NEW Specialized Epic | XC Racing Just Got RADICAL
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- čas přidán 5. 09. 2024
- This is the brand-new 2021 Specialized Epic, and we think it's one of the most radical cross-country bikes around from one of the biggest global players.
The geometry is clearly influenced by that of modern trail bikes, while the new frame smoothly integrates an updated Brain suspension system.
The Epic's burlier sibling, the Epic EVO, also gets an update, sharing the front triangle of the vanilla Epic but getting its own back-end for more travel.
Senior tech editor Tom Marvin talks us through everything you need to know about the bike, including an overview of the full range of 2021.
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#specialized #specializedepic #mountainbiking - Sport
What do you think to the MY 2021 Specialized Epic? Is it radical enough for the demands of today's XC racing? And what would you like to see Tom do with the bike this year? Let us know in the comments!
Looks like downcountry is just becoming the new xc, although I'll take a homemade "Evo" based on the standard bike v. their version of it.
not much, maybe a dropper post
or maybe the epic evo, that would be more 'me'
a closet trail bike
Beauty! Big S been big S! Nice work... ops... S-works
Just remember to buy two, because one of the bikes will be in the shop and you need the other while the brain is being fixed.
Wait till you have 2 and all 4 brains are in the shop!
My new Specialized ended up being a worse ride and makes nothing but noises compared to my 15 + year old Trek. Beyond pathetic especially with the absurd costs.
Comment of the year 💥
You are so right it is a shitty product, which don’t last long, and NO support fra Spezialized ☹️
I got to agree with you,I already have 3 Brains changed by my LBS but at least the warranty has been properly applied but meanwhile your ride is shitty without the Brain working as it should...waste of money buying this bike(EVO Comp)!!
no wires to set up since they are wireless.." thanks Tom for explaining that. :D you get a million Bikeradar points!
Just, you know, being nice and thorough 😇
Pure genius
Te Epic has always been an awsome bike. I guess with all the "downcountry" thing going on we were all waiting for Specialized to come out with a more trail-oriented geo. No only have they done that, they've expanded the Evo to 110 mm travel in the back! These guys rock!
Ya'll got it backwards short offset doesn't increase steering response it decreases it. Offset and head angle combine to determine trail, trail would be the number that corresponds to steering response. Low trail is more responsive, High trail is less responsive. The old school Gary Fischer 29ers used a 51 mm offset, which became the standard until recently, to decrease trail, increase steering response, and make big heavy wheels feel a bit more like lil 26ers.
I appreciate Tom throwing on the Lycra for an xc bike. #lycraneverdie
Always up for an excuse to squeeze in to a bit of lycra 😎
awesome to see them push XC bikes into a new era with this geometry. with the modern tracks world cup XC riders have to tackle, this makes complete sense. it's not overly radical, it's just smart IMO.
It doesn't make sense to riders who only see those WC tracks on TV and have to deal with "new and improved" geometry while pedalling through flat forest/dirt roads they actually have around :D
@@alexandert4252 this new geo would still handle flat terrain just fine. it's not like you'd be getting a bike that has 170mm fork and 64 degree HT. it's still an XC bike and it will perform like one on every landscape that exists. it's just a bit more capable now. I live in Dallas, Texas. Very, very flat trails. Yet still, this geo would be much better for the rocks and roots that are present here.
I am the 2nd owner of a 2018 Epic Pro. I love the bike but the Brain shock has failed twice already. My rebuild, which occurred after about 130 hours, was not covered under warranty since I am not the original owner. The cost of the rebuild was reasonable but it took 4 weeks because the Brain shock has to go back to the Specialized service center for repairs. And my LBS can’t/won’t even do a lower leg service on the Brain Fork. If the shock fails again I will probably trade out for a bike with a more reliable/serviceable shock & fork.
PRICES!! £4000 for base model slx and reba. Specialized have lost the plot.
And you don't even get a dropper or proper brakes
Nathan Anderson
$15,000 for the top model, which is almost identical to the top end Canyon which is $5000 cheaper. The only difference in the specs seems to be Ceramic wheel bearings, which cost $700 at best (Ceramicspeed coatedbearings), so the extra $4300 goes where?
Danny Bee custom fork paint
@@dannybeeh6332 $700 for 2 bearings is a rip off too. They cost $2 and are sold for 700.
I can get a bike with the same components and weight for 1800 euros!!!!!
I got an Epic Evo. I bought it in 2014...
It's called a Camber.
But what is the weight? What I like about the Epic Evo is that it is so lightweight compared to a Santa Cruz Tallboy or bikes with 120mm forks
that's what I was thinking... as also an owner of a Camber (2016)
Tottally agree - I don't like the new head angle,does not climb as well as the Epic world cup 2016 Model. Feels like a tank and I tested the 2019 model.
Me too - big difference is the WEIGHT, as the camber is a bit if a porker (and not full carbon).
Time for a new bike - is the swat box a fair swap for a second bottle 🤔
BUT IS IT PARADIGM SHIFTING?!?! The bikes look great! Would happily ride the base EVO as my only trail bike.
I'm a Big Specialized fan and I really love the Epic but this frame looks a bit generic, am I the only one? It sill looks brilliant though.
I'm sure you'll get the frame on aliexpress in no time and won't notice a difference between a Chinese Specialized frame and a Chinese Chinalized frame. Except the huge price difference. Probably from the very same factory producing both frames. :D))))
The frame looks like a 49 year old housewife you run into at the supermarket. But at the price you'd expect a Victoria's Secret model.
@@bennytn5518 LOL hahaha
2021 bikes and it's still the first half of 2020... By December we'll be reviewing 2022 bikes.
I guess they are in a hurry to power up economy 'cause the Corona...
I have done some brain shock testing on my current Epic Evo. On my local fire road climb, I'm actually faster with the brain on the completely open setting than locked out. That is to say; they have worked out the pedaling efficiency thing without the need for lockouts (it's almost like brain-tech is 10 years to late).
I will say; my 'brain' chucked it in 2-months from new (seriously?!!?) and while it was serviced under warranty without any stress I'm still at a loss why they would ship bikes with a known fault.
Finally I just want to rant: $19K-AUD (before tubeless conversion) for a bike is just insane. I understand it's an exercise in brand positioning (they do this with the Tarmac & Venge as well) but it seems to be at odds with the spirit of MTB riding. Specialized are starting to be known for having their own 'Specialized tax' ($700 for a saddle anyone?!!!?) and I can't help but feel it's deterring people from the sport.
Do you like the bike- which model do you have?
Everyone bitches about Spez but Scott and Canondale top end bikes are identically priced. Spez, at least, throws in a power meter and a multi tool (and axs) at sworks level.
To be honest I can't tell if he's actually standing in front of the bike or if it's a green screen. Even the rain looks fake lol
Rain is fake
i thought i was the only one who noticed it
Wuhan Health Organisation no it isn’t 😂 how big do you think their budget is to do really good cgi rain for a review? Better yet, why would they? 😂
@@Hunter_Bidens_Crackpipe_ The Wuhan/Kung Flu is fake as well😆
Threaded bottom brackets❤❤❤
I do not understand hype over older standard. And from engineering point PF92 is superior. The only problems are shitty quality control with many manufacturers and bike mechanics who do not own a proper PF tool. So, this is a way for Specialized to say: We have a shitty quality control, and you are suckers for giving us so much money for it!
You’ve never has a PF creak? Trust me, you’ll be happy that threaded exists.
that brain suspension could be the gadget that could make me want to move from the hardtail side to the dark side
That's why I switched. Its great.
Just remember, it has to be serviced frequently, and you most likely can't do it yourself.
This year I'm really FEASTING on those xc bikes premieres coming one after another, while nervously glancing at my already 8 months old procaliber xD Meanwhile that was a cool, very insightful presentation, as usual here. I wish there was still Joe to long-term the hell out this bike, but I'm going to keep looking forward for literaly anything xc related nonetheless.
Short offset forks decrease steering sensitivity, not the other way around.
Ahh, common - BMC came out with a very similar geometry in 2019 on their Fourstroke. 67.5 head angle isn't "new" for the XC world.
Nice introduction, but come on BR, do your homework. BMC (Fourstroke), Mondraker (Podium), but above all, NS (Synonym) where way more pioneers of the new school ‘lower, longer, slacker’ xc geometry and are also pretty mainstream bike brands. So you can also say Specialized was - as most famous brand - sleeping all that time ☺️
I'll give you the Mondraker 🤦🏻♂️ I'll almost give you the BMC, but the Epic is still a touch longer... just! The Synonym is a great shout - though not quite mainstream, yet 😉
But thanks, you are right - I missed one or two, good job I asked the question 😅
@@TomMarvin1 ... those are all Oil Well Linkage suspension designs, which means the frame only has one water bottle mount. That makes the BMC, Mondraker, and NS essentially limited to XCO racing because you would have to use a hydration pack with them for marathon and stage racing. That is why the oil well linkage bikes are going the way of the dinosaur in favor of the seat-mounted swing link full suspension bike which now have been adopted by Specialized, Canyon, Cannondale, Momsen, ect.
@@TomMarvin1 Yes, the new Epic is a touch longer. That makes perfect sense. It is a brand new 2021 bike, after all. The current Fourstroke, however, dates from the end of 2018. In other words, it was more than a year and a half earlier on the market. Every trend or new development has to start somewhere. What is progressive today will be old tomorrow. That is the essence of the term "pioneering" right? Specialized is therefore just a market follower. So it is unfair not to give BMC 100% of the credits for progressiveness. I'm not a BMC madman, by the way. Just want to point out facts above the possibility that another is taking credit for what other wizards have done. Force of habit from on journalist / editor himself ;-) Still love your content.
Nice try, but Cannondale XC bikes are still way more radical. Here is only Brain kinda special. Cannondale FSi: Lefty, Asymmetric dropouts (specific rear wheel and crankset), Semi-QR, BB30, integrated seatpost collar.
Yeah, and then you crack the frame.
Unfortunately Cannondale doesn't stand behind there warranty.
Geometry is very old kona used this on there precept around 5 years ago and the satori even more years ago, kona developed this genetic line to develop todays HeiHei, sure there are some cosmetic differences but 2020 HeiHei is 5 years a head of this bike.
Wow! Back to the 80’s! Nice.. Lux would be my Go To though.
THE ALL NEW AND IMPROVED BRAIN! How many times have I heard that shit? My brain has failed three times! Great when it works, infuriating when it fails. Basically no bike until you take it off, send it to Specialized, shipping, get it back, then install. Three weeks NO BIKE. Qualifying the three weeks. Bike shop receives bike, finds the time to remove the shock, shipping to specialized for diagnosis/ repair, shipping from specialized back to bike shop, bike shop re installs. I see others on here saying it only took four days. Lol
I got a SW Epic 2018 and love it! The Brain is perfect for me because I would always forget to lock/unlock te lockout
i like the way you, BikeRadar, present stuff. keep it like that. please (meaning no joker-childish way). thank ya ;-)
I don't understand how the brain suspension can actually work properly or efficiently. It's seems like you'd need to hit at least one bump for it to react and open, which means if you're doing a large drop or jump the shock is going to be in full hard tail mode when you land since there's nothing in the air to signal it to open the shock before landing.
I had Epic 2017 and really like how Brain suspension works. It gives a cool combination of hardtail and full-suspension characteristics. But this month I changed my Epic to Santa Cruz Blur. And I plan to equip it with Rock Shox Revelation with 120mm of travel. I just want a more playful and tough bike without a flexible rear triangle. I suppose any XC bike couldn't beat VPP frame in stiffness. Epic always will be a great bike for me! But one of the downsides of Epic in its rear suspension - you should pay a ton of cash for its service. So for me, Blur is more radical because it's more robust and simpler. Thanks for your content by the way! ✌ 👍🔥
Wait for the new Rockshox Sid 120mm.
Could you make a video on the hardtail version?
This epic looks epic. It has a real early 90’s look and keeps everything looking really clean. Scott really need to get rid of their levers and do a brain thing. 2 bottle mounts too!
I was excited, until I got a price for the sworks epic at $19k AUD 😅
The green colour was nice 👍
Kinda looks like the canyon lux
All the major bike manufacturers are converging towards the seat tube link suspension frame design because it offers a platform in the initial part of the stroke, its lightweight, and it offers two water bottle mounts.
Looks like the Lux, like the Santa Cruz Blur, Cube AMS and the list goes on. Basically we're going back to the frame designs of 2014 but with longer slacker geometry
And kinda like a Scalpel too, apparently they are all converging on the virtual pivot using carbon flex layout.
Well, i am a roadie, but this bike looks so elegant and efficient i kinda want to have a go!
I have a 2019 Epic Expert EVO and the brain suspension is absolutely great. Love it!
threaded bb brackets are used because of strict tolerances pf requires. i prefer pressfit personally. my past 3 bikes have been pressfit and Ive had no problems with creaking at all. intense carbine, pivot mach 429 trail and my current steed pivot trail 429. ive had creaking issues with threaded and imo require more maintenance
I agree that in the right frame, a PF BB can be creak-free. However not all frames are built the same, and overall I think the maintenance of a threaded BB is easier (and more consistently creak free). Thus, I think as a general rule, the move to threaded BBs is a good thing!
Beauty!
You have any idea when is going to be released the Scott spark 2021 ?
The price of these bikes is just comical.
Considering they pay no more than $350 for a Taiwan Frame.
Sworks is almost same price as a brand new Honda civic in Brazil lol
You mean cosmical?
Nicholas Saunders
$15,000 for the top model, which is almost identical to the top end Canyon which is $5000 cheaper. The only difference in the specs seems to be Ceramic wheel bearings, which cost $700 at best (Ceramicspeed coatedbearings), so the extra $4300 goes where?
Have to agree.. That Honda scrambler looks cheap in comparison
I will wait for your impressions vid and review.. but unless Specialized change their pricing relative to their bikes performance I don't see that it's going to that radical. Value for money and quality wise- Specialized hasn't been competetive with Giant for a number of years at the £2-5k price point on hardtails
they are no good if you want a hardtail, i agree.
Hi James - my first ride impressions are available here - www.bikeradar.com/reviews/bikes/mountain-bikes/full-suspension-mountain-bikes/2021-specialized-epic-pro-review/
Thanks!
I like the sweet paint options. But that’s it.
Need to have a test of the Norco Revolver, if you want to try a radical XC bike. The price for performance will blow you away
the evo almose has the same head angle as my enduro bike
Looks soooo nice and clean now when they finally got rid of that "handle" above the rear shock! The only thing that bothered me with the looks of the previous version...
Updated geometry and such a beautiful frame there's no other way really than start saving money!!👌🏻😍
Numbers are like a Scott Spark ⚡️
What seatpost are you running on there?
A beautiful man with a beautiful bike. If I buy this bike and want to take down XXXXC trails, would orange Marzzochi Bombers be a good upgrade? Thx, Jim.
Wondering what those slack head angles will do.. Locking the whole bike on steep uphill corners..
I have tried their previous suspension and I did not like it at all. When I wanted the suspension firm or locked out, it was not as I felt a lot of bob going up hill and when I went through rock gardens or rooted trails, the bike felt locked out. It was weird...
What is up with those prices ?!!!!!!
Corona tax😏
Insane prices for bikes these days! Really makes me resent the manufacturers tbh.
Love it!!
Need an advice! I am just starting the road bike journey and cannot choose between giant contend 3 and decathlon triban rc120. Both are +/- in the same price range and both are coming with rim brakes. Contend 3 is slightly more expensive, am I just going to pay more only for the brand name or does it worth it? Have not found any comparison of these two bikes (btw, rc120 got 5 stars on bikeradar and has a carbon fork)
Can this bike handle semi enduro ? With 160mm fork ? Thanks for the reply!
Legend
It would be more rad if all of them had dropper posts
The most radical ridiculously expensive bike i guess?
The geo isn't that ground braking. It's very similar to what scott and other brands has since 2017 for their 120 mm xc bikes
these prices are getting silly. Yeah sub 10kg for a full sus bike is impressive but so is the price. I feel like a $500-$1000 29er hardtail will be similar weight and most likely faster on the fast sections. so paying another £9k just to get some speed on the rough sections is pretty silly.
the price on that is ridiculos. Specialized is the apple of the bike world.
C'dale is supreme price in Brazil
How much? I’m from Bangladesh, How to purchase? Specialised Epic.
How do you lock the suspension on the non brain bikes and the EVO? I dont see any thumb lock on the handlebars on the photos?
Usually, such shocks have a lockout lever on the shock itself.
Does anyone know if there will be a HT-Version?
I really think you need to avoid throwing out quotes like“most radical Xc race bike from a mainstream brand.’ I suppose it depends on what you consider radical, but the intense sniper came out 2 years ago with the similar geo and weight, the mondraker podium and bmc four stroke have similar numbers, and don’t rely on a single pivot. Looks like a great bike bike, but nothing groundbreaking here
Do you know if the 110 mm rear shock of the new Evo can be installed on a 2019 Epic Comp?
I don't think so. It looks like the evo has a different suspension link to allow that shock.
I would say no because the link design is slightly different on the EVO.
I'd say no mainly because the travel of the bike is defined by the linkage and geometry, not the shock... The travel is simply not there.
I was excited to see them get rid of the brain but I have been let down
Do I have to shave my legs to ride one of these?
Might stick with my All Mountain if I do..... :)
I cant find some of these models on the specialized website. Does anybody know why.
Because your wallet is begging you to use your brain.
How can it be the most radical if it has no dropper post?
bizarre to see the external cable obviously for rear triangle weight but still, for the company leading the sleek look of all modern fashion bicycles, bold move. damn scalpel 2021 still has AI rear wheel. Best to go with none of the mainstream manufacturers these days, so many incredible open mold frame options to spend your money on XTR over a sram retail shop build
My $0.02 the Evo is the better bike in this range. The Brain has always been clunky IMO. Antisquat is a better approach to pedaling efficiency.
Does the brain work?
Looks fantastic in white and has cool geometry. Unfortunately price is out of bounds and this "brain suspension" sounds gimmicky.
Good luck getting them to honor warranty and trying to replace this proprietary suspension system. Junk.
Current S Works hardtail owner here. Soon to own one of these babies. I can tell you that after 2 years of smashing my Hardtail Epic on many rides and competetions, 3 months ago the front suspention finally showed sign of wear and tear. Speciliazed had me back on the trails in 4 days. No problems there.
Do you have any evidence for your claim, or are you just hating on overpriced Specialized? I would very much expect the service to be on par with the price.
You Jelly. The Brain system is worth it.
I have the 2018 Epic Comp which came with the first iteration of the rockshox shock brain. The "brain" has broken twice. By broken I mean something has gone wrong inside and it stops controlling the shock as it should. Instead the suspension kind of wallows up and down and makes funny squelchy noises. Both times it has been resolved under warranty with just a few days turn around. I really like how the brain works, its perfect for the terrain I ride. Just a shame that it hasnt proved 100% reliable. It has made me a bit wary of getting another Epic, but I love the rest of the bike so much that I think I would probably still get another one. It would be an Evo this time though.
It’s nice 👍
Does anyone know when the trek procaliber 2021 comes?
Procaliber changed to supercaliber. Procaliber available with budget groupsets and possible to buy frame only.
Had a 2018 Epic, the Brain packed in twice in 8 months, bought a Canyon Lux and never looked back, Specialized are just seriously overpriced and no longer have the product to back it up IMO.
how does this compare to the trek supercaliber??
I'm awaiting a Supercalibre any week now! Needless to say we'll create a video around that asap.
Cheers!
Felt Edict 1 any day
Had a 2016 Epic. Brain was crap front and rear. 2018 Epic is notorious for failures. 2021? No intention of finding out.
It would be cheaper for Australians to fly to America to buy the S-Works than buy it locally!
Why don’t you compare this against the best XC bike MVDP & Pauline Prevot ride.
What is the brand this tire?
Specialized
Fast track 2 blis
How much ? Anyone know a good getaway driver so i can go rob a bank ?
$19k AUD
@@allangrant1326 Holy smokes Batman !!!!
Should and fairy are words you dont want to hear at this price point.
Nice to drool over but I’d have to take out another mortgage to afford one 😂
mortgage rates are at an all time low :-)
Another infomercial.
Well, it's a news piece about a new bike - if I'd had the bike longer I would have added ride impressions, but sadly the turnaround time was very limited. We still felt it worthy of creating this video about, as it's an interesting bike, in our opinion.
Any paid-for content is marked clearly as such, in accordance to CZcams and ACA rules, as well as through general respect to our audience.
most radical next to trek perhaps
Remember the Brain system don’t last long and there is NO support fra Spezialized ☹️
Speak for 5 minutes Advert. Speak for another 5 mins Ad
Too many Adverts to keep the video flowing.
Hope this 2021 is the name of the bike, not the 2021 year model. Do they think we are that stupid ?
Blaring the music louder for 1-2 seconds in between talking is annoying AF
>specialized reaching into trail riders to increase XC bike sales
well that just sucks, dunnit
I don't really understand this video. The geometry has been done for several years by Intense and Mondraker.
Seriously. This is a Sniper XC, bit with a big S on it.
The brain design has fail written all over it, i'm a strong believer in less is more. I'm also sure the bike industry is just just trying to price the average man out of the sport! That price is a joke 😂
It's Corona tax😏
The only 67 degree head type angle bike that doesn’t have a dropper😂
Magrath Gibbons just wait for the evo version!
Really?! That will make you in the podium? It's still on the athletes body conditioning program, skills and quality food intake before a tournament...
The only probleem is that it doesn't have, a dropper
Is the rear shock going to fail and need to be rebuilt every 10-15 hours like ALL of the other previous epic models? 100% of the Cat 1,2,3 racers and riders I know in Texas have experienced this for many years-the light horse jockeys and the heavier racers-males and females. Specialized lost a lot of followers because of this including myself after many Sworks purchases over many years. I'll pass since they dropped the ball so badly in the past.
I’ve been buying a new sworks epic every yr over the last 5 yes to race and now.... I’m moving over to canyon
@@allangrant1326 I have heard good things about the Canyon. I went with the live valve on the Pivot Mach 4 World Cup.
Weights?