Now in its eighth iteration, the Specialized Epic keeps its cross-country race heritage evident but expands its capabilities with an even more aggressive EVO model.
For those of us without a team truck and a six-figure racing budget, it’s a great option for amateur racers who live in flat terrain and want suspension but don’t need much of it and want the lightest possible bike.The prior Epic EVO had 110mm rear travel with 120mm forks. The new Epic 8 EVO has the same frame as the standard Epic 8, with the same 120mm rear wheel travel, but fork travel increases to 130mm.
The S-Works frames use their top-level FACT 12M carbon, which they say is incredibly expensive, but it’s stiffer and stronger so they can use less of it. Inside, there are no internal tubes for cable guides other than the rear brake, which saves weight from the tubes and also the extra bonding required to connect them.
It’s not just done by feel. Their team has backgrounds in F1 and Trophy Trucks, plus some of the same testing equipment used in those industries to verify performance improvements and apply all of that to their full-suspension bikes. The flip chip is invisible, hiding inside the front of the shock yoke. Just remove the rear shock mount bolt, flip it around, and reattach the shock to change it.Since the S-Works model has a different carbon and mold , they could give it different entry ports and went with semi-integrated routing through the headset. It looks great, but any time you’re running brake hoses or cables through the headset bearing, there are concerns.
All Epic 8 models come with Rockshox suspension front and rear, all with the custom tunes and modes mentioned above. And all come with Specialized Fast Trak 2.35″ and Renegade 2.3″ tires.The drivetrain is SRAM XX SL Eagle AXS T-Type w/ Reverb AXS and SRAM Level Ultimate Stealth brakes. It’s also the first bike they’re shipping with their top-of-the-line S-Works Power 3D-printed saddle with carbon rails and base.
But that means the new Epic 8 EVO can focus more on fun, aiming squarely at the light trail/downcountry rider. As such, it gets bigger, more aggressive tires – Purgatory 2.4″ and Ground Control 2.35″ .