£12,000 Does this XC bike live up to claims of it being a hardtail killer?
FIRST RIDES
Specialized’s latest cross-country race bike has a different frame to the standard Epic (which remains in the brand’s line-up), featuring updated geometry and an integrated shock. With just 75mm of rear-wheel travel, can the Epic World Cup compete in a growing field of 120mm race bikes and provide all the advantages of an XC hardtail on smoother tracks without holding you back on rougher terrain?
THE FRAME
The new Epic World Cup uses a similar flexstay single-pivot suspension set-up to the regular Epic, but Specialized have replaced that bike’s yoke-style shock attachment with a smaller ‘dog bone’ link to increase stiffness, by improving tolerances in the linkage. While rear-wheel travel is limited to 75mm, a 110mm fork is fitted up front.
This top-end S-Works frame is made from the brand’s top ‘FACT 12m’ carbon fibre, claimed to save 110g over the ‘11m’ material used on the Pro model. The geometry is a degree slacker than that of the standard Epic, with all sizes sporting a 66.5-degree head angle.
Thanks to the integrated shock, there’s room for two bottle cage mounts in the front triangle, which will put a smile on marathon racers’ faces. The internally-routed cables are guided through the headset, leaving the cockpit clean and reducing the chances of one being pulled out in a crash, but potentially making maintenance more difficult.
THE KIT
Specialized have partnered with RockShox to build a new shock for the Epic World Cup. The SIDLuxe WCID is narrower than most, allowing it to fit inside the top tube. It lacks the auto-adjusting ‘Brain’ tech of the shock on the regular Epic, and is designed to be run with minimal sag. Three ‘gulp’ settings –set using a shock pump and a negative-spring release valve on the body of the shock – allow you to adjust sag between zero, five and 10 per cent. The Brain suspension system still features up front on the RockShox SID SL Ultimate fork, which has 110mm of travel and a machined crown with a skeletal look for extra weight savings.
SRAM’s new XX SL Eagle AXS T-Type transmission offers smooth wireless shifting and performs well under pressure, allowing you to get away with mistimed gear changes on steep climbs, while the brand’s Level Ultimate Stealth brakes provide good stopping on the descents. Spesh’s own Roval Control SL carbon wheels are fitted with their S-Works Fast Track and Renegade 2.35in tyres.
THE RIDE
The Epic World Cup eggs you on from the moment you spin the cranks and quickly has
