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.
Frame: Specialized FACT 11m, Progressive XC Geometry, Rider-First Engineeredâ„¢, threaded BB, 12x148mm rear spacing, internal cable routing
Seat Binder: Specialized Alloy 34.9, Alloy Bolt
Fork: Rockshox SID SL, Rush RL Damper, Debon Air, 15x110mm, 44mm offset, 100mm Travel
Handlebars: Specialized Alloy Minirise, 10mm rise, 750mm, 31.8mm clamp
Stem: Specialized, 3D-forged alloy, 4-bolt, 7-degree rise
Grips: Specialized Trail Grips
Saddle: Body Geometry Power Sport, steel rails
SeatPost: Specialized Alloy, Single Bolt, 30.9mm
Front Brake: SRAM Level Bronze 2-piston, Stealth, 180/160mm rotor
Rear Brake: SRAM Level Bronze 2-piston, Stealth, 160mm rotor
Rear Derailleur: SRAM GX Eagle, 12-speed
Shift Levers: SRAM GX, trigger, 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
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