Epic 8 EVO Pro
A 29″ carbon frame full suspension trail bike with ultra high-end components.
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Manufacturer Price
$8,500Weight | 26.7 lbs |
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Frame | Carbon |
Suspension | Full, 120 / 130mm |
Fork | Fox Factory Float 34 |
Shock | Fox Float X Factory |
Wheels | 29″ Carbon |
Drivetrain | 1 × 12 Electronic |
Groupset | X0 Eagle Transmission, X01 Eagle AXS |
Brakes | Hydraulic Disc |
Seatpost | Dropper |
For This Bike
Based on build material and quality level of the frame, fork, wheelset, groupset, suspension system, and more.
Compare the full Epic model range
View Comparison5'2" – 5'8"
5'6" – 5'11"
5'10" – 6'3"
6'1" – 6'7"
🐐 Estimated
None yet.
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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 · Tyler Benedict
The new Specialized Epic 8 gets lighter, faster & way more capable with tricky suspension tuning, more travel & clever carbon construction.
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 · 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
Mar 2024 · Marco Toniolo
Specialized presents the new Epic 8, and with it the Evo version, i.e., the one with more travel. The number can only bring to mind the Tarmac 8, unveiled last year, effectively aligning two of the California brand’s most beloved models. Once again, the race version of the Epic differs greatly from the “downcountry” version, but, contrary to what happened in 2020, the Epic 8 Evo is unlikely to be used in competition instead of the Epic 8, which you see in the photo below. In fact, the latter already has 120/120mm of travel, forgoes the Brain in favor of
Mar 2024 · Dario DiGiulio
The Epic EVO gets a longer travel fork and a burlier build kit compared to its more XC race oriented sibling.
Mar 2024
Featuring an all-new carbon frame and an increase in travel, the latest Specialized Epic EVO has morphed into a lightweight trail ripper.
Plush & effective short travel suspension package
Compliant ride quality
Impeccable geometry
Highly competent build kit
New generation SWAT storage
Mechanic-friendly frame furnishings
Fox shock bottom-out issue
Dropper post needed rebuilding
Not available in alloy
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 Color: Satin Forest Green / Spruce/metallic Spruce |
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Fork | Fox 34 Factory, Grip2 Damper, 4 way adjust, 130mm travel, 44mm offset, 15x110mm Travel: 130mm Spring Type: Air |
Shock | Fox Float Factory, Evol LV, Ride Dynamics Tuned, LSC/ Rebound adjust, 190x45mm Travel: 120mm Spring Type: Air |
Bottom Bracket | SRAM DUB Threaded Wide |
Stem | Raceface Turbine R, 50mm, 35mm clamp |
Handlebar | Roval Control Rise Carbon Handlebar, 780mm wide, 20mm rise, 35mm |
Saddle | Body Geometry Power Expert |
Seatpost | Fox Transfer Factory, 30.9, 1X remote, (SM:125mm, MD: 150mm, L-XL: 175mm) Type: Dropper |
Grips | Specialized Trail Grips |
Rear Derailleur | SRAM X0 Eagle Transmission |
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Crank | SRAM X0 Eagle, DUB, 170/175mm, Alloy, 32T |
Shifters | SRAM AXS POD Controller |
Cassette | SRAM XS 1295, 12 speed, 10-52 |
Chain | SRAM X0 Eagle |
Brakes | Front: SRAM Code Silver Stealth, 4-piston caliper, hydraulic disc, 180/200mm HS2 rotor, Rear: SRAM Code Silver Stealth, 4-piston caliper, hydraulic disc, 180mm HS2 rotor Type: Hydraulic Disc |
Rims | Roval Control, Carbon offset design, 29mm internal width, 4mm hook width, Tubeless ready, 28h |
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Spokes | Stainless, 14g, black |
Front Hub | Industry Nine 1/1, 6-bolt, 15mm Thru-axle, 110mm spacing, 28h |
Rear Hub | Industry Nine 1/1, 12x148mm thru axle, XD freehub body, 28h |
Tires | Front: Specialized Purgatory, GRID Casing, T9 Compound, 29x2.4, Rear: Specialized Ground Control, GRID Casing, T7 Compound, 29x2.35 |
Last updated May 4