2019 Men's Epic Expert
4.8
17 Reviews
Lightweight carbon frame? Check. Industry-leading suspension technology? Oh yeah.…
Product Details
Lightweight carbon frame? Check. Industry-leading suspension technology? Oh yeah. Race-ready build kit? You know it. The Epic Expert is not only ready to shine in races, but it's also ready to put your closest buddies in the pain cave on the weekends.
Race courses have evolved over the past few years. They're more technical, steeper, and more challenging to ride. But instead of quivering in our boots, we saw this as an opportunity to make something special—something that both World Cup athletes and XC riders alike can instantly feel the benefit from. We looked at the sum of parts that make a bike handle well, like the head angle, reach, stack, chainstay length, fork offset, etc., and reevaluated all of it. Increasing the reach made a bike that was more stable at speed and generally more comfortable to ride. Dropper posts? Yep, those fit, and not just a short-travel XC option, but full-length droppers that fit in the 30.9mm seat tube. Head angle? We slacked that out, but not without evaluating the overall handling package. It now lands on a custom offset, 42mm fork that works with the slacker head angle in order to behave itself in tight corners and through switchbacks.
Next comes Brain 2.0. The original Brain changed the way the bike world looked at suspension, both in its inefficiencies and benefits alike. And oh, was it good. It won races and put a flag in the ground for us as a true leader in innovation and suspension development, but we knew that we could make it better. Simple physics told us that, by moving the Brain closer to the rear axle, it would be in the most sensitive spot. And after countless hours with the RockShox team, the Brain became more than just a slight upgrade. It's totally reborn. Now, it reacts seamlessly to bump forces, it has much more consistent damping performance, and finally, it integrates the hoses into the suspension links. This, in turn, improves oil paths, and it creates an incredibly sleek package that outperforms anything on the market.
The Epic also has a rider Rider-First Engineered™ design that places complex carbon pieces in all the right places, and this greatly increases stiffness in the front-end for a vast improvement in ride quality and control. To go along with this, each frame size has size-specific tubes that result in the stiffest, best riding XC bike we've ever developed—no matter the frame size.
And while stiffness, Brain technology, and geometry features are cool and all, we know what you're thinking, 'What about weight?' We're glad you asked. With the goal of the new Epic to be the fastest XC mountain bike we've ever made, weight was at the top of our priorities list. We started with an efficient frame layout and tube shapes that feature clean cable routing, integrated channels through the shock extension, straight tubes with less curves, and optimized torsion profiles in every section. And, if you're curious, this weight savings is equivalent to shedding a chainstay and shock extension from the previous Epic—nearly 525 grams.
The build of the Epic Expert meshes performance with value, featuring a 12-speed SRAM GX Eagle groupset, a RockShox SID fork with bottom-adjust Brain Fade, SRAM Level TL brakes, and a hand-built Roval Control Carbon fiber wheelset. Get ready, because this is going to be Epic.
Full fact 11m carbon fiber frame combines stiffness, strength, and light overall weight to deliver an off-the-hook race bike. Meanwhile, the new geometry, RockShox Brain shock, and 100mm of travel, make the Epic the best handling, fastest XC rig you've been on.
The 12-speed SRAM GX Eagle groupset brings the performance of Eagle at a doable price point.
The hand-built Roval Control Carbon wheels feature a modern 25mm internal width hookless rim, ensuring optimal traction and rolling resistance properties.
Technical Specifications
FRAMESET
FRAME
Specialized FACT 11m, XC Geometry, Rider-First Engineered™, threaded BB, 12x148mm rear spacing, internal cable routing, 100mm of travel
SUSPENSION
FORK
RockShox SID Brain 29, Solo Air, Bottom-adjust Brain Fade, 15x110mm Maxle® Stealth thru-axle, 42mm offset, 100mm of travel
REAR SHOCK
Custom RockShox Micro Brain shock w/ Spike Valve, AUTOSAG, 51x257mm
COCKPIT
HANDLEBARS
Specialized Alloy Minirise, 10mm rise, 750mm, 31.8mm clamp
STEM
Specialized XC, 3D-forged alloy, 4-bolt, 6-degree rise
GRIPS
Specialized Sip grip, half-waffle, S/M: regular thickness, L/XL: XL thickness
SADDLE
Body Geometry Phenom Comp, hollow Cr-Mo rails, 143mm
SEATPOST
Alloy, single-bolt, 30.9mm
SEAT BINDER
Alloy, 34.9mm
BRAKES
FRONT BRAKE
SRAM Level TL, hydraulic disc
REAR BRAKE
SRAM Level TL, hydraulic disc
DRIVETRAIN
SHIFT LEVERS
SRAM GX Eagle, trigger, 12-speed
REAR DERAILLEUR
SRAM GX Eagle, 12-speed
CASSETTE
SRAM GX Eagle, 12-speed, 10-50t
CRANKSET
Truvativ STYLO, DUB
CHAINRINGS
SRAM Eagle, 32T
BOTTOM BRACKET
SRAM DUB, threaded BB
CHAIN
SRAM GX Eagle, 12-speed
WHEELS & TIRES
RIMS
Roval Control Carbon, 25mm internal width, tubeless-ready
FRONT HUB
Specialized, sealed cartridge bearings, 15x110mm spacing, 28h
REAR HUB
Specialized, sealed cartridge bearings, 12x148mm thru-axle, 28h
SPOKES
DT Swiss Industry
FRONT TIRE
Fast Trak, GRIPTON® compound, 60 TPI, 2Bliss Ready, 29x2.3"
REAR TIRE
Fast Trak, GRIPTON® compound, 60 TPI, 2Bliss Ready, 29x2.1"
INNER TUBES
Presta, 60mm valve
ACCESSORIES
PEDALS
Specialized Dirt
* Weights based on production painted frames as pictured. Actual weights will vary based on colorway, frame size, and component variation. Specifications are subject to change without notice.
Geometry
| S | M | L | XL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crank Length | 170mm | 175mm | 175mm | 175mm |
| Handlebar Width | 750mm | 750mm | 750mm | 750mm |
| Stem Length | 60mm | 70mm | 80mm | 90mm |
| Saddle Width | 143mm | 143mm | 143mm | 143mm |
| Seatpost Length | 350mm | 400mm | 400mm | 400mm |
| Stack | 588mm | 597mm | 611mm | 630mm |
| Reach | 408mm | 433mm | 456mm | 475mm |
| Head Tube Length | 95mm | 105mm | 120mm | 140mm |
| Head Tube Angle | 69.5° | 69.5° | 69.5° | 69.5° |
| BB Height | 332mm | 332mm | 332mm | 332mm |
| BB Drop | 38.9mm | 38.9mm | 38.9mm | 38.9mm |
| Trail | 94mm | 94mm | 94mm | 94mm |
| Fork Length, Full | 506mm | 506mm | 506mm | 506mm |
| Fork Rake/Offset | 42mm | 42mm | 42mm | 42mm |
| Front Center | 659mm | 687mm | 715mm | 742mm |
| Chainstay Length | 438mm | 438mm | 438mm | 438mm |
| Wheelbase | 1094mm | 1123mm | 1151mm | 1177mm |
| Top Tube Length, Horizontal | 568mm | 596mm | 623mm | 647mm |
| Bike Standover Height | 764mm | 770mm | 776mm | 799mm |
| Seat Tube Length | 400mm | 434mm | 470mm | 520mm |
| Seat Tube Angle | 74.75° | 74.75° | 74.75° | 74.75° |
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Rider Reviews
4.8
17 Reviews