You’ve seen the look. The, are-they-really-about-to-ride-that-on-a-hardtail look. Well, get ready to get it a lot more aboard the Epic Hardtail. Fast and light meets confident and capable in a bike that’s been bred to redefine what’s possible on a cross-country speed demon.
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 own 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.
A RockShox Judy Gold fork and SRAM drivetrain highlight the build, effortlessly balancing both value and performance to impressive results.
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.
Don't judge this Judy without being prepared to come away impressed. RockShox's capable Motion Control Damper and Solo Air spring combine for composed, predictable travel and effortless setup and adjustment.
SRAM's Level T hydraulic disc brakes pack a punch, offering serious bite and backing it up with a refined, intuitive feel to make for a package that squeezes heavyweight performance out of a scale-friendly setup.
Specifications
Frameset
Seat Binder
Specialized Alloy, 34.9mm
Frame
Specialized FACT 11m, Progressive XC Geometry, Rider-First Engineeredâ„¢, threaded BB, 12x148mm rear spacing, internal cable routing
Suspension
Fork
RockShox Judy Gold, Motion Control damper, Solo Air, 42mm offset, 15x110mm thru-axle, 100mm of travel (XS - 80mm travel)
Cockpit
Stem
3D-forged alloy, 31.8mm, 7-degree rise
Saddle
Body Geometry Power Sport, steel rails
Handlebars
Specialized Alloy XC minirise, double-butted alloy, 8-degree backsweep, 6-degree upsweep, 10mm rise, 31.8mm
SeatPost
Specialized Alloy, Single Bolt, 30.9mm
Tape
Specialized Trail Grips
Brakes
Front Brake
SRAM Level T hydraulic disc, 2-Piston Caliper
Rear Brake
SRAM Level T, Post Mount, 160mm Centerline Rotor
Drivetrain
Chainrings
Steel, 30T
Bottom Bracket
SRAM DUB, BSA 73mm, Threaded
Cassette
SRAM NX Eagle, 12-speed, 11-50t
Rear Derailleur
SRAM NX Eagle, 12-speed
Shift Levers
SRAM NX Eagle, trigger, 12-speed
Chain
SRAM SX Eagle, 12-speed w/ PowerLock®
Crankset
SRAM X1000 Eagle, DUB, 170/175mm 32T
Wheels
Rear Hub
Alloy, sealed cartridge bearings, 12x148mm thru-axle, 32h
Rims
Specialized Alloy, hookless, Tubeless ready, 25mm inner width
Front Tire
Specialized Fast Trak, Control Casing, T5 Compound, 29x2.35
Rear Tire
Specialized Renegade, Control Casing, T5 Compound, 29x2.35
Front Hub
Specialized alloy front hub disc, sealed cardridge bearings, 6-bolt, 15x110mm thru-axle, 32h
Spokes
Stainless, 14g
Inner Tubes
Standard, Presta valve
