Olympic victory, world championship title and, most recently, triumph at the Cape Epic: the Specialized Epic 29 has already won all the important races. Even on the cheapest model for 2799 euros, the equipment of Jaroslav Kulhavy and Christoph Sauser shines through - after all, they sit on identical geometry. The lightest bike in the test rolls up to the starting line with "thinking" Brain suspension and lightweight wheels. You will love or hate the Epic - if you want to accelerate, you'll love it: pedalling, faster, faster, the clock is ticking. Reader George praises the fast ride feel on firm ground. The consistent focus is pleasing and you even turn a blind eye to the meagre equipment: "The gears and brakes are a bad joke" - quote from Bernd. The shock tuning with Autosag doesn't always work correctly, but the suspension travel is there when you need it. The narrow tyres set the limit downhill.
ConclusionThe Epic Comp is a long-range weapon. It has the qualities of the expensive models, but is affordable thanks to its favourable equipment. The first choice for marathon riders.
PLUS No weight limit, consistently sporty handling, lightweight bike, Type 2 rear derailleur
MINUS Small rear brake disc, weak braking power, imprecise SRAM X7 shifters
The alternative
For 900 euros more, the Epic Comp Carbon model offers a carbon fibre main frame with aluminium rear triangle (lighter). The Shimano SLX/XT groupset with Shadow Plus is a gain in precision.
