Faster than expected
The Epic World Cup Pro is the fastest cross country race bike in the world thanks to its unrivaled combination of efficiency, control and light weight on light to medium courses. World Champion Christopher Blevins said it best: “This bike gives me everything I love about hardtails, plus the control and capabilities of a fully.” Everything it took to build this speed machine was completely holistic Development approach, the invention of a radically new damper and four decades of experience in the off-road sector crowned with countless victories.
NEW FRAME STANDARDS: To achieve maximum speed through ruthlessly efficient power transmission and precise handling, Specialized 's engineering team has set and achieved new standards in torsional and bottom bracket stiffness. This feat required a holistic development approach that combined a structurally superior double diamond layout with a shock integrated into the top tube and incorporated the most sophisticated carbon layout in Specialized history.
SHOCKING FAST: The Specialized Ride Dynamics team developed revolutionary shock technology for the Epic World Cup, giving you the efficiency and snappy response of a hardtail plus the control and performance of a full-suspension bike - all with a simple setup. The SID Deluxe WCID damper, developed together with RockShox, uses a unique, independently adjustable positive and negative air spring. This provides the coveted snap of a hardtail and absorbs difficult terrain, maintains your momentum and forgives riding errors. The setup can be adapted to different routes or tailored to your preferences. If you set the Epic WC hard, it rides like a hardtail; in the softer setup, it clears the chunks out of the way. Not only do you have the option to open or close the compression, the simple nature of the setup also allows you to ride with or without sag.
EXTREMELY HIGH FOR ITS CATEGORY: The Epic World Cup's 75mm rear suspension provides the same control and capability as a bike with much more travel. It is designed to be driven predominantly in or close to the topped-out position. This gives the same positive travel as a bike with 100mm travel and 25% sag. To further optimize suspension performance, the Specialized Ride Dynamics team tuned the spring rate to be relatively flat mid-stroke and able to handle most shock forces like a longer-travel bike. The size of the Mega Jounce Bumper, the special shock absorber, is a first and plays a crucial role in gently managing bottom-outs from strong impacts.
SPECIALIZED HAVE LOST THEIR MIND: The new and groundbreaking SID Deluxe WCID damper provides the unique mix of support and compliance in the rear - and all without BRAIN technology. On the other hand, the BRAIN is still installed in the suspension fork and is still lively. The position-sensitive technology with 15 mm sag gives you a balanced ride and offers smooth compliance on small bumps and also a rigid pedaling platform, without a handlebar remote control for the compression level.
LIGHTER AND STIFFER: With a frame weight of just 1,765 grams (painted with shock and hardware), the Epic World Cup leaves the lightest competition behind. This means faster accelerations, more efficient climbing and more agile handling. And all of this ultimately becomes noticeable in the speed. Specialized achieved this lightweight and its enormous stiffness by using their findings from the development of the Aethos