To investigate this claim, we went back to where such rumors originated: the infamous Leogang World Cup downhill course in Austria. We did so because Aaron Gwin, who is arguably the fastest biker of all time, has a love/hate relationship with this place. Two years ago Aaron lost his brakes here. In 2014 he had to ride almost the whole course on his bare rear rim and still rode with way more style and control than most of his peers. This year he snapped his chain just a few feet from the start, but he made history by maintaining an average speed of 35 mph. And yes, he won. No one could believe what had happened, and everybody knows that it will probably never happen again.
WHO IS IT BUILT FOR AND WHAT IS IT MADE FROM?
The Demo 8 is designed to be the ultimate downhill weapon. What immediately jumps out at you when looking at the new Demo is the seat mast’s asymmetrical construction. On the left the shock is completely exposed and moved out of the frame’s center line. The Demo 8’s geometry is brand new and features all the angles you’d expect from a true downhill race sled. The head angle is slacker than in the past at 63.5 degrees. This angle generates a longer trail measurement with 27.5-inch wheels, and it also lengthens the wheelbase.
The four available sizes have nearly the same seat tube length and standover height. Only their effective top tube lengths change from size to size. In fact, you no longer have to choose from among the usual S, M, L and XL sizes; now you can choose from among Short, Medium, Long and X-Long sizes.
The main triangle and seatstays are made with Specialized just-under-the-top carbon fiber technologies. The suspension is Specialized’s patented FSR design, although the new Demo features a more streamlined and lighter-weight version of the design compared to previous models.
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Classic FSR: The FSR suspension has been the go-to for all of Specialized bikes for many years. The Demo is arguably the most refined version of it yet.
Classic FSR: The FSR suspension has been the go-to for all of Specialized bikes for many years. The Demo is arguably the most refined version of it yet.WHICH COMPONENTS STAND OUT?
There are two carbon fiber Demo 8s in the Specialized catalog: the $9000 S-Works Demo and the $6500 Demo 8 Carbon in this test. The S-Works is also available as a frameset kit for $4500. There are two full-aluminum-framed Demos as well, with the top one offered at $6800 and the entry-level version offered at $4600. The aluminum frameset is $2900, and all the Demo bikes ride on 27.5-inch wheels.
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Single sided speed: The unconventional-looking single sided design will most certainly catch eyes on the trails.
Single sided speed: The unconventional-looking single sided design will most certainly catch eyes on the trails.Specialized worked closely with Ohlins to develop the TTX22M shock. This thing has a serious damping range that’s second to none and did not disappoint on the trail.
HOW DOES IT PERFORM?
In the saddle: You don’t actually sit on a downhill bike, unless you’re resting. We found that moving the saddle up and forward helped to keep it from buzzing on the rear wheel on big hits. With a long wheelbase and slack head angle, the front wheel looks as if it’s a mile away, but this lends the S-Works Demo 8 tons of confidence when it comes to hitting steep chutes and high-speed chunder.
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Leogang, Austria, 2014: Aaron Gwin, with his flat rear tire completely off the rim, refused to give up on his race run and rode the rest of the course at full speed to the cheers and amazement of the crowd.
Leogang, Austria, 2014: Aaron Gwin, with his flat rear tire completely off the rim, refused to give up on his race run and rode the rest of the course at full speed to the cheers and amazement of the crowd.![Specialized-4]()
Confidence built in: We felt right at home on the Demo in a surprisingly short amount of time. The bike had us up to our (not Gwin’s) race pace in no time.
Confidence built in: We felt right at home on the Demo in a surprisingly short amount of time. The bike had us up to our (not Gwin’s) race pace in no time.Handling: The Demo 8 gives the rider tons of extra stability, even at Mach 1 speeds and on nearly vertical chutes. It’s true that 27.5-inch wheels make trees on the course blur more than before; however, the handling is every bit as confident at this breakneck speed thanks to those big wheels. The new Demo has a glued- to-the-ground feel, but also isn’t afraid to get airborne a time or two on most courses. This is a race bike first, but it also feels at home on any park jump line so long as there’s a strong and skilled pilot at the controls. Buyers should think twice before choosing a size. You don’t have to get an “M” size because that’s what you have always ridden. If your trails and speeds are slower than World Cup stuff, you might want to recover some handling with a shorter wheelbase. Note that we said “some handling.” There’s no way you’re getting back to the quicker handling of a previous-generation downhill bike.
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Rocks and roots, right at home: The supple-off-the-top suspension gobbles rocks and trail chunder without any problem. The Öhlins suspension keeps the pedaling surprisingly efficient too.
Rocks and roots, right at home: The supple-off-the-top suspension gobbles rocks and trail chunder without any problem. The Öhlins suspension keeps the pedaling surprisingly efficient too.Downhill: There is no doubt that stellar riders like Gwin and Brosnan would be able to transform all of their immense talent into pure speed and control on this bike. The slacker head angle helps the fork swallow big hits, while the longer wheelbase and the extra momentum of the bigger wheels make riders feel so confident that actual speed might go unnoticed until it’s too late when they are flying well past the landing of their everyday jumps. If you like riding downhill trails one after the other, and you are not fighting for a podium, you can forget to fine-tune the shock. This says a lot about the FSR suspension’s true quality. Chatter was also where the less-expensive BoXXer disappointed us the most, causing the biker’s hands to develop blisters faster than normal. Furthermore, it lacked some precision when the rider was riding at the speed this bike is designed to go. Overall, the Demo offered a balanced ride, but it still requires a fine rider, or more time before riding it at full speed.
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Racer first, hucker second: The Demo is a race bike first, but wouldn’t stray from throwing down some laps at a bike park either.
Racer first, hucker second: The Demo is a race bike first, but wouldn’t stray from throwing down some laps at a bike park either.TRICKS, UPGRADES OR TIPS?
We immediately noticed marks on the body of the Ohlins shock after only a few runs on the Demo. This was likely caused by the spring rubbing, although it was not noticeable while riding. The damage was just cosmetic but still slightly annoying.
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Factory vs. Stock: One of the only differences between this bike and the one that Gwin uses is this suspension link. Flip to page 88 for the Inside the Pro’s feature to check it out.
Factory vs. Stock: One of the only differences between this bike and the one that Gwin uses is this suspension link. Flip to page 88 for the Inside the Pro’s feature to check it out.BUYING ADVICE
The Specialized Demo 8 Carbon is worth a look for serious downhill riders and racers. The bike is at home pulling daily-driver duties in the bike park, but would be much happier being “on the clock” as a race-day, podium-seeking missile. The modern geometry combined with confidence-inspiring FSR suspension and looks that could kill make for a bike that’s ready for any given Sunday.
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