Specialized epic review

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The bike looks low, long and lean — and lifting it up confirms a truly astonishing lack of weight. No, the one purpose of the Epic Pro is flat-out racing. Everything about the bike — the spec, the tyres and the attitude, is set up for between-the-tapes thrashing. All I needed to do was to fit the supplied tubeless valves, add some sealant to the minimally treaded Fast Trak tyres, fit a cage and SWAT tool and head out into the hills. The mm with grips bars and shortish 60mm stem put everything where you want it to be.

Specialized epic review

It featured the same frame and shock with the Brain damper, but added a mm travel fork, dropper post and chunkier tyres to create a more approachable XC bike. There was a greater focus on comfort and plush suspension performance, though as a side benefit it was also significantly lighter. Specialized has taken that feedback on board and has completely overhauled the Epic and Epic EVO platform for , shifting their intentions in the process. The Epic has evolved into a dedicated mm travel race bike platform, and in a lot of ways represents an evolution of the previous Epic EVO. Meanwhile the new Epic EVO has been pumped up even more, turning it into a lightweight but highly capable trail ripper. For those who are less concerned by remote lockouts and place a greater emphasis on having fun on the trail, the Epic EVO is a seriously fast and capable XC bike. Both the Epic and Epic EVO share the same brand new frame and suspension design that sees rear travel increase to mm. The EVO then heats things up with a bigger mm travel fork, chunkier tyres and more powerful brakes. Add in a wider bar and shorter stem, and it really does start to creep towards the trail bike category alongside the Trek Top Fuel , Scott Spark and Pivot Trail Another point of difference is the rear shock. A fatter downtube makes way for a nice and wide opening that can easily swallow a pump, while a low-profile hatch hinges directly into the carbon frame. This new generation design provides a snug and rattle-free fit with a long lever to secure it in place. Adding to its long distance capabilities, the Epic EVO has room to carry two bottles. Specialized shop mechanics will no doubt be thrilled to see an absence of headset cable routing.

The articles provides no information on differences between runs, effort level, etc. That's enough to indicate that the Epic is just a fair bit slower overall than the Scapel.

Replacing the Brain with AI and algorithms? At least as it relates to the Specialized Epic 8, which relies on the newly introduced electronic RockShox Flight Attendant suspension. What kind of speed do you enjoy most? Fast trail rides? Or marathon races? Or preferably a mix of everything?

After months of teasing, the Specialized Epic World Cup has finally arrived! A brand new model for , the Epic World Cup cuts a striking, hardtail-like figure that immediately draws parallels with the Trek Supercaliber. Instead it utilises an all-new shock with an innovative air spring that aims to provide a highly efficient pedalling platform while maintaining a clean, cable-free cockpit. And how does it compare to the best XC bikes on the market? Watch our Specialized Epic World Cup video review here:.

Specialized epic review

Originally launched back in , the Specialized Epic debuted as the very first full suspension bike on the market to feature a fully automated lockout system. That early Epic and every model since was built around the Brain — an inertia-valve shock damper that could transition from fully locked out, to fully open whenever the rider hit something hard enough. Mike McAndrews, the director of suspension technology at Specialized, came up with the concept as a way to woo racers off of their hardtails. XC racing has of course progressed significantly over the past two decades, and so too has the Epic. For , Specialized is launching an entirely new Epic and Epic EVO, and both represent a stunning leap forward in terms of suspension performance, geometry and handling. For more info about the EVO, check out the full review here.

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MikeAzBS Aug 3, at AppleJack76 3 days ago. You may also like. You just get on the bike, ride and let the suspension adjust to the terrain as needed. Flops shock tune lack of comfort on rough gravel roads. It's not fair to say it will for sure be crap. The subtle steering limiter does its job while being totally unnoticeable when riding. Not everyone likes the brain Pretty clear Mike doesn't But if you like a crisp pedal platform it is really nice. As part of the launch, Specialized is adopting a new naming system that moves away from traditional year models. It works. Longroadtonowhere 3 days ago. Click here to learn more.

Rocketship fast when you hit the pedals; far more capable and confident than the amount of travel might suggest; covers ground incredibly quickly. Specialized gave the Epic and Epic EVO a makeover for , stretching both bikes out and lowering and slackening them. Travel is increased from mm to mm and, unlike the Epic, the EVO forgoes the use of the auto-adjusting Brain shock — which places a remote reservoir containing an inertia valve down by the rear drop out, connected via a hydraulic that runs through the shock yoke and down the seatstay.

No one should support that even if they have the money. If there is one area that I think is underwhelming for the Epic Comp, it is the finishing kit, with an own-brand alloy seatpost, stem and handlebar. And how is standardized frame acceleration calculated? An occasional reminder of the sharpness is good though, as that edge feels like part of the speed equation with a good cross-country race bike. Depending on the bike and the quality of the wheels, if you don't true and set tension out of the box, if a customer takes something off the shelf for a test ride they can come back in from riding in the parking lot with a potato chip of a wheel. Sprint-On-Lock is designed to provide a super stiff lockout, which is supported by the flatter leverage curve of the new kinematic. FuzzyL 3 days ago. Mobile Version of Website. Our test bike is the all-singing, all-dancing S-Works model. As the 8th iteration of their ideal XC bike, Specialized has pushed this new Epic far into the future, with geometry, travel numbers, and frame features that feel indicative of the future of the sport.