It might have been 10 years ago, or maybe just yesterday, but it all started with just wanting to finish. Over time, the goals evolved to not getting dropped, then finishing with the front group, and now, feeling the podium under your feet. They evolved with a strengthening in commitment—a commitment to riding early, riding late, riding harder. It took you saying “yes” to entrance fees to races you couldn’t win. “Yes” to salads instead of donuts. “Yes” to suffering. “Yes” to failure. It took a commitment to waking up every day and saying, “This is going to be Epic.” The new Epic Hardtail and women’s Epic Hardtail are the lightest, best handling hardtails that we’ve ever made, making those podium dreams more of a reality than before.
Less = More
In many places, less isn’t more. There’s an exception with the new epic hardtail and women’s epic hardtail, though, where a dramatic weight loss means much more performance for you. Saving this much weight means quicker accelerations off the line, getting up steep climbs, and railing it out of corners. This is the lightest, stiffest race bike ever made.
- Rider-First Engineering – what does that mean? It means every single size of the new Epic Hardtail and women’s Epic are engineered with different performance targets in mind. Now, every rider, regardless of size, can have an equally amazing rider experience. Layups and stiffness targets are specific for the demands of a small, as well as those of an XL, and are all built with pure performance in mind.
- Using aerospace- and military-grade Japanese fibers that were previously unavailable to civilians, and new manufacturing techniques, our engineering team was able to shatter weight and stiffness targets that have been the benchmark for the industry. Combined with more efficient tube shapes and heavily refined manufacturing techniques, we were able to shave 200g out of the previous S-Works frames.
- When we say light, we mean it. The new Epic Hardtail and women’s Epic Hardtail are 875g frames (size medium, with paint and hardware). Seriously. Those are the lightest frames that we’ve ever built, while setting a new industry benchmark for stiffness to weight. Now you can have lightweight and stiff, something that riders have only been able to wish for until today.
- This extensive weight savings isn’t just reserved for the premium S-Works models and riders.
- We’ve even made our 10M Carbon frame 50g lighter than the previous S-Works Stumpjumper Hardtail! The Epic Hardtail has made huge improvements across the board, so more riders can have a chance to experience the new standard for XC hardtails.
Specialized Epic Hardtail World Cup.
Handling
Our very first mountain bike, geometry has been something that played an integral part in the specialized dna. Pioneering modern trail geometry with lower bb heights, slacker head angles, longer top tubes, and some of the shortest chainstays in the business to this—we have once again changed the way you’ll look at geometry. Climb and descend with more confidence than before on a bike that’s fit to tackle the most technical xc race courses out there.
- Descending on hardtails has always been a generally terrifying experience, with fast, twitchy handling that makes precise riding absolutely mandatory— until now. With a slacker head angle than the previous generation Stumpjumper Hardtail, the new Epic Hardtail and Women’s Epic Hardtail will descend with more confidence and stability than ever before. Now the race isn’t just to the top.
- We’ve also increased the reach and adjusted seat angle on the Epic Hardtail and Women’s Epic Hardtail for a better fit across all sizes.
S-Works Epic Hardtail Di2.
Modern XC Features
- It’s what’s on the inside that counts—even if you can’t see it. The tubeset on the Epic Hardtail and Women’s Epic Hardtail are some of the most efficient that we’ve ever built. With new carbon layup techniques, complex carbon shapes, and improved joint construction, we were able to make a svelte hardtail while setting a new benchmark for stiffness-to-weight.
- Internal cable routing keeps your cables and hoses protected from weather and rock strikes, while running silently. Running a split housing internally allowed us to shave more weight off of the frame, while also running less friction than with a full housing system
- More technical race courses and trails may necessitate the use of dropper posts. Fear not, because the Epic Hardtail and Women’s Epic Hardtail come equipped with guides to run internal routing for dropper posts. Fancy.
- 148mm spacing rear end. This allowed for a better build and stiffer wheel, while also improving the chainline and allowing for mud clearance.
Women’s Epic Hardtail
We’ve worked hard to become the brand of choice for female xc racers and are proud to continue our commitment to her by delivering a superior level of performance, fit, experience and style for the female rider. For this reason, all women’s epic hardtail play host to a series of features that delivers her an incredible ride.
Women’s Epic HT Expert Carbon World Cup.
- Women’s-specific components, including Women’s Body Geometry Myth saddle and size-specific cranks and handlebars. This gives her the right fit, right out of the box, so there’s no switching, swapping, or modifications necessary.
- Women’s Rx Tune—a custom suspension tune that allows the rider to maximise her suspension. This signature feature comes stock on all Women’s Specialized mountain bikes, including the Women’s Epic Hardtail.
- Modern and relevant colour and graphic options that are inspired by the sport and informed by colour trends and rider feedback around the world.
Geometry
