![]() It's an ultra-light-a size large with pedals, two bottle cages, and a computer mount came in right at 21 pounds-and a supremely capable bike given its category and the limited amount of suspension travel.įully hidden cable routing is now the norm on high and mid-tier drop bar bikes. In every other regard, it is very much a modern full suspension, XC race bike. We designed it to ride like one, only faster.”īut very quickly, I learned that the Epic WC only has one thing in common with a hardtail bike: The feeling of instant acceleration when you stand on the pedals and sprint. The Epic uses a more familiar layout-with a mini-link hiding inside the top tube, just in front of the seat tube-driving a more conventional shock.īefore setting off on my first ride on the new Epic WC, Peter Denk (one of Specialized’s lead engineers for the project) told me, “To start, you should approach this bike like you would a hardtail. Trek’s design uses a single pivot at the bottom bracket with the strut and frame flex giving 60mm of rear wheel travel. With the shock removed, you can see the very small link that drives it. But while the two bikes resemble one another, that is pretty much where the similarities end, as both bikes function very differently. Since Specialized intends the Epic WC to be ridden with little or no shock sag, the design has similar effective-rear wheel travel as most competitors’ 100mm bikes.Īdmittedly, when I first saw the new Epic, I initially thought, "Specialized made a Trek." Certainly, the team behind the bike is well aware of the visual similarities between the new Epic and the Trek Supercaliber. ![]() However, instead of 100mm of travel (as on the previous generation Epic), the new suspension design provides 75mm of rear wheel travel. Ferro described the system as "Brain 2.0". Chance Ferro, head of the ride dynamics team at Specialized, worked with RockShox to design the new shock. The design allows riders to adjust the force required to activate the suspension. First, Specialized abandoned its Brain system for a new adjustable negative air chamber rear shock. The rear shock is where things take a different turn. The fork features an updated damper, and the travel bumps up by 10mm (for 110mm of front wheel travel). This custom-for-Specialized fork uses an inertia-driven valve design to open up the suspension when the trail is rough and close it when conditions are smooth. For the front suspension, the Specialized Brain-equipped RockShox Sid Ultimate fork carries forward from previous versions of the Epic. But philosophically, the bike continues down the same path of active suspension when it's needed and a rigid pedaling platform when it's not, and all accomplished without using a lockout lever. ![]() ![]() The new Epic is a radical departure from its previous iteration. Hardtail fans still have some options within the Specialized portfolio, but riders looking for the fastest XC race bike should have the Epic WC near the top of their list. Specialized believes so strongly in the abilities of the Epic full suspension platform that the brand eliminated S-Works and Pro carbon hardtail from its 2024 product line. First introduced in 2004, Specialized’s new Epic World Cup full suspension platform strives to make hardtails obsolete for cross country racers.
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