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 specialized epic review was also significantly lighter.

Mar 12, You must login to Pinkbike. Don't have an account? Sign up. The Specialized Epic has a long history of being one of the fastest bikes out there, with a specific bent towards racing, long efforts, and efficient travel over terrain.

Specialized epic review

Cast your mind back 22 years ago, when the Specialized Epic debuted on the race scene with its iconic Brain shock. Two decades and many revisions later, Specialized is launching the latest version of the Epic and, for the first time ever, there is not a Brain damper in sight. In fact, this is the first Epic where most models will come with a remote lockout. Sacre bleu! So what exactly are the differences? How does the new Epic compare to the short travel Epic World Cup? And where do they all sit amongst the best XC bikes on the market? I gotta say, we are absolutely loving this new trend for mm travel XC bikes, and the Specialized Epic is arguably the best example yet. All new for , the latest Specialized Epic represents the 8th generation of the race bike platform. As part of the launch, Specialized is adopting a new naming system that moves away from traditional year models. Expect other models to follow this nomenclature in the future.

Just makes a lot of sense, specialized epic review. I guess if you want to niggle on the cassette that's fine I think it's an NX cassette btw, on the Expert model, although it's the only NX part, everything else is GX but again, show me a bike with similar ride characteristics and features that competes 5ft curtains. SunsPSD Aug 4, at

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.

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. Cables are routed internally and just behind the bottom bracket, and where the rear triangle meets the front, Specialized has plugged the gap with a thin rubber grommet to help prevent crud build up. The Epic EVO is available in five different sizes, all of which sport 29in wheels. The With a bottom bracket height of mm with a drop of 36mm the Epic EVO feels ground-huggingly low.

Specialized epic review

One of the best-known XC bikes on the market, the latest Specialized Epic is notable for two reasons. First is the updated geometry, reflecting the changing nature of XC courses, with a longer reach and slacker head angle. Although Specialized has rejigged the shape of the bike, with longer tubes, it's still kept the weight low The main story here is the Brain, designed to keep the suspension firm for pedalling but instantly make it fully active when things get rough. It works using weighted inertia valves, which open up the compression circuits of the fork and shock when a bump force is encountered. The rear Brain — the small reservoir tucked in behind the non-driveside dropout — is now closer to the wheel axle and has improved oil flow for a smoother feel.

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Yeah, I would take the times with a grain of salt. I had been hoping they would. This huge head and down tube together with the skinny rear triangle makes for a very unbalanced appearance. 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. Emilymarina 2 days ago. The Power saddle is fantastic, the lock-on grips are agreeable, and aside from chopping the bars down to my preferred width of mm, there was nothing that needed changing. There is no cable running through the headset. Descending Are XC bikes allowed to be fun? The more affordable Epic 8 models have the same three modes, though without Flight Attendant suspension, meaning you must select them manually with the twist grip remote. 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. At 5'5'' and right on the border of S and M Crappy wheels is one reason why I buy frames and not complete bikes. At the price point of the Epic Comp, there are a few brands that offer an XT drivetrain, where the biggest benefit is likely a weight reduction. She also owns the last generation Epic EVO, which would make for a useful point of comparison against the new bikes. Car was employees on Motiv bikes with coil shocks made of paper clips would gladly approve.

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.

As for going hand built, go for it! The engagement of the Brain always felt like a clunk. As does Fox Live Valve. They should be hand built at that price point, IMO. You feel comfortably integrated with the bike from the get-go. And those are days that I opt in to going hard, because I feel pretty good. Since the settings depend on your personal power zones and the incline, they will also behave differently depending on the rider and trail. BB is way too low. Yep, a remote lockout on an Epic, who woulda thunk it! The team at Specialized also emphasized the goal of keeping the rear end shorter to keep the wheelbase from getting out of hand on larger sizes.