With just 790 grams in size M, Specialized wants to be the lightest production frame in the world. have baked. But the values from the lab make the corners of our mouths drop briefly. 907 grams in size L? Despite the measured thru-axle, dropouts and seat clamp, this is a far cry from expectations. A Simplon Razorblade III still weighs 30 grams less. And yet your hands get wet before you even sit on the bike.
Read the test to find out whether Specialized has succeeded in combining comfort, manoeuvrability and safety on the descent with the new Epic HT. The PDF is available in the download area below.
According to Specialized, the S-Works Epic HT Ultralight frame in L should weigh a maximum of 875 grams. You can also find a statement from Specialized developer Peter Denk:
First and foremost, Specialized stands for quality and the best riding characteristics. In contrast to the competition, our L and especially XL frames have more carbon fibre stiffness layers. This ensures that the larger frames are even stiffer than the smaller sizes. However, they are relatively heavy, with size M being the lightest frame in series production on the market. It is extremely annoying that the test frame in particular exceeds the specified weight. Production is subject to extreme quality controls. We weigh the carbon blanks as well as the wrapped parts before and after baking. In this way, we guarantee a raw frame weight of 750 g in M and 780 g in L with a tolerance of 10 g before painting. The only thing that could have failed with this test frame is the quality control of the paint finish. We will check this in detail and improve it.
You can find the complete individual test including all data, points tables and grades in BIKE 11/2019.
You can read the entire digital edition in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or the print edition in the DK shop reorder - while stocks last:
Downloads:
Stefan Frey
Editor
