The Specialized "Epic" has been successful on the market for three years - and is a big name in racing circles. If full-suspension bikes are accepted here at all, then the "Epic" is right at the top of the list. Why? Because the "Brain" damper with its mass/inertia valve only works when it is really needed. On slippery surfaces it hardens - and the bike becomes a hardtail.
However, two points of criticism of the previous aluminium "Epic" kept cropping up. Firstly, the frame was not too stiff, especially at the front. The result was imprecise steering behaviour. And secondly, the transition from lockout to active mode and vice versa was very abrupt. Specialized will certainly no longer have to listen to these two points of criticism with the new carbon "Epic". With the "FACT" technology, a manufacturing process in which the carbon tubes are manufactured individually and later joined together, Specialized was not only able to reduce the frame weight, but also significantly improve the stiffness. This is clearly noticeable when pedalling, but also when steering through tight single trails.
The second problem, the almost digital on/off behaviour of the "Brain" damper, has also been definitively solved. The threshold value at which the rear suspension starts to work can now be adjusted. If you turn the adjustment screw all the way up (Trail Tune), you hardly feel the onset of the platform effect at all. And even in hard mode, the transition is now much smoother than before. Furthermore, the suspension travel of the "Epic" has been increased from 80 to 100 millimetres, so that you can now enjoy real fully comfort - without compromising on pedalling. Drive influences are not noticeable in any chainring/sprocket combination. Despite the significantly improved technology, the total weight of the bike in the "S-Works" version remains absolutely race-ready at 11 kilos.
CONCLUSIONS:
The "Epic" has undergone more than just a model update. Specialized has been able to significantly improve the performance of the race bike thanks to carbon technology and a new shock absorber.
