Specialized epic review

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 specialized epic review minimally treaded Fast Trak tyres, fit a cage and SWAT tool and head out into the hills, specialized epic review.

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. Looking back at that history can be a good education in the progression of bike design as a whole, as things have changed quite a bit since the model was introduced back in

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.

You can easily keep weight on the front wheel and have more input into where your bike actually goes as specialized epic review to just "riding the slide". I wonder about the repeatability of these test results? It's a main feature of the bike.

The Specialized Epic Comp delivers a fast, reliable ride that feels at home on the racecourse and the trails. However, despite the Comp being the cheapest Epic model in the range, it's still at a price point that makes it unaffordable to some, despite the more basic componentry. The Epic has been in the range for almost 20 years featuring the BRAIN, a rear suspension system that uses an inertia valve to automatically open and close the suspension based on trail bumps. The suspension system attempts to mimic a hardtail while climbing but automatically switching to a full suspension feel when heading downhill. It does, and you can really feel when it is working beneath you too. On initial rides, the thump of the BRAIN initialising and allowing suspension travel can feel odd, almost as if you are bottoming out the shock's travel with noticeable noise and feel. But while it is apparent, it is also very effective working, as you might expect and hope, firming up the rear suspension when the conditions are not too rough underneath.

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.

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.

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The geometry of the Epic 8 is very progressive. Skin walls though? I assume you've got your hands on the new unit, tested it, disassembled it for inspection, and that is your basis for calling it "crap" and saying you "know it's crap. Don't have an account? Its slimmer and more conventional frame profile also provides a greater degree of compliance when riding over rocky terrain, while the SWAT downtube storage gives it another tick in the practicality department. Cause riding bikes is fun in general. Author block. Disappointed not to see the Scott Spark included in the test fleet. She said that she tried various settings and that the lowest setting is the one that felt best to her. From what I understand it is a small hydraulic unit at the rear axle which senses the difference between the output coming from your legs and any actual obstacles on the trail surface, it essentially keeps the suspension locked out until it is necessary to open her up to absorb trail chatter, roots, rocks and the like. Buy now. Like any good XC bike, the Epic puts you in an aggressive position that encourages hard pedaling and sharp handling, though it's a far cry from the twitchy and fevered feel you can get on more conservative XC geometries.

Rocketship fast when you hit the pedals; far more capable and confident than the amount of travel might suggest; covers ground incredibly quickly.

We rode the Specialized Epic 8 on a variety of terrain, from high-speed trails to the steep slopes on the Pacific coast, challenging tech sections, and flowing jump lines in the bike park. If Specialized is going to send their dealers bikes that need that level of work before they can go on the showroom floor, they definitely need to allow more room in their dealer pricing for margins. Yes, it's my personal opinion that any wheel that gets pulled out of a box by a mechanic in a shop needs to be checked on a stand. It also incorporates modular headset cups for adjusting the head angle independently, but otherwise the geometry is pretty similar to the Epic. While there is routing for a dropper post, no versions have one as standard. Both the Epic and Epic EVO share the same brand new frame and suspension design that sees rear travel increase to mm. Geochemistry Aug 3, at It will indeed! When talking to Epic owners you know they got the wrong bike when they say, "I like it, but I wish it was more plush. Michelin revamps its Wild Enduro Racing Line tyres. I did get some creaking from the headset on our test bike, which was easy to pull apart for cleaning. The new Specialized Epic Pro is built for this kind of riding — and with its geometry, with the seamless way in which the BRAIN suspension works and with its pared down, minimal weight and components — it lets you do that even faster than ever. Narro2 Aug 3, at