Specialized Epic Hardtail Expert

With all of the growth in full-suspension XC bikes, we found that hardtails were starting to become a little same old, same old. So we thought to ourselves, 'What better time than now to shake things up with a modern, revolutionary design?' Say hello to the Epic Hardtail Expert.

It's one of the lightest frames we've ever made, tipping the scales around 1175g. And to make it this light, we built the entire frame from our superlative FACT 11m carbon fiber, and then we took some cues from our road bikes. We borrowed the Rider-First Engineered concept that originated with the Tarmac. Now, the frame design applies specificity to every tube size and carbon layup for every frame size. This creates the optimal balance of rigidity, weight, and responsiveness, so every frame, regardless of size, performs just as we intended.

We've also tweaked the geometry for more speed and stability by slacking-out the head tube angle, lengthening the top tube, and correcting the seat tube angle. This way, it feels more planted than ever, and frankly, it's stupid fast. We also widened the rear spacing to 12x148mm and included internal split-housing cable routing.

For the build, this Epic Hardtail successfully balances value with performance, with a custom-tuned RockShox SID fork with Brain, SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed shifting, and quick-to-accelerate Roval Control Carbon wheels.

- By pairing a FACT 11m carbon fiber frame with our XC 29 Geometry, this Epic places a focus on revolutionary tube angles and light overall weight for explosive speed and nimble handling on the race circuit.
- SRAM's 12-speed GX Eagle groupset, with its 10-50t cassette, provides a wide gear range that lets you spin up the climbs, yet have plenty of top end for the descents. One-by setups also decrease weight and make it next to impossible to drop a chain.
- Roval's new Control Carbon wheels have many of the hallmarks of the Control Sl wheels, like a 25mm internal width, and a new shape—making traction, low weight, and durability all top priorities.