{"id":7800,"date":"2019-08-11T11:08:57","date_gmt":"2019-08-11T09:08:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sparkbikereview.com\/?p=7800"},"modified":"2019-08-11T11:24:35","modified_gmt":"2019-08-11T09:24:35","slug":"heres-the-lightest-hardtail-ever-the-new-specialized-epic-hardtail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sparkbikereview.com\/heres-the-lightest-hardtail-ever-the-new-specialized-epic-hardtail\/","title":{"rendered":"Here’s the lightest hardtail ever – The new Specialized Epic Hardtail"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Cross-country racing has always been a battle of grams\u2014a contest to see who can build the lightest machine. The new Specialized Epic Hardtail flips the bird at that hoary convention. Yes, you\u2019re looking at the lightest production hardtail to date, but the new Specialized Epic Hardtail is a hell of a lot more than that. This is the most capable and comfortable XC race bike ever. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Capable, comfortable\u2026those aren\u2019t\nadjectives that get tossed around much in elite cross-country racing. But\nhere\u2019s the thing\u2014you\u2019re not reaching the podium if you\u2019re death-gripping the\nbrakes or getting pummeled by the trail. The fastest bike is more than simply\nthe lightest bike. This is proof.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ridiculously Capable<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cross-country courses have grown rougher,\nso we made the Epic HT more capable. It starts with all-new geometry. Taking a\npage from our trail bike playbook, we slackened the head angle to 68.5 degrees,\nreduced the fork offset, increased reach and moved to shorter (60-75\nmillimeter) stems on all frame sizes. End result? The Epic HT retains a short\nwheelbase for deft handling, yet it offers more predictable steering and a more\ncentered rider position for increased control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    More Versatile Than Ever Before<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    We boosted tyre clearance, letting you take\nfull advantage of wider-volume tyres on more challenging tracks. And while we\nwere at it, we equipped the bike with a 30.9-millimeter seatpost, which gives\nyou the option to run longer-travel dropper posts for even more maneuverability\nand control on technical sections. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Tuned for Comfort. Tuned for Speed.<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    A fatigued you is not a fast you. That\u2019s a\nsimple fact, yet history is littered with ultra-light and ultra-harsh XC bikes.\nWe fine-tuned our composite lay-up and tube shaping to make the new Epic HT\nmore forgiving\u2026and even faster. Smaller diameter seatstays, for example,\nincrease vertical compliance. Ditto for our new arced seat tube design that\noffers as much vertical compliance as the previous, smaller-diameter seat tube,\nyet plays nice with all sorts of dropper posts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Simple, Reliable, and Utterly Badass <\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    There\u2019s a reason people don\u2019t use Ferraris\nto pick up their groceries. Sophisticated, race-bred machines have a reputation\nfor being fickle, sensitive, and frankly, a royal pain to own and operate.\nLet\u2019s call bullshit on that right now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Epic HT is a World-Cup-caliber race\nrocket that\u2019s also hassle free. There are no proprietary, bolt-on bits and\npieces to fret over. And yep, there\u2019s a threaded bottom bracket here as well.\nProven, reliable, and utterly badass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      Amazingly Light<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      The Epic HT sets a new standard in\ncapability and comfort, and it does all that while also being the lightest\nproduction frame on earth. We optimised every inch of this frame, fine tuning\nthe fiber and resin mix as well as custom shaping every ply to eliminate\nunnecessary overwrap. We even ditched the aluminium inserts in the rear\ndropouts. End result? A remarkable frame that tips the scales at 790 grams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Any Questions?!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      1. When does the Epic HT go public?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      August 6th, 18:00. 2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      2. How many models of Epic HT are Specialized offering?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      They now offer seven complete Epic HT models, as well as an S-Works frame-only option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      3. What\u2019s the price range?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The range starts at $2,110 (the Carbon 29 model) and goes up to $9,510 (the S-Works SRAM version). The S-Works frame-only kit sells for $2,000. These prices are in US dollars. Check with your local PR representative for exact pricing in your market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      On a related\nnote, that $2,110 price point brings cutting-edge carbon technology to riders\nat a price point where aluminum frames are still prevalent. We\u2019re stoked to\nhave brought that level of performance and technology to a price more riders\ncan afford.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      4. Do all of the Epic Hardtails share the same frame? If not, what sets the frames apart (and which models get which frames)?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      There are two\nframes in the lineup. The S-Works models feature our FACT 12M carbon frames,\nwhile Pro, Expert, Comp, and Carbon 29 models are built around our FACT 11M\ncarbon frame. The S-Works frame is 140 grams lighter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      5. What was the goal of the redesign?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      It\u2019s an XC race bike, so cutting weight was a starting point. That said, XC courses are undeniably more technical than in the past. That fact drove Specialized to make the bike more capable on rougher tracks\u2014necessitating entirely new geometry, clearance for bigger tires, and the ability to run dropper posts. In other words, the goal here was to make the Epic HT lighter, more comfortable, more controlled, and more versatile than before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      6. How much does the new Epic HT weigh?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      A size Medium\nframe, painted, weighs 790 grams (1.74 pounds). That\u2019s more than 75 grams\nlighter than the previous Epic HT chassis and a solid 50 grams lighter than the\nclosest competitor. The new Epic HT is the lightest full-production hardtail\nanywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      7. How did they achieve the weight savings?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Specialized optimized every inch of this frame, from fine-tuning the carbon fiber and resin mix to custom shaping every ply so that there are no unnecessary overwraps that add weight without improving ride quality or strength. They even eliminated the aluminum inserts in the rear dropouts. That said, Specialized weren\u2019t willing to sacrifice durability or strength just to cut those grams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The new Epic\nHT is just as strong as before, has more tire clearance, and now accepts\nlonger-travel dropper posts. It\u2019s the lightest mass-produced hardtail on the\nmarket, but it\u2019s also worlds more capable and versatile. You\u2019re not the fastest\nrider on the course if you are on the brakes during the descents or if you feel\nworked-over every time you power through a technical section on an unforgiving\nbike. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      8. What changes did Specialized make to the geometry?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      They wanted to give riders more control. And they did that by growing reach and relaxing the head tube angle to 68.5 degrees. The bike still needed to be nimble and easy to thread through tight corners, which meant that Specialized also needed the wheelbase to stay tight. The reduced fork offset (42 millimeters) helps them achieve that balance of increased downhill control and deft handling on tighter sections of trail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      9. The previous Epic HT featured a 27.2mm seatpost that was designed to flex and create a comfortable ride. Why did Specialized move to a wider-diameter seat tube and 30.9mm seatpost?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      If every second counts (and it always does), then having the option to drop your saddle and ride with more speed and confidence on descents is essential. Going with a 30.9mm seatpost gives riders the option to run a full-length dropper. The engineers did all that without sacrificing comfort thanks to a new seat tube design (note the arc) which is just as compliant as the smaller-diameter (27.2) seat tube on the previous Epic HT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      10. This article mentions that the Epic HT is more comfortable over rough terrain than the version it replaces. How did Specialized achieve that?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The new SpecializedEpic HT is noticeably more forgiving when you\u2019re hammering away in the saddle, which might seem surprising since we went to a larger-diameter seat tube. The new shape of the seat tube allows them to maintain the same amount of compliance as before, while gaining the ability to run long-travel dropper posts. Finally, they went to slightly smaller seatstays, which also increased vertical compliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      11. What\u2019s the max tire\nsize that can you fit on the new Epic HT?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The new frame will fit 2.3\u201d to 2.4\u201d tires with plenty of mud clearance to spare. Rim widths are increasing, and even cross-country racers are riding wider tires at lower air pressures than in the past. Specialized took that into account with this frame. Of course, even if you aren\u2019t racing, having the extra clearance to run a larger volume tire simply makes the Epic HT more versatile and more comfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      12. What were the stiffness goals with the new frame?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Creating an optimal, overall frame stiffness was key\u2014if the front-end is too flexy, the bike feels like a noodle and steers poorly. If the rear-end is too stiff, the bike won\u2019t track well in rough corners and will sap rider energy over the course of a long or technically-challenging race. The goal was to hit that sweet spot with a stiff front-end that steers precisely and transfers energy well at the bottom bracket, and a rear-end that tracks well and provides the kind of compliance necessary to finish challenging descents without feeling wiped out. Tube shaping and diameter were absolutely key in achieving those goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Specialized also invested a tremendous amount of development into developing Rider-First™ tunes\u2014creating unique lay-up schedules for every size of frame, so that the Epic HT has a consistent ride quality and personality across all frame sizes. Small frames aren\u2019t harsh. X-Large frames aren\u2019t flexy. Every rider experiences the same perfectly-dialed ride quality, no matter their height.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      Availability: <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      SPECIALIZED<\/strong> EPIC HT SW CARBON ULTRALIGHT 29<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Price: R140 000<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      When: September 2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      SPECIALIZED EPIC HT COMP CARBON 29<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Prcie: R44 000<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      When: December 2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Source: Specialized Bicycles<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Cross-country racing has always been a battle of grams\u2014a contest to see who can build the lightest machine. The new Specialized Epic Hardtail flips the bird at that hoary convention. Yes, you\u2019re looking at the lightest production hardtail to date, but the new Specialized Epic Hardtail is a hell of a lot more than that.… Read More »Here’s the lightest hardtail ever – The new Specialized Epic Hardtail<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7801,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":"","wds_primary_category":0},"categories":[126],"tags":[1050],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sparkbikereview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7800"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sparkbikereview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sparkbikereview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sparkbikereview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sparkbikereview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7800"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sparkbikereview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7800\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sparkbikereview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sparkbikereview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sparkbikereview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sparkbikereview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}