Men's Epic Expert
- 1 Review
Was: £3840.00
Now: £3072.00
Lightweight carbon frame? Check. Industry-leading suspension technology? Oh yeah. Race-ready build kit? You know it. The Epic Expert is not only ready to shine in races but it's also ready to put your closest buddies in the pain cave on the weekends. Race courses have evolved over the past few years. They’re more technical steeper and simply more challenging to ride. But instead of quivering in our boots we saw this as an opportunity to make something special—something that both World Cup athletes and XC riders alike can instantly feel the benefit from. We looked at the sum of parts that make a bike handle well like the head angle reach stack chainstay length fork offset etc. and re-evaluated all of it. Increasing the reach made a bike that was more stable at speed and generally more comfortable to ride. Dropper posts? Yep those fit and not just a short-travel XC option but full-length droppers that fit in the 30.9mm seat tube. Head angle? We slacked that out but not without evaluating the overall handling package. It now lands on a custom offset 42mm fork that works with the slacker head angle in order to behave itself in tight corners and through switchbacks. Next comes the redesigned Brain technology Brain 2.0. The Brain changed the way the bike world looked at suspension both its inefficiencies and benefits alike. And oh was it good. It won races and put a flag in the ground for us as a true leader in innovation and suspension development but we knew that we could make it better. Simple physics told us that by moving the Brain closer to the rear axle it would be in the most sensitive spot. And after countless hours with the RockShox team the new Brain became more than just a slight upgrade. It's totally new. Now it reacts seamlessly to bump forces it has much more consistent damping performance and finally it integrates the hoses into the suspension links. This in turn improves oil paths and it creates an incredibly sleek package that outperforms anything on the market. The new Epic also gets a serious upgrade in the stiffness department. The Rider-First Engineered™ tubes place complex carbon pieces in all the right places which greatly increases stiffness in the front end for a vast improvement in ride quality and control. To go along with this each frame size has size-specific tubes that result in the stiffest best riding XC bike we've ever developed—no matter the frame size. And while stiffness Brain technology and geometry features are cool and all we know what you’re thinking ""What about the weight?” We’re glad you asked. With the goal of the new Epic to be the fastest XC mountain bike we’ve ever made weight was at the top of our priorities list. We started with an efficient frame layout and tube shapes that feature clean cable routing integrated channels through the shock extension straight tubes with less curves and optimized torsion profiles in every section. And if you’re curious this weight savings is equivalent to shedding a chainstay and shock extension from the previous Epic—nearly 525 grams. The build of the Epic Expert meshes performance with value featuring a 12-speed SRAM GX Eagle groupset SRAM Level TL brakes and a hand-built Roval Control carbon fibre wheelset. Get ready because this is going to be Epic.
- Full fact 11m carbon fiber frame combines stiffness, strength, and light overall weight to deliver an off-the-hook race bike. Meanwhile, the new geometry, RockShox Brain shock, and 100mm of travel, make the Epic the best handling, fastest XC rig you've been on.
- Our custom RockShox SID fork with Brain features a top-adjust Brain fade, and a custom offset to make it suitable for the new Epic.
- The 12-speed SRAM GX Eagle groupset brings the performance of Eagle at a doable price point.
Please note that this bike does not come with pedals.
FRAME | Specialized FACT 11m, full carbon frame, XC Geometry, threaded BB, 12x148mm rear spacing, internal cable routing, 100mm of travel |
FORK | RockShox SID 29 w/ Brain, tapered alloy steerer, bottom-adjust Brain Fade, Solo Air, 110x15mm Maxle® Stealth thru-axle, 100mm of travel, 42mm offset, |
REAR SHOCK | RockShox/Specialized Micro Brain shock w/ Spike Valve, AUTOSAG, 51x257mm |
FRONT HUB | Specialized, sealed cartridge bearings,15x110mm thru-axle, 32h |
REAR HUB | Specialized disc, sealed cartridge bearings, 12x148mm spacing, 32h |
SPOKES | DT Swiss Revolution |
RIMS | Roval Control Carbon, 22mm internal width, tubeless-ready |
INNER TUBES | Standard, Presta valve |
FRONT TYRE | Fast Trak, GRIPTON compound, 2Bliss Ready, 29 x 2.3" |
REAR TYRE | Fast Trak, GRIPTON compound, 2Bliss Ready, 29 x 2.1" |
CRANKSET | Truvativ Stylo, 6K alloy, Boostâ„¢ 148, 24mm spindle |
CHAINRINGS | Alloy Eagle 32T |
BOTTOM BRACKET | SRAM GXP |
SHIFT LEVERS | SRAM GX Eagle, trigger, 12-speed |
REAR DERAILLEUR | SRAM GX Eagle, 12-speed |
CASSETTE | SRAM GX Eagle, 12-speed, 10-50t |
CHAIN | SRAM GX Eagle, 12-speed w/ PowerLink |
FRONT BRAKE | SRAM Level TL, hydraulic disc, organic pads, 160/180mm rotor |
REAR BRAKE | SRAM Level TL, hydraulic disc, organic pads, 160 rotor |
HANDLEBARS | Specialized Mini-rise, 7050 alloy, 8-degree backsweep, 6-degree upsweep, 10mm rise, 720mm width, 31.8mm clamp |
GRIPS | Specialized Sip Grip, half-waffle, S/M: regular thickness, L/XL: XL thickness |
STEM | Specialized XC, 3D-forged alloy, 4-bolt, 6-degree rise |
SADDLE | Body Geometry Phenom Comp, Adaptive Edge design, Hollow Cr-Mo rails, 143mm |
SEATPOST | Specialized, alloy, single bolt, 21mm offset, 30.9mm |
SEAT BINDER | Alloy, 34.9mm |
PEDALS | Specialized Platform, 9/16" spindle |
As with any product, specification is subject to change without prior notification. You are advised to confirm current specification before buying.
Please note that this bike does not come with pedals.
Size | S | M | L | XL |
---|---|---|---|---|
BB Drop | 38.9mm | 38.9mm | 38.9mm | 38.9mm |
BB Height | 332.6mm | 332.6mm | 332.6mm | 332.6mm |
Bike Standover Height | 764mm | 770mm | 776mm | 799mm |
Chainstay Length | 438mm | 438mm | 438mm | 438mm |
Fork Length, Full | 506mm | 506mm | 506mm | 506mm |
Fork Rake/Offset | 42mm | 42mm | 42mm | 42mm |
Front Center | 659mm | 688mm | 716mm | 742mm |
Head Tube Angle | 69.5° | 69.5° | 69.5° | 69.5° |
Head Tube Length | 95mm | 105mm | 120mm | 140mm |
Reach | 408mm | 433mm | 456mm | 475mm |
Seat Tube Angle | 74.75° | 74.75° | 74.75° | 74.75° |
Seat Tube Length | 400mm | 434mm | 470mm | 520mm |
Stack | 588mm | 597mm | 611mm | 630mm |
Top Tube Length, Horizontal | 568mm | 595mm | 623mm | 649mm |
Trail | 94mm | 94mm | 94mm | 94mm |
Wheelbase | 1095mm | 1123mm | 1152mm | 1178mm |
I have ridden this for 1 year now. 95% of that on rocky, shaley terrain plus a bit of bike park stuff. Roughly 1300 kms of off road riding in all types of weather. I have made no changes except a dropper added. I did not buy it to race but I did buy it to make ascents as easy as possible.
It lives up to its name! Reliability has been excellent even down to the tyres resistance to punctures and tears. The front and rear shocks are well up to the job and the brain works very well but takes a little getting used to. The bike is very comfortable, long steady climbs make me feel fitter than I am and the 29 inch wheels make short punchy climes over roots and rocks very achievable. Steep descents were a little hairy at first but adding the dropper sorted that out. I cannot recommend it enough. Buying this really stretched my budget but very satisfied with the product and service from the store in Dublin.