2023 · SpecializedEpic Hardtail Pro

In believing that full suspension is always the faster choice in mountain biking, the Epic WC is Specialized’s replacement for its top-tier cross-country race hardtails.

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Specialized’s Epic World Cup is a stunningly clean design that revives a radical suspension concept in a state of the art, ultralight chassis, but it’s not without its flaws

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Who is the Epic hardtail for? That’s the question I posed to the product manager responsible for Specialized’s XC race bikes. His response was both honest and telling. “It’s for anyone that wants an XC bike, but can’t stretch their budget to get a full suspension bike.” Best cross country mountain bikes: reviewed and rated by experts And it makes perfect sense. At 10.68kg without pedals, the Epic Hardtail Comp is a really light 29er for the money. To get even close to that target weight with a full suspension bike you’d easily be looking at double that, which instantly rules out those bikes for a lot of riders. Need to know Lightweight 29er XC race hardtail designed of speed Fact 11m carbon frame with threaded BB and 148m dropout spacing RockShox Reba RL fork delivers 100mm travel SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain with full range 10-52t cassette The cockpit has a 60mm stem and 750mm bar to enhance control Four frame sizes: S – XL  with entry-level bike for £3,300 And it makes perfect sense. At 10.68kg without pedals, the Epic Hardtail Comp is a really light 29er for the money. To get even close to that target weight with a full suspension bike you’d easily be looking at double that, which instantly rules out those bikes for a lot of riders. And weight is very important. XC racers are obsessed with it; their own, and that of the bike.  And for good reason. Because for a given power output, lighter is always going to be faster when going uphill. In fact, that’s where I really noticed the benefits of the Epic HT over much heavier trail forced hardtails. The combination of the faster rolling tyres and reduced weight instantly lure you into a false sense of fitness, and before you know it you have your sights set on distant riders that you know you can easily pick off. Specialized S-Works Epic World Cup: first ride review That’s not to say the Epic HT is amazing on the climbs. Fast, yes, but you do need to stay focused, pick good lines and wrestle the front end quite a bit. And that’s primarily because the Epic HT has a short 425mm chainstay length and relatively slack 74.2º seat tube angle. Taken together, these dimensions give the bike a more rearward weight bias, which makes the front end on the Epic is pretty flighty when seated climbing, at least on steeper gradients. And if the climb is chunky, then the relatively skinny 2.35in Specialized Fast Trak/Renegade tyre combo means you need to be on your A game not to lose traction or get knocked off line. Power delivery is direct and purposeful though, and the 100mm travel RockShox Reba fork really limits how much of your energy gets lost in compressing the suspension with every downstroke of the pedals. Approach the top of the cassette and SRAM’s cable operated Eagle transmission has less even jumps than Shimano’s 12-speed cassettes, but shifting is …Continue reading »

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