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To find out more about the design and development of the Epic 8, take a look at the full press release here:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe New Epic 8: Reinventing the Formula of Fastest<\/h2>\n\n\n\nEfficient x Capable x Lightweight = Fastest<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Epics are the fastest cross country race bikes in the world. Always have been. Always will be.
S-Works Epic 8<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\nI instantly felt the direct power transfer\u2026 every watt goes immediately into forward momentum.<\/em><\/p>\nChristopher Blevins<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nThe Fastest Frame on Earth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n
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UNMATCHED CAPABILITY<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThe most capable 120mm bike on the planet<\/li>\n\n\n\n Unsurpassed bump force management<\/li>\n\n\n\n Trail-inspired geometry, honed over four decades<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
LEADING EFFICIENCY<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nMost efficient pedaling suspension bike we\u2019ve ever tested<\/li>\n\n\n\n Unmatched biomechanical efficiency<\/li>\n\n\n\n Leading fatigue reduction<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
EXTREMELY LIGHT WEIGHT<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n76 grams lighter than previous S-Works Epic<\/li>\n\n\n\n Rider-First Engineered composite frames with obsessive material, design, and process optimization<\/li>\n\n\n\n FACT 12M frame, Ti hardware and carbon shock extension on S-Works<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nSpecialized Ride Dynamics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n While you were cutting school to ride your bike, some kids stayed in science club, learning how to manipulate the laws of physics. And some of those kids rode their bikes, too. Those are the kids who grew up to be members of Specialized Ride Dynamics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And thank goodness they did, because they\u2019ve bent those laws into the fastest, most dialed-in, thought-out, efficient, and lightweight bikes in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThank goodness some kids stayed in science club<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nTo understand how we made the fastest mountain bikes on the planet, you need to understand the Specialized Ride Dynamics team, the elite off-road members of the Specialized Science Club. Our Ride Dynamics team relentlessly focuses on advancing the ride by holistically developing the chassis, geometry, kinematics, spring curves, and damping performance of the bike so it all works together to achieve a singular, elevated ride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s a core group of riders who work obsessively on improving the ride for all riders. They work in our Innovation Centers, on the trail, and on race courses with access to unmatched engineering and testing resources in the industry, collaborating with the fastest racers in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thank goodness, indeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Capability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n The fastest up the climb is the fastest across the line<\/s>.
The Epic 8 punches way, way above its class, because just smashing up the climb is no longer all it takes to win. As tracks get more technical, capability makes the difference between winning and crashing. On top of that, the more composed the bike in technical terrain, the more the rider can recover on the descents so they\u2019re ready to attack on the next climb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Progressive Geometry for Modern XC<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Riders will be blown away by how the Epic 8\u2019s progressive geometry delivers technical terrain capability alongside fast and efficient climbing and acceleration performance. The generous cockpit centers the rider on the bike for optimal traction and corner control. The low bottom bracket and slack headtube keep things composed in the rough, while giving you the freedom to choose between destroying the turn, floating through it, or nailing the inside line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tSpecialized Ride Dynamics Tuned Dampers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n One might surmise, based on a casual glance at the levers on the rear shocks, that these are typical climbing and descending modes. Just multiple settings of increased compression damping. Look again. Inside. Check out the Specialized Ride Dynamics-developed custom valving. The Ride Dynamics team prescribes the damping characteristics of the shocks (and forks) because it\u2019s by tuning the dampers as part of a system approach between the chassis, leverage rate, and kinematics that we elevate the ride of the bike beyond the sum of its parts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Epic 8\u2019s Dynamic Trio<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Epic 8 models have three custom tuned positions for the rear shock – Wide Open, Sprint, and the Magic Middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wide Open: Let \u2018er rip<\/strong>Magic Middle: Set it and forget it, Goldilocks<\/strong>Sprint-On-Lock: It\u2019s Hammer Time<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFlight Attendant, Tuned By Specialized Ride Dynamics<\/strong>TOTAL SYSTEM CONNECTIVITY<\/strong>EFFICIENCY<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFlight Attendant leverages SRAM AXS Wireless technology to collects real-time data from the crank, fork, shock, and derailleur to determine optimal damping<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n
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RUTHLESS BIOMECHANICAL EFFICIENCY <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n20% Less Pedal Bob<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe new Epic 8 is the most efficient pedaling suspension bike we\u2019ve ever tested, while maintaining traction and absorbing bumps. By optimizing the kinematics of the suspension, Specialized Ride Dynamics was able to create a bike that reduces inefficient pedal-induced bobbing by 20%*, maintains active suspension for effective bump force management, while ensuring the rider remains in the most efficient pedaling position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*Compared to the Epic EVO – our racers\u2019 bike of choice for most of the \u201923 tracks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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WHAT BUMP?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n12% Smoother Ride – Proven<\/strong>The new Epic 8 absorbs 12% more bump and vibration forces than the previous generation, leaving the rider less fatigued and more powerful over time. One aspect of the Ride Dynamics test protocol is to instrument our bikes with accelerometers at the wheels and at the frame. This allows us to compare the forces coming into the bike at the wheels with the forces experienced by the rider. \u201cRoot Mean Square\u201d (RMS) standardization of this accelerometer data accurately represents how effective the bike is at bump force management.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
GIVE FATIGUE THE FINGER<\/strong>That means that while the bike is soaking up the speed-sucking bumps, the rider\u2019s energy stores and brain power aren\u2019t being zapped, leaving the rider to recover from the last big climb, maintain a powerful descent position, or stay in the saddle to put more power down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The bumps, and competition, will be left wondering where you went.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
LIGHTWEIGHT<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nOf course the new Epic 8 is lighter than its predecessors. In fact, we shaved 76 grams off of the new S-Works while boosting efficiency and capability. On top of that, we added features like SWAT and steering stops. How\u2019d we do it? Simple, obsessive attention to detail, engineering, and composites wizardry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every Fibre of Our BeingLike parents, we\u2019re quite proud of the bikes we\u2019ve brought to life. And while it\u2019s generally frowned upon to play favorites, we\u2019d be lying if we said we weren\u2019t most proud of the all-new S-Works Epic 8. One reason is the FACT 12M chassis, with its unrivaled composite materials laid up by hand in a painstaking and meticulous schedule to deliver unmatched stiffness and strength-to-weight stats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BE GONE, LAZY GRAMSWhile weight alone does not make a fast bike, it is true that mass is the enemy of performance. So we made sure to achieve our unreasonable weight targets, while wringing the maximum velocity from every gram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nRider-First Engineered More Killer. No Filler. Ti Hardware Shock ExtensionWHO SAYS YOU CAN\u2019T GET SOMETHIN\u2019 FOR NOTHIN\u2019?<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tA Helping of Features, Hold the Weight<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWell whoever said it is wrong, because with the Epic 8 you don\u2019t need to spend a single gram to get mega capability, SWAT 4.0 to carry all your essential \u201cstuff\u201d in your downtube, and an integrated steering stop to prevent the ubiquitous top tube scar the first time you crash and your bars spin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTo find out more about the Epic 8 EVO head on through to our First Look and press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Specialized Epic has been a mainstay of World Cup XCO tracks, and the marathon stage racing scene here in South Africa since it was launched in 2006. Having spent many a happy hour in the saddle of both the Epic and Epic EVO, there was no way I was passing up the chance to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":67265,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[95,247],"featured_location":[338],"class_list":["post-67216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tech","tag-specialized","tag-specialized-epic","featured_location-bottom-row"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67216"}],"version-history":[{"count":62,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67216\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67490,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67216\/revisions\/67490"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67265"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67216"},{"taxonomy":"featured_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured_location?post=67216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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