It’s probably the most successful racing model in mountain biking history. But that’s just one of the reasons the Specialized Epic is so highly rated. Now in its eighth edition, the Epic continues to win World Cup XCC and XCO races as well as major stage races. Here’s some insight into this swift, high-performance model that’s a firm South African favourite.
The first edition of the Specialized Epic was launched in 2002. It featured the Brain suspension control system, which was essentially the rear suspension being activated by an inertia valve. Forces from underneath the bike released the inertia valve to activate the suspension. Forces from above – pedalling forces – didn’t active the valve, so it felt like a hardtail when pedalling. The perfect bike for XCO, Marathon and Stage Racing…
The Epic featured design that was market-leading and patented by Specialized, which continued to refine the Brain system over the next six editions with an improved design being launched every 3-4 years. Christoph Sauser’s victories at the 2008 UCI XCO World Championships and 2011 Absa Cape Epic (with Burry Stander) opened the floodgates of success for the Specialized Epic, which has gone on to win XCO Olympic Gold (Jaroslav Kulhavy in 2012), more than a dozen Absa Cape Epic overall men and women’s titles and scores of XCO and XCC World Cup races.
South African Matt Beers has won his three Absa Cape Epic titles on the Specialized Epic (editions 7 and 8) and the Specialized Factory Racing team is currently dominating the XCO World Cup circuit on the Epic 8.
The Specialized Epic 8 is the first edition to move away from the Brain suspension system. The geometry design and class-leading suspension kinematics have made it possible for the Epic 8, which features 120mm of suspension front and rear, to pedal with efficiency and handle with unmatched control.
Most Specialized Epic 8 models now feature a rider-managed three-mode custom-valved suspension damping system, while the S-Works and the Pro models feature the RockShox Flight Attendant automatic suspension system.
You can read a South African-specific review of the Specialized Epic 8 Expert here: https://www.treadmtb.co.za/tested-specialized-epic-8-expert/
Check out the range of Specialized Epic bikes, starting from R95 000, available currently and Lynnwood Cyclery here: https://www.lynnwoodcyclery.co.za/collections/epic-8
Author, Lynnwood Cyclery