Specialized is no stranger to the podium. Our athletes have won everything from World Championships to World Cups atop our vast range of performance mountain bikes. And with summer (and the mountain bike season) in full swing, warmer temperatures and longer daylight hours are the perfect recipe for some cross country (XC), downhill (DH), and freestyle mountain biking.
Specialized mountain bikes are some of the most advanced yet nimble bikes around. And whether you’re shredding your local trails or going for a social ride, you can ride what the champions ride, with our wide selection of mountain bikes for every discipline and plenty of budgets. Let’s take a look at what our pros are riding this season.
First up is five-time DH world champion Loïc Bruni, or should we say ‘SuperBruni’, who rides the Specialized Demo. This downhill, adrenaline-pumping machine is available in several models and as a standalone frameset so you can spec your own build.
Mullet wheels provide the perfect balance between traction and manoeuvrability, while a 200mm fork provides more than enough travel for even the trickiest of downhill runs. Bruni has ridden his Demo to multiple world cup wins, and now you can ride his bike too, to your own specifications and budget.
The Demo Race was designed purely with racing in mind, and Bruni has been key in its development. The top-of-the-range Ohlins suspension can be tuned exactly to your specifications, so each run you do is faster than the last. Be competitive with the Demo.
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Cross country mountain biking phenom, Olympian and World Championship silver medallist Haley Batten rides a Specialized S-Works Epic as part of the Specialized Factory Racing team. Batten’s “speed queen of a bike” has taken her to such overall wins as the attritional Cape Epic (with teammate Laura Stigger).
With a stiffer rear triangle, the redesigned Epic has the lightest frame to date and is perfect for both fast-running technical XC courses and the sloppy mud-fests that she encounters on the World Cup calendar.
Haley rides the full-suspension option, as many XC racers do these days, alongside Laura Stigger, Specialized Factory Racing teammate and another top XC rider and fellow Cape Epic winner. The Epic EVO Pro offers some of the most progressive XC geometry we’ve ever created, making it the ideal XC race bike. Available in hardtail and full suspension, the Epic is the perfect balance of speed and efficiency regardless of which model you choose.
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Trinity Racing’s multi-talented Cameron Mason also uses the Epic as his weapon of choice, when he’s riding in World Cups or XC races. Alongside the Epic EVO Pro, Mason is a fan of the simplicity of the S-Works Epic Hardtail. Whether he’s out on a training ride at home in Scotland, exploring some of the great British outdoors, or at a World Cup race, his Epic bikes help him to prepare and race the only way he knows how – full gas.
The Trinity Racing cross country racer pushes his limits and capitalises on each watt with his S-Works Epic Hardtail. The Hardtail’s short wheelbase lends it to superior handling and responsiveness, while the incredibly lightweight frame does not compromise on ride quality or agility. Paired with SRAM’s Eagle XX1 AXS electronic shifting and the featherweight Roval Control SL wheelset and you have yourself a top-tier XC racing bike.
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As part of the Specialized Enduro Team, Camoin races atop the S-Works Enduro bike. We’ve worked hard to find the balance between a bike that climbs well but without compromising on the descending ability – and the Enduro is just that.
With Fox’s latest suspension and top-of-the-line components, it’s a bike made to win stages. Whether that be the Enduro World Series or your local series, you decide.
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Curious about giving mountain biking a go? Our friendly and knowledgeable staff can help you to get started if you’re a beginner, or help to find your next upgrade if you’re already a rider. Find your closest store here.
