DURATION TEST PERFORMANCE: 5,280 kilometres | 33,401 vertical metres
The relationship began unhappily: in the middle of the climb of the first stage of the BIKE Four Peaks, the rattling began. First subliminally, then more and more strongly. The bottom bracket shells worked their way out of the frame. The crank wobbled. But that was just the beginning, as the braking power dwindled on the final descent. All that remained was a tired whining and vibrating of the discs. The whole thing was coupled with my lack of fitness - a bad mood was inevitable. At the finish line, I stood perplexed in front of the 6000-euro bike: Is this really the highly praised marathon machine decorated with countless victories?
30 minutes later, the Magura service solved the brake problem: faulty pads had been fitted. According to Magura, the pads from this batch should not have found their way onto the bike. Annoying! At the Specialized stand, the mechanic pulled out the silicone gun and glued the bottom bracket in place. This is probably also a known problem. My mind was racing: I have the marathon weapon par excellence in my hands here - the bike that Christoph Sauser won the Cape Epic on. And now I want silicone on it? After the bumpy start, I can only sing the bike's praises: The Epic is rightly one of the best bikes ever built. Over the course of the test, the bike endured two Transalps, several tough trails and metres in altitude - and then completely flawlessly. The suspension irons everything away. The traction is brilliant. The suspension works so effectively, especially on bumpy trails, that you feel like you're travelling on rails - no wonder the Epic is predestined for the Cape Epic. The bike also climbs like a Sherpa on steroids.
ConclusionAfter the initial difficulties, the Epic showed its true colours: low weight, very good climbing characteristics and an outstanding ride feel.
Functionality 6 out of 6 points
Durability 4 out of 6 points
TUNING
- 165 km - bottle cage: Second bottle cage fitted, removal of the SWAT kit
- 256 and 3325 km - crank: Replacement with watt crank. First Stages (unfortunately inaccurate and often failed), then Rotor Inpower
DEFECTS
- 56 km - Brake pads: Replacement of the brake pads, which glazed over after a short time
- 56 km - Inner bearing: Inner bearing came loose. Was glued back in during service
- 2020 km - Flat tyre: Just a trifle - nothing more happened. Bearings and brakes held
