SPECIALIZED - EPIC EXPERT |
NEW FOR 2018 |
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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 reevaluated 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 optimised 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. |
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, Boost™ 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 |
To purchase this product or for help and advice on making your selection, please contact us on 03 688 8892
