You’d be forgiven for thinking the Epic couldn’t possibly be improved, and with countless World Championship and Olympic titles as well as Cape Epic victories, it’s certainly a challenge. However, with upgraded geometry and a new layup, we’ve created the fastest XC mountain bike on the face of the good green earth.
It’s not just bike technology which has been consistently evolving which each passing year. Race courses have also changed dramatically, becoming technical, steeper and much more challenging to ride. We took all that into account and made the 2018 S-Works Epic a bike to cater for XC riders of all levels. Handling is naturally at the core of technical XC race craft, so by addressing a whole host of features including reach, head angle, stack, chainstay length and fork offset, we’ve created a frame which is not just more stable and agile, but also significantly more comfortable to ride. A longer reach and a slacked-out head angle coupled with both short-travel and full-length dropper posts come together in the most advanced XC machine you can get your hands on.
The biggest and most exciting development made for the 2018 Epic is the new Brain 2.0, our completely overhauled Brain technology, has raised the bar as far as suspension is concerned in the bike industry. The world-conquering, race-winning tech takes cues from physics, moving it closer to the rear axle which is the more sensitive area of the frame. By working with the team at RockShox, Brain 2.0 doesn’t just smooth out lumps and bumps on the trail, it actually reacts to rough terrain, improving control and performing with greater efficiency.
As far as the upgraded frame is concerned, the Epic is far stiffer than ever before. Rider-First Engineered to ensure stiffness and performance attributes are consistent across the full range of frame sizes. With straighter tube profiles, clean cable routing and an improved layup process, the 2018 S-Works frame is stiffer, lighter and faster. If you want to know more about it’s weight saving, consider it equivalent to shedding a shock extension and chainstay from the previous model, or 350 grams.
All these marginal gains, redesigns and new tech make the 2018 S-Works Epic the fastest XC frame on the planet. Get ready for an upgrade of epic proportions.
-
S-Works FACT 12m carbon fiber frame is the best combination of stiffness, strength, and light overall weight, resulting in the utmost efficiency and speed. Meanwhile, the new geometry, RockShox Brain shock, and 100mm of travel, make the Epic the best handling, fastest XC bike you've ever been on.
-
The all-new RockShox/Specialized Micro Brain shock has the best bump sensitivity and plush-feel of any Epic to date, but it still features the same race-winning efficiency when you're putting out the power.
-
Our custom RockShox SID WC fork with Brain features a full-carbon upper, top-adjust Brain fade, and a custom offset to make it the perfect match to the new Epic.