rides a Trek 4500WSD. She's specifically looking at Full Suspension bikes. We ride strictly XC so she doesn't need anything downhill oriented. Right now she has her sights set on the Safire, but we have at least 2 months before we can make the actual purchase. Money is no object, though anything over $5k would mean she can't ride it this season. Thanks for the help!


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## Bonkbonk (Apr 20, 2008)

Pivot Mach 4 XXS, I am 5' and love it. The Turner Flux may be small enough as well. The Safire was too big for me as was the Juliana. The Giant anthem would be close too..


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## Rocket Girl (Mar 10, 2011)

I ride a 2009 Safire Comp and I LOVE it! It was my first FS bike, and my riding improved exponentially with it. I felt immediately safer, more stable and more in control, and consequently was able to branch out considerably in the terrain and trails I enjoyed riding. Couple caveats: I am quite a bit taller (5'8"), so I'm on a large frame, and I think both the frame and component package have changed since 2009, so my opinion may be useless. 

Good luck and have fun!


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## Heavy Fluid (Mar 31, 2011)

Has she considered any of the Trek Fuel EX bikes? They have 3 WSD full suspension bikes, and come in small sizes. My wife is 5'1.5" and 106, and she is on a 2006 Fuel EX7 WSD in 13" and it fits her well.



> originally posted by chong....
> 
> Money is no object, though anything over $5k would mean she can't ride it this season.


What does this last part mean?


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## bpchik (May 13, 2008)

I would also see if you can find a Small 2010 Specialized Safire Expert. There seem to be many still left in LBS. Mine has it in 3 sizes. Between the 2011 Safire Comp and the 2010 Safire Expert. I liked the 2010 Expert, hands down. It comes with the "brain" technology, and has the Fox Talas (adjustable 100-120-140 mm) fork.

My shop is selling the bike for $2350 (and it retailed last year for $3300). I believe this year's Safire Comp is retailing for $2600. For about $300 less you get a better bike and the geometry is identical, I think, or at least very close.



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## ICAsh (Sep 24, 2009)

chong said:


> We also called the only local Santa Cruze dealer in the Metro Detroit area and they wouldn't let her demo the bike on a trail so we're not willing to shop there. All of our local (Ann Arbor) bike shops will let us demo any bike on a real trail if they have the bike in their stock.


No they won't. There is a difference between demo bikes that they will let you take out on a real trail and bikes they have in stock. Do you really want to buy a "brand new" bike that god only knows how many people have taken out on a trail to test ride and abused the hell out of for a day? Demo bikes are owned by the manufacturer and live and the LBS for the purpose of taking out to demo, or they are bikes the shop owns as rental bikes. Manufacturers have trucks full of bikes that they drive around the country and do demo days. Just because a LBS has a bike in stock and won't let you take it out for a demo on a trail, does not mean it's not a good shop. It means they don't have a demo bike and they are not going to let you beat the crap out of a brand new bike for a day and then try to sell it as new. You shouldn't eliminate what is regarded as a great female specific bike, or a bike shop, based on this. IMHO.

Why are you open to spending 5K on a bike when she doesn't even really know what she wants anyway? Having ridden both, there is a very big difference between the Safire and the Anthem. And why the X3W, not the X1W if money is no object? Your budget is all over the board.


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## chong (Mar 4, 2011)

Heavy Fluid said:


> Has she considered any of the Trek Fuel EX bikes? They have 3 WSD full suspension bikes, and come in small sizes. My wife is 5'1.5" and 106, and she is on a 2006 Fuel EX7 WSD in 13" and it fits her well.
> 
> What does this last part mean?


She tried to demo the Fuel EX8 WSD, but Trek didn't bring ANY WSD bikes nor did they bring any FS frames small enough for her to ride. Our LBS is a Trek dealer (they don't have anything in the store in her size) so I'd prefer she got a Trek since they'd give us a pretty good discount, but she's the one making the decision.

The second part simply means that if we have to spend more than $5k we'd have to save up more for it. Probably would have enough by December at which point we won't be biking again until late April or early May.

I've been emailing the local Pivot dealer and they are trying to find a Mach4 for her to demo.

I'll give the Specialized dealer a call this weekend to see if they have the Safire Expert in her size that she could try.

The closest Turner dealer is in Indiana (we are in Ann Arbor Michigan) so I don't think we'll be able to test those.


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## ICAsh (Sep 24, 2009)

A lot of companies have a separate womens bike demo tour. Trek and Giant both do, and I know Giant has the full size range of Anthems in their fleet. And Jackie, the demo chick, is super cool.
Giant: http://www.giantforwomen.com/events
Trek: http://www.fitforwomentour.com/region.php?region_id=9


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## chong (Mar 4, 2011)

ICAsh said:


> No they won't. There is a difference between demo bikes that they will let you take out on a real trail and bikes they have in stock. Do you really want to buy a "brand new" bike that god only knows how many people have taken out on a trail to test ride and abused the hell out of for a day? Demo bikes are owned by the manufacturer and live and the LBS for the purpose of taking out to demo, or they are bikes the shop owns as rental bikes. Manufacturers have trucks full of bikes that they drive around the country and do demo days. Just because a LBS has a bike in stock and won't let you take it out for a demo on a trail, does not mean it's not a good shop. It means they don't have a demo bike and they are not going to let you beat the crap out of a brand new bike for a day and then try to sell it as new. You shouldn't eliminate what is regarded as a great female specific bike, or a bike shop, based on this. IMHO.
> 
> Why are you open to spending 5K on a bike when she doesn't even really know what she wants anyway? Having ridden both, there is a very big difference between the Safire and the Anthem. And why the X3W, not the X1W if money is no object? Your budget is all over the board.


Calm down there internet tough guy. The Santa Cruze dealer is 60 miles away. We were in the area last weekend and called ahead to ask if they'd let her take one out. They said she could spin it around the parking lot; sorry, no deal. Every single one of the shops by us will let you take a brand new (not necessarily demo fleet) bike out for a legitimate test ride. Most charge a (non-refundable) $100 deposit to take the bike out that goes toward the purchase of the bike if you liked it and want to buy it. That's not unreasonable in my opinion. The Pivot dealer we're talking to looks like they will truck a bike in for her to try. That's the kind of shop that deserves a sale. She crossed the Julianna off the list because she couldn't take it for a legitimate test ride. I don't blame her and I don't think many people would.


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## ICAsh (Sep 24, 2009)

LOL, I am an internet tough guy because I expect someone who buys a brand new bike for a brand new bike price to get a brand new bike. Not a bike that has been demoed on local trails half a dozen times by people who decided they didn't want it. Does your $100 go off the purchase of the bike no matter who buys it? Doubt it. So, five people demo a bike, and decide they don't want it, the shop just made $500 extra off that bike and then still sold it for MSRP? THAT'S a bike shop that doesn't deserve my business imo. I am not against a shop going above and beyond to get someone on the perfect bike, but making money for effectively renting a bike out and then selling it as if it was brand new is not OK in my book.

My LBS would never let me take a new, for sale, bike out to the trails. I would NEVER expect them to, 100 bucks or not. Inaugural rides are for the person who buys the brand new bike.

In turn, I know that any bike I buy from them has not been abused by someone else.


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## chong (Mar 4, 2011)

We'll have to agree to disagree. For my wife's body type its more valuable for her to demo as much as she can. I do appreciate the demo links. Wish Copper Harbor wasn't a 500 mile drive, that's the perfect place to demo FS bikes in Michigan.


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## bubu13 (Apr 4, 2010)

I ride a small Safire Expert, a lot of travel on this bike. The "brain" is suppose to auto adjust, its a good XC bike, climbing is a bit of a challenge...I find I like the lock out better. Also check out some of the XS in non-WSD bikes. I am 5'1" and I like the Yeti XS.


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## ecrepeau (Aug 25, 2010)

Just picked up my wife a 2011 Spec Safire Comp. She was riding a Gary Fisher HT WSD before. Her riding has instantly changed and can bomb down sections of the trail she wouldn't have touched before. We were going to get her the Myka FSR, but the shock that comes on the comp is coil which doesn't work for her weight. 5 foot and 100 lbs. Was going to try to hunt down a Myka FSR Elite, but then she rode the Safire Comp. End of story regarding looking anymore.


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## chong (Mar 4, 2011)

Quick Update: She's going for the XXS Pivot Mach4 in the X9 build configuration. Pivot dealer quoted us at $3900. The price is within budget for picking it up this year (though it won't be in until August), but is it a good deal for this bike? We don't have the order in yet as the shop is still working on getting one in for her to demo this week, but they've done all the measurements and it looks like geometry wise its the best fit compared to everything else she's ridden to date. Thanks for all of the help thus far, she's really geeked to get this bike!


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## Bonkbonk (Apr 20, 2008)

Yes! Great deal! She'll love it


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## chong (Mar 4, 2011)

A big thanks to everyone in this thread that offered advice. As noted above she went with a XXS Mach4. We picked it up this afternoon and took it for its first shakedown ride. She's formed a couple opinions on the new bike after 6 miles.

1. Its a lot lighter than the outgoing 4500WSD
2. The Fox air fork actually compresses unlike the Dart3

And the pics:


Jess new bike by ch0ng, on Flickr

Demonstrating point #1:

Jess new bike by ch0ng, on Flickr

The only thing I don't like about it is the fact that I can't lock the bike to the roof rack (Yakima Copperhead) since it requires use of a thru axle adapter. Going to have to rig up some sort of locking cable to remedy that small issue.

Thanks again!


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