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Today’s Deals2024 Specialized
Epic 8 EVO Comp
A 29″ carbon frame full suspension trail bike with high-end components.
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Manufacturer Price
$3,799| Weight | 27.8 lbs |
|---|---|
| Frame | Carbon |
| Suspension | Full, 120 / 130mm |
| Fork | Fox Performance Float 34 |
| Shock | Fox Float X Performance |
| Wheels | 29″ Aluminum |
| Drivetrain | 1 × 12 |
| Groupset | GX Eagle |
| Brakes | SRAM Code Bronze Stealth Hydraulic Disc |
| Seatpost | Dropper |
Based on build material and quality level of the frame, fork, wheelset, groupset, suspension system, and more.
Compare the full Epic model range
View Comparison5'1" – 5'6"
5'4" – 5'9"
5'7" – 6'0"
5'10" – 6'3"
6'0" – 6'5"
🐐 Estimated
None yet.
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Summary
The Specialized Epic Evo is a highly capable cross-country bike that excels in technical and flowing trails, offering a blend of agility, efficiency, and trail attack capability. Its updated geometry and suspension platform, including the Flight Attendant system, provide a dynamic ride quality suitable for both racing and all-day adventures. While it's praised for its lightweight frame and innovative features like in-frame SWAT storage, some reviews note limitations in rear tire clearance and occasional harshness in the rear shock.
Updated geometry and increased travel
Flight Attendant suspension system for automatic adjustment
In-frame SWAT storage
Lightweight frame
Excellent handling on technical trails
Limited rear tire space
Rear shock can feel too firm at times
Flight Attendant adds weight
The new Epic Evo is perfect for the increasing category of riders who want full trail attack capability, but with the agility, punch and efficiency that gives the kind of climbing and acceleration gains you’d otherwise have to get an e-bike to unleash.
FreehubFlight Attendant is no crutch. It’s not a Band-Aid covering any weakness.
BikerumorThe Eureka moment came as I piled into the first descent and it was instantly clear that the Evo has jumped up a whole category in terms of capability and control.
MBRFeedback?
View all reviews
Dec 2024 · Ron Koch
The result is a single-frame design that, depending on the components added, can be either a competitive XC racing rig or a confident trail bike that is ready for anything thrown its way.
Apr 2024 · Spencer Astra
During the darkest part of the Northwest winter, I found myself aboard the new Specialized Epic 8 Evo Pro, a short-travel speed demon. After a nasty broken elbow, the Epic Evo and I seem to be sharing new titanium hardware. With 130 millimeters of travel up front and 120 at the rear, the new Epic is a cross-country bike that leans more toward gnarlier terrain than a true race bred rig as it seamlessly blends efficiency with just enough grit to tackle unforgiving trails. Even as I pedaled slow and muddy singletrack, this bike remained remarkably zippy—a testament to its short travel, low build weight, and efficient frame kinematics. Specialized has managed to shave off a few grams from the previous model iteration while producing a stable, refined ride. As I climbed, the Epic Evo’s main standout feature was efficiency. Despite the slow winter dirt, I was usually climbing with enough speed to generate a slight wind on my face. The rear shock platform felt taught and supportive under pedaling load. One of the most notable qualities of the Evo, while both climbing and descending, was the frame’s ability to eat high-frequency vibrations from the trail. My left elbow is fairly sensitive as it recovers from the break and, even with only 120 millimeters of travel, the Evo maintained a soft touch while clambering over roots and rocks.
Mar 2024 · Tyler Benedict
The new Specialized Epic 8 is a downcountry ripper disguised as a race bike. Or maybe it's the other way around. Either way, this bike is fast and fun!
Mar 2024
Goodbye Brain, hello SWAT and Flight Attendant
Mar 2024 · Guy Kesteven
Specialized’s cult favorite rowdy XC winner jumps up a whole weight category to burly downcountry, but does it still have the race speed our expert tester loved before?
Excellent tech taming longer, lower mainframe geometry
XC weight frame with punchy pedaling leaves trail competitors standing
Fox Factory Grip2 fork, Float shock and Transfer dropper
Puncture reducing rims and grippy T9/T7 Grid tires
Generous internal storage, SWAT stem and two bottle cage mounts
Nearly a kilo heavier than the previous Epic Evo Comp
Shock feels too firm at times
Limited rear tire space
Mar 2024 · Simon Kohler, Robin Schmitt
We tested the 2024 Specialized Epic 8 EVO. But what is the big brother of the XC race bike capable of? Read on to find out.
More confidence inspiring than the Epic 8
Short-travel bike with an integrated storage compartment
Shock tune
Lack of comfort on rough gravel roads
Mar 2024 · Robin Schmitt, Benedikt Schmidt
What makes a true champion?Hanging out with Peter Sagan, Martín Vidaurre, and the new Specialized Epic in Chile
Mar 2024 · Guy Kesteven
The new Epic 8 Evo isn’t the pumped up race machine it once was, weight and stiffness are no longer the driving forces any more and really it’s impossible to call it an XC bike. Instead we’re looking at potentially one of the best down-country mountain bikes on the market, a short-travel trail bike with 130mm travel, sticky tyres and proper dropper post. Sure it still gets a modestly lightweight frame and flex stay suspension, but this is now a bike that’s built to shred. If this is sad news for you there’s an XC race alternative in the Specialized Epic 8 that hasn’t abandoned its uphill prowess, and you can read all the stats, design ideas, range focus, sizing and details on the two new Epics right here. Need to know Superlight 120mm travel XC frame with trail hungry geometry 130mm fork, big brakes and sticky front tyre are ready to riot Efficient and effervescent rather than smoothly damped High volume internal storage, and SWAT multitool in the steerer tube Full Fox Factory suspension, with Roval carbon XC wheels and trail bar Epic 8 Evo Pro frame and geometry With its top tube shock placement and flex stay rear suspension design the Epic 8 Evo looks very like the previous generation bike, but there’s a whole lot going on here under the surface. The mainframe is 10mm longer in the large I tested, and slacker by over a degree in the low flip chip setting. The fresh rear end also uses a longer stroke rear shock for 120mm of travel. Anti squat values are also increased for “20% less bob,” Spesh says. The bigger down tube gets SWAT internal storage and the internally plumbed cables/hoses are all threaded through the head tube front, and not the headset. There’s a steering stop to prevent the bar rotating into the frame and you also get rubber armour on the belly and chain stays. That leaves limited rear tyre room as the only obvious gripe. The composite lay up is all new, with a focus on vibration damping – Specialized claims a 12% decrease – as well as low weight. A hollow in-moulded front shock mount also saves 24g over the previous solid, bonded on mount. But the use of Spesh’s heavier 11M carbon, extra length and strength, steel fixtures, internal storage and 75g of rubber armour means claimed frame weight is now 2,105g, some 446g heavier than the old S-Works Epic 7 Evo. Components It’s not just the frame that’s burler than previous Evos, the components are too. The RockShox SID is out and instead the bike uses a 130mm travel Fox 34 Factory fork with GRIP damper. You get a 970g Purgatory front tyre in sticky T9 compound and the Code brakes run extra thick, extra powerful HS2 200mm front and 180mm rear rotors. The rear shock is a Fox Float with oversized EVOL can and you get a fully adjustable Fox Transfer Factory dropper post rather than the two …Continue reading »
• Superlight frame for a 120mm trail bike, at 1,870g
• Aggressive geometry that's ideal for riding hard, and climbing well too
• Components are superlative, with 130mm fork, powerful brakes and sticky front tyre
• Rear shock tight in feel and doesn't quite match up with the plush 130mm fork
• Rear tyre clearance isn't the best
| Frame | FACT 11m Carbon, Progressive XC Race Geometry, Rider-First Engineered™, SWAT downtube storage, threaded BB, 12x148mm UDH compatible rear dropout, internal cable routing, 120mm of travel BB Standard: BSA, 73mm, Threaded Hanger Standard: UDH Colors: Gloss Purple Inidigo / Midnight Shadow; Satin Blue Onyx / Dune White |
|---|---|
| Fork | Fox 34 Performance, Grip Damper, Compression adjust, 130mm travel, 44mm offset, 15x110mm Travel: 130mm Spring Type: Air |
| Shock | Fox Float Performance, Evol LV, Ride Dynamics Tuned, 2-position compression adjust, 190x45mm Travel: 120mm |
| Bottom Bracket | SRAM DUB, BSA 73mm, Threaded |
| Stem | Alloy Stem, 35mm clamp, 50mm |
| Handlebar | Specialized Alloy, 20mm rise, 35mm, 760mm wide |
| Saddle | Body Geometry Power Sport, steel rails |
| Seatpost | X-Fusion Manic, 30.9, 125/150/170 Travel, 0mm offset Type: Dropper |
| Grips | Specialized Trail Grips |
| Rear Derailleur | SRAM GX Eagle, 12-speed |
|---|---|
| Crank | SRAM X1000 Eagle, DUB, 165/170/175mm 32T, Steel 32T |
| Shifters | SRAM GX, trigger, 12-speed |
| Cassette | SRAM XG-1275, 12-speed, 10-52t |
| Chain | SRAM NX Eagle, 12-speed |
| Brakes | Front: SRAM Code Bronze Stealth, 4-piston caliper, hydraulic disc, 180/200mm rotor, Rear: SRAM Code Bronze Stealth, 4-piston caliper, hydraulic disc, 180mm rotor Type: SRAM Code Bronze Stealth Hydraulic Disc |
| Rims | Specialized Alloy 29, 27mm internal width, tubeless |
|---|---|
| Spokes | DT Swiss Industry |
| Front Hub | Alloy, sealed cartridge bearings, 15x110mm thru-axle, 28h |
| Rear Hub | Alloy, sealed cartridge bearings, 148mmx12mm thru-axle, 28h |
| Tires | Front: Specialized Purgatory, GRID Casing, T9 Compound, 29x2.4, Rear: Specialized Ground Control, GRID Casing, T7 Compound, 29x2.35 |
First added March 12
Last updated June 4