Tech

Cape Epic Bikes: Investec Songo.info Specialized

· By Press Office · 4 comments

On Sunday morning, against the slopes of Table Mountain in Cape Town South Africa, Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy start a prologue at 12:06 local time. They are racing against the clock onboard two custom painted S-Works Epic’s at the start of the Absa Cape Epic, an 8-day test of body, mind and equipment.

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Over the past three days in Stellenbosch South Africa, their bikes have been built and detailed to rider specification. We take a closer look at the custom decals, the celebrated Epic and the subtle differences between the two bikes.

In twenty thirteen, the only Cape Epic that Sauser and Jaroslav have paired for, they won the GC title after early setbacks and a heroic comeback. Sauser is synonymous with the Cape Epic and brings the 4-wins of experience, while Kulhavy is the current Olympic and XCM World Champion. They start as race favourites.

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The project has been lead by Global Team Manager, Benno Willeit, who has played an integral role in the success of Specialized Racing at the Cape Epic since 2006.

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“I have only missed 2 Cape Epic’s! I hope Christoph will have a great race for his last one. It is going to be very hard to replace him. His experience is huge and he keeps the team together.” – Benno.

Christoph Sauser: “For the rear I have a custom World Cup tune Brain Suspension. The platform is a little bit firmer and the shock is a little stiffer. I like the brain on the completely firm setting, but it has easy adjustment. The pressure is around 155psi for the Cape Epic.”

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“Brand new is the RS-1 fork. The pressure I run is around 80psi. I will ride 100mm for the Cape Epic where the terrain is rough. In Europe I will ride it at a 90mm setting for a more aggressive set up. The upside down design really helps the seals stay clean and well lubricated throughout the Cape Epic.”

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“One of the biggest assets for the S-Works Epic is the SWAT box and the space to carry two water bottles in the frame. I was sceptical about it at first, but now I love it. Everything is in the box. No looking in the pockets. Everything stays clean, it is a very smart storage unit. I know where everything is in the SWAT box and it is easy to access when I need it most.”

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“I love the new Specialized silicone grips. They really stick to the handlebars and there is no movement.”

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“The XX-1 group set keeps the handlebars clean. I love that. There are only 3 cables. It is clean and simple. I use SRAM Guide brakes with 160mm rotors in the front and rear. In the front there is a 34t custom Rotor ring.”

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“My choice for tires are definitely the Renegade Control 1.95. They have great rolling resistance. 26/27 psi for the tires. It goes up by about 2 psi during the race on warm days.”

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There are a few subtle differences between the bikes of Christoph and Jaroslav. Holgar Friesen, team mechanic, takes us through some of the these.

“If we go through the components. Christoph uses a customised 34t Rotor Ring, while Jaroslav prefers a standard 36t SRAM ring with a Quarq power meter. Christoph uses a straight seat post while Jaroslav prefers one with a set-back. They are running different brake setups too, to suit preferences.”

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Jaroslav Kulhavy: “36t chain ring for me two years ago, I have good feeling with it, so I try it again. The Brain in the front and rear is amazing for the Cape Epic terrain. We are saving so much energy. It is easy on the mind, I don’t have to concentrate on that, very clever. I choose Renegade tires: They are very fast and have good side wall protection. I will use the Quarq power meter to analyse data for the future, it should be interesting.”

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“The biggest story here is that over and above the custom artwork, these bikes and components are available to riders and fans through Specialized dealers” – Dylan van der Merwe, Global Sports Marketing Product Planner.

This article and images was published with the permission of Specialized Africa. The original article published on 11 March 2015 can be found here.

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Comments

Johny Bravo

Mar 15, 2015, 5:16 AM

Stunning. Specialized should make those colours available for the South African market. Not only on S works models, but some models further down the range aswell.

Iwan Kemp

Mar 16, 2015, 5:34 AM

Yeah, neatly done.

YUMEYA

Mar 22, 2015, 6:56 PM

So much porn here!

Jaroslav setup so aggressive!!

Johny Bravo

Mar 22, 2015, 7:29 PM

I see they are auctioning off these bikes. Wish I could buy these artworks.

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