2018 Men's Epic Hardtail Pro

If you ask us, it's been too long since hardtails got their world shaken up. Well, our all-new Epic Hardtail Pro does just that. New geometry, crazy-low frame weight, and a build from the racing gods—this bike is ready to shatter the mold.

In order to create one of the lightest frames we've ever made (around 1175 grams if you're curious), we built the entire frame from our superlative FACT 11m carbon fiber, and then we took some cues from our road bikes.

We borrowed the Rider-First Engineered™ concept that originated with the Tarmac. Now, the frame design applies specificity to every tube size and carbon layup for every frame size. This creates the optimal balance of rigidity, weight, and responsiveness, so every frame, regardless of size, performs just as we intended. We've also tweaked the geometry for more speed and stability by slacking-out the head tube, lengthening the top tube, and correcting the seat tube angle. This way, it feels more planted then ever, and frankly, it's stupid fast. We also widened the rear spacing to 12x148mm and included internal split-housing cable routing.

For the build, the Epic Hardtail Pro hits right on the money, opting for a custom-tuned RockShox SID fork with Brain, SRAM X01 Eagle™ 12-speed shifting, and hand-built Roval Control Pro Carbon wheels.

• By pairing a FACT 11m carbon fiber frame with our XC 29 Geometry, this Epic places a focus on revolutionary tube angles and light overall weight for explosive speed and nimble handling on the race circuit.

• The Custom RockShox SID 29 w/ Brain fork provides 90/100mm of efficient travel. It features Brain technology that distinguishes between terrain and rider input in order to maximize your power, while a Brain Fade adjusts the oil flow when not hitting bumps.

• SRAM's 12-speed X01 Eagle groupset features a wide gear range that delivers climbing and descending efficiency in spades. On top of this, the one-by setup is notorious for being next to impossible to drop a chain with, plus it provides a significant weight savings in comparison to a standard 2x setup.