SPECIALIZED S-WORKS EPIC WORLD CUP

Can Spesh's softail XC race bike square the circle between reduced weight and increased control?

With XC courses becoming increasingly hardcore and bikes growing in travel and tyre width to cope with the additional W demands, the first leaked shots of Specialized's new Epic World Cup race weapon were a surprise. And the final reveal only reinforced our shock: 75mm travel, 1,765g frame weight, rigid seat post and a double-diamond shape. But everything makes more sense when you learn this bike is designed to replace Specialized's Epic XC hardtail, not either of its existing XC suspension bikes. So how does it actually ride? 

With its unique RockShox SIDLuxeWCID shock half hidden in the underside of the top tube, it certainly appeals visually to the hardtail crowd. Specialized also claims the frame sets "new standards in torsional rigidity, for steering precision and upper body power transfer, and BB stiffness, for pedal response and efficiency". Where a mid-shaft support bushing and micro swing-link make the shock itself seriously stiff too.

The SIDLuxeWCID shock on the Epic World Cup is not only longer and thinner than a standard SIDLuxe, it also has a manual negative air spring bleed valve that is key to the design. You set the positive pressure in the usual way, then fine-tune the negative pressure with the bleed valve to alter the initial suspension response. Purge all the air out of the negative chamber for the firmest no sag/Zero Gulp set-up.

For a more conventional suspension feel, deflate the shock then press the little brass bleed button with the shock at full compression before inflating the positive chamber for Full Gulp, 10% sag. How far you compress the shock when deflated changes the Gulp and the influence of the negative chamber. You also have the ability to adjust low-speed compression and rebound damping settings with an Allen key too.