Specialized (United States) - Press Release: Fast—it’s been the Epic’s calling card for more than a decade. And in that time, it's rocketed more World Champions, Olympians, and everyday racers to the podium than any bike in its class. Racing between the tape, however, isn’t the only way to worship at the altar of speed. Long, fast rides, marathon races over technical terrain—consider these the Epic EVO’s domain from now on.

A More "Epic" Epic:

Take a look around our office and you're going to see plenty Epics—most of them wearing dropper posts, wider tires and bars, and slightly longer forks. That's because the Epics that we're Frankensteining are not only fast off the start line, they're even better suited to masochistically long rides, multi-day stage races, and fast backcountry missions.

At some point, we looked around and said to ourselves, “We should offer this bike, right out of the box, right?” So we did.

This isn't to disparage today’s "standard" Epic, which upped the XC ante with a truly progressive geometry and a smoother, more responsive Brain shock. The Epic EVO, however, features the same efficient and lightweight chassis, albeit with some features for, well, bigger features. You're going to find a fork with 120mm of travel, a dropper post, wider bars, and meatier tires, so you'll get some much-needed control when you’re redlining it, or for when the dreaded bonk is on the horizon and nothing but steep, chunky bits of trail loom before you.

Can you race this thing? Absolutely. The EVO still tears a race course to ribbons, but it’s also perfectly equipped for high-speed, backcountry missions. Think of it as a more “epic” Epic.

Better Traction & Manueverability:

The trail suddenly takes a plunge. In a split second, every fiber of your being focuses on cleaning the kind of descent that keeps emergency rooms humming. The last thing you need to be wrestling with, right now, are tires that skimp on traction or a saddle that’s higher than Everest. That’s why we equipped all of our Epic EVO models with dropper posts, as well as a set of durable, traction-packed 2.3-inch Ground Control and Fast Trak tires.

More Control & Comfort:

Suspension isn’t a one-size-fits-all proposition. A little longer fork goes a very long way when you're deep into a ride. You know, when your energy is flagging and the trail keeps throwing rocks and roots your way? That’s why we’ve equipped Epic EVO models with forks that have 120mm of travel. We also kept the handlebar height low and racey, while adding a bit of width to the bars (they now measure 750mm). So now, you get more comfort and control when and where you need it most.

A Smarter Brain:

Brain-equipped shocks give you more control and more speed. They do that by knowing the difference between your pedaling forces and terrain forces. In other words, the Inertia Valve inside the Brain keeps the Epic’s suspension firm when you’re pedaling over smooth terrain, and then it allows the suspension to become active the moment that things go from smooth to rough. And since last year, the Epic family has had our smartest Brain shock to date.

The reinvented Brain has been moved closer to the axle, which makes for suspension that's even more responsive. Next, we reengineered the oil porting and flow paths to provide more consistent damping and performance. And finally, we switched over to a bladder system and made the Inertia and Spike Valves mainstays on the new Brain. End result? The smoothest suspension out there is even smoother, and its firm setting is even firmer.

Specifications:

• Chain: Sram GX Eagle, 12-speed
• Bottom Bracket: Sram DUB, threaded BB
• Crankset: Truvativ Stylo, DUB
• Shift Levers: Sram GX Eagle, trigger, 12-speed
• Cassette: Sram GX Eagle, 12-speed, 10-50t
• Chainrings: Sram Eagle, 32T
• Rear Derailleur: Sram GX Eagle, 12-speed
• Fork: Fox Step-Cast 34 Performance series, Grip damper, 44mm offset, 15x110mm Kabolt thru-axle, 120mm of travel
• Rear Shock: Custom RockShox Micro Brain shock w/ Spike Valve, AUTOSAG, 51x257mm
• Front Hub: Specialized, sealed cartridge bearings, 15x110mm spacing, 28h
• Rear Hub: Specialized, sealed cartridge bearings, 12x148mm thru-axle, 28h
• Inner Tubes: Presta, 60mm valve
• Spokes: DT Swiss Industry
• Rims: Roval Control Carbon, 25mm internal width, tubeless-ready
• Front Tire: Ground Control, Gripton® compound, 60 TPI, 2Bliss Ready, 29x2.3"
• Rear Tire: Fast Trak, GRID casing, Gripton® compound, 60 TPI, 2Bliss Ready, 29x2.3"
• Saddle: Body Geometry Phenom Comp, hollow Cr-Mo rails, 143mm
• Seatpost: X-Fusion manic, 30.9mm, (S: 100mm, M-XL: 125mm)
• Stem: Specialized XC, 3D-forged alloy, 4-bolt, 6-degree rise
• Handlebars: Specialized Alloy Minirise, 10mm rise, 750mm, 31.8mm clamp
• Grips: Specialized Sip Grip, half-waffle, S/M: regular thickness, L/XL: XL thickness
• Front Brake: Sram Level TL, hydraulic disc
• Rear Brake: Sram Level TL, hydraulic disc
• Pedals: Specialized Dirt
• Seat Binder: Alloy, 34.9mm
• Frame: Specialized FACT 11m, XC Geometry, Rider-First Engineered™, threaded BB, 12x148mm rear spacing, internal cable routing, 100mm of travel