Specialized first entered the market in 1974
with a touring bike called the Sequoia – and now that touring and all-road
adventure riding is very much back in fashion, Specialized have brought it
back. With its nostalgic steel frame and graphics, disc brakes and
unprecedented versatility, this all-new bike with a very old name promises to light
the flame of adventure in anyone new to the wonders of ‘bikepacking’.
The Sequoia harks back to its heritage with steel-tubing, albeit with the updated Specialized Premium Cr-Mo, size-specific profile, and a carbon fork on all but the basic model. It is a bike-packer’s delight with up to five options for bottle-cage attachments, mounts for front and rear racks and generous clearances which would happily accommodate 45c knobblies for the greatest of adventures.
The top-end Expert model comes fully-equipped with a SRAM Force 1 groupset and powerful hydraulic disc brakes that are enough to convert even the most steadfast off-road advocates to braking in the drops. The proprietary FACT carbon fork promises to take the sting out of harsh roads as well as offering additional bottle-mounts for those thirst-quenching adventures. The hand-built Cruzero tubeless-ready wheels have been cunningly designed so that the spokes are of equal-length, which simplifies the task of replacing spares when touring. The Expert is the only Sequoia to offer a 1X crankset coupled with an 11-42t cassette.
With its understated graphics and internally-routed cabling, the aesthetics of the Expert are free from clutter, making it a strikingly serious looking machine. The adventure-ready geometry with high front-end, low bottom-bracket and long chain stays provide great stability and make the handling sold and sure-footed.
The entry-level model still offers a great deal for the money despite its place in the pecking order. The frame is the same, built from the Premium Cr-Mo tubing, technology which is also lent to its strong Cro-Mo fork complete with bottle-mounts and internal cabling for lights. This model is equipped with Shimano Sora components including a sub-compact crankset and 9-speed cassette. It is finished with Hayfield wheels which round out a bike which is perfect for anyone looking to get out of town and head for the hills.
Epic, endurance rides are entering popular discourse in the cycling world with the development of gravel bikes and the increased popularity of cyclocross ballooning into bigger and better things. The increased popularity of races like the Transcontinental or Race Across America and the desire for searching out the path less travelled leaving all the burdens of real life behind, have caused a surge in demand for bikes that can cope with the rough and ready nature of all-road terrain. The perfect relationship between steel-framed heritage and up-to-the-minute technology is epitomised in the regenerated Sequoia. It is the answer to the ultimate adventure bike question and it gets full marks.
