Gone are the days when a date with a hardtail race bike meant paying for it for days to come. 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 Transmission groupset leaves no doubts about why it sets the benchmark for accessible performance. 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. The SID SL doles out travel with a steady hand courtesy of RockShox's Rush RL damper, while Debon Air adjustability makes dialing in suspension performance a breeze. Frame Specialized FACT 11m, Progressive XC Geometry, Rider-First Engineered™, threaded BB, UDH, 12x148mm rear spacing, internal cable routing SWAT SWAT EMT Tool Seat Binder Specialized Alloy 34.9, Alloy Bolt Fork Rockshox SID SL, Rush RL Damper, Debon Air, 15x110mm, 44mm offset, S-XL: 100mm Travel, XS: 90mm Travel Front Brake SRAM Level Bronze 2-piston, Stealth, 180/160mm rotor Rear Brake SRAM Level Bronze 2-piston, Stealth, 160mm rotor Shift Levers Sram AXS POD Controller Chain SRAM GX Transmission Cassette SRAM XS 1270 Transmission, 10-52t Bottom Bracket SRAM DUB Threaded Wide Crankset SRAM S1000 Eagle, DUB, 165/170/175mm, 34T Rear Derailleur SRAM S-1000 Eagle Transmission Chainrings 34t 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 Rims Specialized 29, 27mm inner width, 28h, tubeless ready Rear Tire Specialized Renegade, Control Casing, T5 Compound, 29x2.35 Inner Tubes Standard 40mm PV 29x1.75-2.4 Front Hub Specialized alloy, sealed cartridge bearings, 6-bolt, 15x110mm thru-axle, 28h Saddle Body Geometry Power Sport, steel rails Handlebars Specialized Alloy Minirise, 10mm rise, 750mm, 31.8mm clamp SeatPost Specialized Alloy, Single Bolt, 30.9mm Grips Specialized Trail Grips Stem Specialized, 3D-forged alloy, 4-bolt, 7-degree rise Weight 10.37 kg (22 lb, 13.8 oz) Large * Specifications are subject to change without notice
