Cyclestore.co.uk carries the full range of Specialized bikes and accessories. To find out more about Specialized bikes and accessories, go to the
Specialized Bikes homepage.
Call it a healthy disrespect for the status quo but we were getting bored with hardtail designs. So instead of playing along with a glued-on smile we opted to turn the cross country world on its head with a bike thats not only the lightest mountain frame weve ever made. Its our lightest frame—period. Introducing the S-Works Epic Hardtail.
Over the last decade cross country racing has evolved into a completely different animal—the courses are rowdier more technical and overall theyre inherently different. Because of this we realized that the best bike for the job needs to not only be lightweight and stiff but also be able to descend and climb with equal prowess. Determining the best geometry was the easier of the two as we took our current XC race geo and added some trail DNA to the mix. This equates to a longer top tube a shortened the head tube and a slacked out the front end the result of which is a tremendous increase in downhill stability plus a wider fit range. And just as importantly this doesnt require any sacrifice of climbing proficiency. The weight aspect was more complicated though. We were posed with the question How do you take weight out of something thats already so light? But the answer was relatively obvious: you get the best mountain bike engineers together in one room and let the magic come out.
Up until now there were two ways to lighten up a frame—use less of the same grade of carbon or use less of a higher-grade carbon. Option one is never a viable solution as it sacrifices stiffness and strength two attributes that shouldn’t be tampered with. And while we did end up using option two we weren’t content with the amount of weight we could cut out by just using a different grade of carbon. So how else do you cut weight? Well we began looking at our layup schedules to see if they could be improved which shed light on a new discovery—layup inefficiencies.
Beginning with our Rider-First Engineered™ frame technology each size Epic Hardtail is specifically tailored to size—every carbon layup and tube are exclusively selected based upon hundreds of hours of collected ride data. What does this mean for you? It not only creates the optimal balance of rigidity weight and responsiveness across every frame size but it led us to the discovery of how to save weight through the studying of the layup.
Through extensive layup studies we made the discovery that by further controlling the construction and layup schedules we could drastically decrease weight all while maintaining the ride characteristics that you’d expect from a top-level XC race bike. With this discovery each frame now features complex cut carbon plys that allow difficult junctions to be covered with less overlap. And while this does complicate the carbon frame puzzle by adding more pieces to the mix it allows us to design and place them more intelligently. The result of this is a lighter frame stronger junctions and a drastic increase in stiffness. We then took the weight savings one step further by using Japanese military ballistic-grade carbon which we now call 12m to create the lightest mountain bike weve ever made. How much lighter of a frame you ask? Less than 900 grams for a size Large frame—the same weight as a full 24oz Purist water bottle.
For the build the S-Works spares no expense opting for a custom RockShox SID World Cup fork with Brain SRAM XX1 Eagle™12-speed shifting SRAM Level Ultimate hydraulic disc brakes and hand-built Roval Control SL carbon wheels.
- To provide the optimal blend of stiffness crazy light weight and strength we constructed the frame from our S-Works FACT 12m carbon fibre. And when combined with our XC 29 Geometry this Epic is guaranteed to deliver uncompromising blistering speed and agile handling come race day—no matter the course.
- The RockShox SID World Cup 29 fork with Brain provides 90/100mm of efficient travel. It features Brain technology that distinguishes between terrain and rider input in order to maximize your power while a Brain Fade adjusts the oil flow when not hitting bumps.
- The 1x drivetrain is controlled by SRAMs venerable XX1 Eagle™ components to form the ultimate in efficiency and intuitive feel while also having the added benefit of significant weight savings and minimal required maintenance.
Frame |
S-Works FACT 12m, XC Geometry, 12x148mm Rear End, Internal Split-housing cable routing. |
Front Fork |
RockShox SID World Cup Brain 29, Solo Air, Top-Adjust, 15x110mm Thu-axle |
Handlebars |
S-Works Carbon Mini Rise, 6 Degree upsweep, 8 Degree backsweep, 10mm Rise |
Tape / Grips |
Specialized Sip Grip |
Front Brake |
SRAM Level Ultimate, Hydraulic Disc |
Rear Brake |
SRAM Level Ultimate, Hydraulic Disc |
Rear Derailleur |
SRAM XX1 Eagle, 12 Speed |
Shift Levers |
SRAM XX1 Eagle, Trigger, 12 Speed |
Cassette |
SRAM XG-1295 Eagle, 12-speed, 10-50t |
Chain |
SRAM XX1 Eagle, 12 Speed |
Crank Set |
SRAM XX1 Eagle, Boost 148, SRAM Eagle Alloy Chainring - 32T |
Bottom Bracket |
SRAM, DUB, PF30 |
Front Rim |
Roval Control SL, Hand Built |
Front Hub |
Sealed Cartridge Bearings, 15mm Thru-Axle, 24H |
Rear Rim |
Roval Control SL, Hand Built |
Rear Hub |
DT Swiss Star Ratchet, 54T Engagement, SRAM XD Driver Body, 28H |
Front Tyre |
Fast Trak, 2Bliss Ready, 29x2.3 |
Rear Tyre |
Fast Trak, 2Bliss Ready, 29x2.1 |
Saddle |
Body Geometry Phenom Pro, Carbon Rails, 143mm |
Seat Post |
S-Works FACT Carbon |
Please be aware that the images and description above are usually supplied by the brand / manufacturer and are in no way affiliated with Cycle Centre Congleton Limited T/A CycleStore. Cycle Centre Congleton Limited T/A CycleStore only resell items from third parties and do not design or manufacture any products.