Specialized epic review

All good things come in twos. Can this concept work? And why do we still prefer the thoroughbred Epic 8?

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

Replacing the Brain with AI and algorithms? At least as it relates to the Specialized Epic 8, which relies on the newly introduced electronic RockShox Flight Attendant suspension. What kind of speed do you enjoy most? Fast trail rides? Or marathon races? Or preferably a mix of everything? Probably not. Besides that, cross-country racing itself is changing — the bikes and the riders are becoming increasingly capable. This is reflected in the Specialized Epic range, giving you a choice of four different models. To meet the requirements of modern cross-country bikes, both models have become significantly more capable. Both the Epic 8 and the Epic 8 EVO rely on an identical frame, which offers mm of travel, paired with a mm fork on the The new Specialized Epic 8 introduces one of the biggest changes in the history of the Epic: bye-bye Brain. The new RockShox Flight Attendant suspension opens up completely new possibilities. However, only!

More importantly, it shares the same high-end fork and shock specialized epic review as the S-Works model. However, it isn't all about the head angle when a longer reach and shorter stem is used; 70mm chosen for the medium size bike tested.

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.

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. And how does it compare to the best XC bikes on the market? Watch our Specialized Epic World Cup video review here:.

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. Both fork and shock have five levels of manually-adjustable Brain sensitivity and are built by RockShox. Specialized supplies its S-Works finishing kit, Roval Control carbon wheels and Fast Trak tyres, which are grippy and fast-rolling, with a supple carcass.

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You probably one of the few that thinks that, most people I know with a specialized brain remove it when they get the bike. Crazy that Pinkbike not discussing frame weight here as that's the show stopper. While there is routing for a dropper post, no versions have one as standard. Comments This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. The geometry certainly offers a confident position for the downhills. It puts the S-Works model well out of reach for most riders, but then these have never exactly been cheap bikes. Each bike comes standard with a dropper post woohoo! 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 Trek Procaliber. Check out our Epic EVO review for more.

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

Other components required very little attention to get up to speed. ChazzMichaelMichaels : "Slack has been around a long time. The same goes with Flight Attendant, it seems to get back to Middle as soon as possible. You must login to Pinkbike. Jealous of all those great Squamish trails!!! When it's hot I stop and take breaks, but ride the same pace. I've written up a separate piece on the FA kit, but in short it's a great addition to an already impressive bike. IntoTheEverflow 3 days ago. SLX performance is hard to fault with clean shifting, wide-range cassette and 32 tooth chainset, which in my mind, is too small. Things get even better when you flip the geometry chip into the Low position. Carry on. Takes even less effort to use than a dropper, which you did use on the Lux, because it comes with one. Nobody said you had to read the comments either, so why don't you just buzz off with your useless comments. JakeEPooh Aug 3, at If I'm carrying around a handlebar lockout, I'd like a fairly active setting for technical climbing, rock gardens, etc.