FACT 11m carbon, molded chainstay protection, RockShox Reba RL, Motion Control damper, Solo Air spring, 42mm offset, Specialized Alloy Minirise, 10mm rise, 750mm width, 31.8mm clamp diameter, Specialized XC, 3D-forged alloy, 4-bolt faceplate, 6 rise, 31.8mm bar clamp, Shimano SLX M7100, 2-piston, CENTER LOCK rotors, Specialized Alloy, 25mm internal width, tubeless ready, 28 hole, Shimano, MT400 15x110mm Boost front, MT510 12x148mm Boost rear with MICRO SPLINE driver, Specialized Body Geometry Power Sport, steel rails, Gloss Flo Red/Red Ghost Pearl/Metallic White Silver, Satin Carbon/Oil Chameleon/Flake Silver, Lifetime frame, 2 years Specialized components, @cache_main: c90c2c2101879b86ffe9a01770d3cc4f. Proven, reliable, and utterly badass. Youve seen the look. the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the The Epic Hardtail is keenly priced compared to the hardtails it was up against Canyon Exceed CF SL 7.0, Cube Reaction C:62 SL, Merida Big Nine XT but even taking that into account, the kit doesnt leave me excited. You get the highest efficiency possible when hammering up climbs, and smooth compression on the descentsall without ever having to flick a switch.- SRAM's 12-speed GX Eagle groupset, with its 10-50t cassette, provides a wide gear range that lets you spin up the climbs, yet have plenty of top end for the descents. The stock Phenom saddle fit our test riders well and was comfortable during long days in the saddle. The ridiculously capable mystifyingly comfortable head-shakingly light and all-around fast Epic Hardtail. Sign in to manage your newsletter preferences. Outside of testing bikes, Tom competes in a wide range of mountain bike races, from multi-day enduros through to 24-hour races in the depths of the Scottish winter pushing bikes, components and his legs to their limits. our full clothing size guide here. This new bike just increased my love for this awesome company. We ran 20-percent sag and started our testing with the Brain turned to its softest setting to get a feel for the fork. This gives the bike a calmness as it carves from berm to berm, or while pointed through choppy rock and root gardens, where it resolutely refuses to become unstuck. Up front is RockShoxs new SID fork to handle the little bit of suspension this bike has. Aspiring racers or riders who simply want to move up the local leader board on Strava will have a competitive option with the Epic. The low front end allowed us to keep our heads down and our weight shifted forward to power up steep sections of trail. Instead recognizing that the fastest bike is more than simply the lightest bike we said out with the jarred-to-death tail the measure-your-posteriors-sorrows-by-the-yard tail and in with the avant-garde tail. Ridiculously capable, incredibly light, and refreshingly comfortable, the Epic Hardtails dropper-post friendly FACT 11m carbon frame rewrites the hardtail playbook with game-changing success. Taking a page from the trail bike playbook, Specialized slackened the head angle to 68.5 degrees, reduced the fork offset, increased reach and moved to shorter (60-75 millimeter) stems on all frame sizes. Stemming from the full-suspension XC rig, the Epic Hardtail is the newest evolution of cross-country from the brand based around high-performance riding. The layup, resin, and tube shapes have all been modified, and the result is a muchhigher stiffness-to-weight ratio than any 29er Specialized hastested. He is also a regular presenter on BikeRadars YouTube channel and the BikeRadar podcast. If you've already created an account you can login here to see the status of any previous orders or change your newsletter settings. Specialized included a set of its carbon Roval Control wheels that are very lightweight, stiff and on the narrow side with an internal rim width of 23 millimeters. While the SRAM SX/NX Eagle drivetrain is functional, its a step down in quality from the Shimano XT and GX Eagle found elsewhere, and the cassette has a narrower 11-50t range. prior notification. Fast and light meets confident and capable in a bike thats been bred to redefine whats possible on a cross-country speed demon. Advertised pricing excludes applicable taxes title and licensing and are subject to change without notice. We recommend saving these for race day and putting on something a little heavier and thicker for everyday trail riding and training. The Epic Hardtail sets a new standard in capability and comfort, and it does all that while also being the lightest production frame on earth. is provided by V12 Retail Finance Ltd, a trading name of Testing took place before the Covid-19 lockdown regulations on local cross-country loops, and included short sprints through the woods on natural and purpose-built trails. On the roughest, steepest and trickiest tracks, the Specialized was a step ahead. Whats more, weve designed the Epic chassis to be incredibly capable and comfortable, with progressive geometry and an advanced composite layup that boosts vertical compliance.- The RockShox SID Brain 29 features our Brain damper, which knows the difference between rider and terrain inputsstaying firm in hard accelerations on smooth ground, and effectively soaking up imperfections when the trail decides to fight back. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Privacy Policy and Yes, youre looking at the lightest production hardtail to date, but the new Epic Hardtail is a hell of a lot more than that. Theres even internal routing for a dropper post, and 148mm rear spacing. If you like the site, can we ask a favor? These wheels complemented the overall ride and design of the Epic HT and helped keep the weight down. RAIN AND FOG CHALLENGE WORLD CUP XCO RACERS IN WEST VIRGINIA, THE WINNERS AND LOSERS IN THE WORLD CUP DOWNHILL AT SNOWSHOE MOUNTAIN, WEST VIRGINIA, VIDEO: BIKE PACKING IN NEW MEXICO IN EPISODE 1 OF THE LOAM AND GRAVEL SOCIETY. Harrogate Concept Store Operated by Specialized Concept Store (Harrogate) Ltd (06894353). Say hello to the Epic Hardtail Expert.- At a mere 915 grams, the new Epic Fact 11m frame is stunningly light. A couple of our test riders would have preferred a remote lockout to have a little more control over the low-speed compression. Of course it would be one thing if Specialized only focused this update on dropping weight, but it turns out the latest Epic hardtail has been completely overhauled, fromthe carbon frame characteristics to the geometry. While supplies last, save on gray-light-gray-colored Arkos bikes at Alchemy Bikes. Newbury Concept Store Operated by Specialized Concept Store (Newbury) Ltd (08056179). Free standard shipping on orders over $49. Theres a slight loss of zip on fast accelerations, due to the excess weight that the tyres and complete bike are carrying. AVERY REMTECH MAGNETIC CLIPLESS PEDAL REVIEW, MBA WRECKING CREW TESTED: ROCKYMOUNTS MONORAIL 2 HITCH RACK. Depending on where and how we were riding, we would turn up the Brain to give us more support at the top of the travel. Bristol Concept Store Operated by Certini Bicycle Co Ltd (5725054). Wins the geometry race, but its kit brings up the rear. The Epic Hardtail Pro Carbon is a quick and light bike. with a deposit of 263.15 and your selected term is 24 Climbing: The Epic is a seriously fast bike when pedaling up the mountain. About Us | Please enter your email address above if you would like us to contact you by email with information about goods and services which we feel may be of interest to you. Thanks! Application is Completed During Checkout. Sure we optimized every inch of the Epic Hardtail frame to achieve the lightest production hardtail frame in the world anyway but we also prioritized our commitment to creating an Epic Hardtail thats as capable as it is comfortable with aggressive singletrack-inspired geometry increased tire clearance and a frame obsessively engineered for increased vertical compliance all while creating a bike that lives and breathes the fundamentals of fast. Find another? Registered Office: One Arleston Way, The ridiculously capable, mystifyingly comfortable, head-shakingly light and all-around fast, Epic Hardtail. 52.61 per month. On the bottom of the downtube is a bumper that riders can remove that prevents the handlebars from over-rotating into the top tube in the event of a crash. address. Get $350 off your new Alchemy bike with code VITAL500. In a world where full-suspension rigs have taken over, its been easy for companies to overlook the original mountain bikethe hardtail. The rest of the kit comes from the Specialized stable too. While more traditional XC bikes require an element of care on steep sections, riding these on the Epic was verging on fun. One-by setups also decrease weight and make it next to impossible to drop a chain. Widgets, Explore End result? The lightweight frame and wheels, combined with a stiff, responsive design, gave our test riders plenty of personal records on their local climbs. 2022 Specialized Concept Store. While the Epic HT leans heavily towards XC and endurance riding, it does have a playful side on the singletrack and would be a solid option for riders who want a lightweight trailbike too. The SRAM shifter and Shimano brake levers dont give such a clean-looking cockpit as controls from the same brand and arent as easy to set up either because the two clamps dont sit so well together. Need more info? The Brain allowed us to sit up higher in the travel and kept the fork from diving through its travel when we compressed the front end into tight turns. Impressum. The SID fork was active and didnt flex under hard braking efforts or on technical terrain. The Epic has a strong history in the cross-country world, with legends like Ned Overend having extensive input into the design. subject to status. With more than twenty years of mountain biking experience, and nearly a decade of testing mountain and gravel bikes, Tom has ridden and tested thousands of bikes and products, from super-light XC race bikes through to the most powerful brakes on the market. Support Us | Get a Snycros iS Couple bottle cage when you subscribe to Mountain Biking UK today! ASK MBA: ARE CLIPLESS PEDALS REALLY BETTER THAN FLATS? Riders who are willing to wake up at the crack of dawn to ride intervals in order to earn that top podium spot will find their next weapon in the Epic HT. By continuing to use the site you acceptour cookie policy. 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Find bikes that match your geometry criteria. Free shipping on orders over $75 (contiguous U.S. only). Yes, it does. Best MTB Gear | Actual Finance Lessons from trail and enduro bikes show that longer and slacker bikes handle descents better, and its the same here. Authority with registration number 204550. We put the Epic Hardtail to the test on our local XC courses and spent long days in the saddle to find out if this bike is a true XC thoroughbred. Free shipping and free 100-day returns on all U.S. orders. VIDEO: CALEB HOLONKO SENDS IT IN SCRATCHING THE SURFACE, VIDEO: BRANDON SEMENUK AND KADE EDWARDS BLOW MINDS IN PARALLEL II. A fatigued you is not a fast you. These Complete Mondraker, Niner, Marin, and Diamondback MTBs are in Have You Purchased a Mountain Bike from a Direct-to-Consumer Brand. Download The stock Fast Trak tires were fast and offered minimal rolling resistance, but were prone to more flats with their lighter casing. When not riding he can be found at the climbing wall, in his garden or cooking up culinary delights. It's equipped with a 30.9-millimeter seatpost, which gives you the option to run longer-travel dropper posts for even more maneuverability and control on technical sections. option, please note we will only ship your order to your |, a/0/f/d/a0fd4a6beb4dc95b5305bf9a03522c1f2d96f232_Specialized_Epic_Hardtail_01.jpg, Geometry great for aggressive riders looking to maximise speed up and downhill; high-volume tyres boost comfort and grip on all but the slippiest of trails, Quality of components; fork has a less refined feel through its stroke than others, RockShox Judy Gold 29, 100mm (3.9in) travel, Specialized XC 29 rims, DT Swiss Industry spokes. Yes. The battle of the grams certainly hasnt been without its casualties with hardtail XC race bikes coming to stand for a harsh twitchy ride at the expense of capability and versatility. |, USD $2,120.00 It does have a short offset though, showing that Specialized has sweated the details. Some aspects of this site may not work as intended. Are you kidding me! You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. You are advised to confirm current Company I may have to get one of these things. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Now, the Epic Hardtail Comp's reality-altering combination of comfort and capability in a lighter-than-life package means counting down the hours until you meet again. The refined geometry allowed our test riders to shift their weight effectively and lean the bike over confidently. These cookies do not store any personal information. Shifting up and down the cassette could be better, with a bit of a clunky feel as the chain jumps between sprockets. A RockShox Judy Gold fork and SRAM drivetrain highlight the build effortlessly balancing both value and performance to impressive results. Tom has written for BikeRadar, MBUK and Cycling Plus, and was previously technical editor of What Mountain Bike magazine. you can use the enquiry form below. End result? Free shipping on orders over $60 (contiguous U.S. only). The Epic Hardtail is a World-Cup-caliber race rocket thats also hassle free. 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