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Epic Hardtail Comp

5

6 Reviews

Gone are the days when a date with a hardtail race bike meant paying for it for days…

1974 to 2024: A 50-Year Tradition of Innovation
Pedal the Planet Forward

1974 to 2024: A 50-Year Tradition of Innovation

As Specialized celebrates its 50th Anniversary of innovating to improve riders’ lives, we have our sites set on the next half century and creating the future of cycling. Join us as we look back at five decades of innovation so we can continue to Pedal the Planet Forward together.

Product Details

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Gone are the days when a date with a hardtail race bike meant paying for it for days to come. Now, the Epic Hardtail Comp’s reality-altering combination of comfort and capability in a lighter-than-life package means counting down the hours until you meet again.

Working towards the lightest bike possible has long been the race within the race, but at what cost? The battle of the grams certainly hasn’t been without its casualties, with hardtail XC race bikes coming to stand for a harsh, twitchy ride at the expense of capability and versatility.

But who said fatigue from fighting against your bike makes you any faster? Instead, recognizing that the fastest bike is more than simply the lightest bike, we said out with the jarred-to-death tail, the measure-your-posterior’s-sorrows-by-the-yard tail, and in with the avant-garde tail. The ridiculously capable, mystifyingly comfortable, head-shakingly light, and all-around fast Epic Hardtail.

Sure, we optimized every inch of the Epic Hardtail frame to achieve the lightest production hardtail frame in the world anyway—but we also prioritized our commitment to creating an Epic Hardtail that’s as capable as it is comfortable with aggressive singletrack-inspired geometry, increased tire clearance and a frame obsessively engineered for increased vertical compliance, all while creating a bike that lives and breathes the fundamentals of fast.

On the Epic Hardtail Comp, RockShox's long-beloved SID SL fork is tasked with handling suspension duties, while a full SRAM GX Eagle groupset leaves no doubts about why it sets the benchmark for accessible performance.

  • Ridiculously capable, incredibly light, and refreshingly comfortable, the Epic Hardtail’s dropper-post friendly FACT 11m carbon frame rewrites the hardtail playbook with game-changing success.

  • The SID SL doles out travel with a steady hand courtesy of RockShox's Rush RL damper, while Debon Air adjustability makes dialing in suspension performance a breeze.

  • SRAM's GX Eagle shifting has always been the benchmark for affordable high performance, and the latest offering simply raises it even further.

Technical Specifications

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Frameset

Frame

Specialized FACT 11m, Progressive XC Geometry, Rider-First Engineered™, threaded BB, 12x148mm rear spacing, internal cable routing

Seat Binder

Specialized Alloy 34.9, Alloy Bolt

Suspension

Fork

Rockshox SID SL, Rush RL Damper, Debon Air, 15x110mm, 44mm offset, 100mm Travel

Brakes

Front Brake

SRAM Level Bronze 2-piston, Stealth, 180/160mm rotor

Rear Brake

SRAM Level Bronze 2-piston, Stealth, 160mm rotor

Drivetrain

Shift Levers

SRAM GX, trigger, 12-speed

Rear Derailleur

SRAM GX Eagle, 12-speed

Cassette

Sram XG-1275, 12-speed, 10-52t

Chain

SRAM, NX Eagle, 12-speed

Crankset

SRAM X1000 Eagle, DUB, 170/175mm 34T

Chainrings

34T

Bottom Bracket

SRAM DUB, BSA 73mm, Threaded

Wheels & Tires

Rims

Specialized 29, 27mm inner width, 28h, tubeless ready

Front Hub

Specialized alloy, sealed cartridge bearings, 6-bolt, 15x110mm thru-axle, 28h

Rear Hub

Specialized alloy, sealed cartridge bearings, 6-bolt, 12x148mm thru-axle, 28h

Spokes

DT Swiss Industry

Front Tire

Specialized Fast Trak, Control Casing, T7 Compound, 29x2.35

Rear Tire

Specialized Renegade, Control Casing, T5 Compound, 29x2.35

Inner Tubes

Standard, Presta valve

Cockpit

Stem

Specialized, 3D-forged alloy, 4-bolt, 7-degree rise

Handlebars

Specialized Alloy Minirise, 10mm rise, 750mm, 31.8mm clamp

Grips

Specialized Trail Grips

Saddle

Body Geometry Power Sport, steel rails

SeatPost

Specialized Alloy, Single Bolt, 30.9mm

Weight

Weight

10.21kg (22 lb, 8.1 oz)

Weight Size

MD

* Weights based on production painted frames as pictured. Actual weights will vary based on colourway, frame size, and component variation. Specifications are subject to change without notice.

Geometry

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XSSMLXL
Crank Length165mm170mm170mm175mm175mm
Handlebar Width750mm750mm750mm750mm750mm
Stem Length60mm60mm70mm70mm70mm
Saddle Width155mm155mm143mm143mm143mm
Seatpost Length350mm350mm400mm400mm400mm
Front Center643mm670mm695mm725mm755mm
Stack594mm608mm608mm622mm636mm
Chainstay Length430mm430mm430mm430mm430mm
Reach385mm405mm430mm455mm480mm
Head Tube Length95mm95mm95mm110mm125mm
Wheelbase1064mm1092mm1117mm1148mm1178mm
Head Tube Angle68.5°68.5°68.5°68.5°68.5°
Top Tube Length, Horizontal555mm579mm604mm633mm662mm
BB Height309mm309mm309mm309mm309mm
Bike Standover Height732mm762mm792mm816mm847mm
BB Drop63mm63mm63mm63mm63mm
Seat Tube Length367mm400mm430mm470mm520mm
Seat Tube Angle74°74°74°74°74°
Trail101mm101mm101mm101mm101mm
Fork Length, Full486mm506mm506mm506mm506mm
Fork Rake/Offset44mm44mm44mm44mm44mm
Geometry

Manual Downloads

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Rider Reviews

5

6 Reviews

 

Great bike for my local trails

I'm in north Scottsdale, where our trails are mostly smooth hardpack with gravel skree, where speed and cornering are paramount. This HT is great for trails like this, and it climbs like a bullet. Very happy with it. Drawbacks? I'm 5' 10" and riding a Medium, with my saddle where I want it, if you have to put a foot down it can get exciting. Fixed that by adding a OneUp v3 dropper, which should have come on the bike to begin with. Only a minor weight adder, as the stock alloy seatpost is 348 gm! A more concerning issue is that the shifter will hit the top tube (hard!) if you crash and the bars spin round. This is a flaw that should have been fixed before production. Will fix by getting bars with more rise. Otherwise, great bike.


Name:
Paul

Helpful?

An awesome (Epic) bike!

If you're looking for a lightweight, possibly the lightest weight XC bike at this price range, look no further. The SRAM GX shifts flawlessly and the SID shock is buttery smooth. I've done a few long distance rides on the Epic now and it's taken everything in its stride. I couldn't be happier with it. A few small upgrades and you've got a real high spec XC HT. I've swapped the wheels for some Hunt's and the alloy bars and seat post for the carbon Roval equivalents. I get a lot of comments from passers by saying how much they like my bike - great for the ego!


Name:
Will

Helpful?

Epic bike with an Epic name!

What can I say? It's an Epic after all. Would be even better with a Fox 32 fork, Shimano XT, and a dropper. Epic bike nonetheless. sorry for epic puns. i couldn't help myself lol.


Name:
Alexander

Helpful?

Arguably the most versatile bike in the world

I got this bike to get into XC racing, and after ~3 months, I can say it's fantastic. (full disclosure I got an older model year) It's a joy to ride everywhere and exceeded my expectations on trails. I was worried 100mm travel might be rough, but it's been perfect for my riding. The bike's geometry offers intuitive handling, great for tight turns and switchbacks. I previously had 'slack' trail hardtails, but I think I prefer the Epic's steeper angles and shorter wheelbase. Adding a dropper post unlocked its capability on steeper trails. Surprisingly, I enjoy gravel riding on this bike more than on my former gravel bike—it's more comfortable for longer rides and offers better control on loose descents. Even on pavement it's quick enough to be fun, and is a great bike path bike.


Name:
Taylor

Helpful?

It's epic

Probably the best hardtail frame on the market. It would be even better with Shimano XT and fox 32


Name:
Jonas

Helpful?

best bike i've ever had

I have had lots of bikes of bikes over the years for all kinds of riding, but this Epic Hardtail is my favorite of all. Every day when I head out, I have a choice of bikes - road, mtn, gravel - and this is the bike I always want to ride. It climbs well, is stable on descents, goes where I point it and makes me a better rider. It's awesome in the woods! Is it faster than my Diverge on gravel? No, but it always feels more playful and fun. I love my Epic Hardtail!


Name:
christopher

Helpful?