Test Ride: SPECIALIZED S-WORKS Epic 29er

Ready for Battle

Oozing carbon from every pore and weighing in at a mere 22.8 pounds, the 2011 Specialized S-Works Epic 29er is everything one could ever want from a XC race bike and more.

The $10K price tag causes non-believers to gasp, but one look at the specs and you’ll see that Specialized spared nothing. From the S-Works FACT carbon cranks to the uber-light Roval tubeless-ready carbon wheels, SRAM XX spider, drive train and brakes, it’s grade AA World Cup ready wheel to wheel.

For the money, you get the same bike—ceramic bearings and all—that Jaroslav Kulhavy recently piloted to an astounding World Cup victory at the men’s XC race in Great Britain, the first ever Word Cup win on a 29er.

Although 29ers have quickly become one of the more popular mountain bike platforms in the U.S. market over the past few years, they have been a rare spectacle in World Cup mountain bike races. Top-tier European racers felt they were heavier, harder to accelerate, and lacked a true race-worthy geometry. In that regard, the S-Works Epic 29er is a game changer.

Precisely engineered and molded using Specialized’s FACT (Functional Advanced Composite Technology) unidirectional carbon, the S-Works Epic 29er features a tapered head tube, stout hollow carbon dropouts, press-fit 30 bottom bracket and 142x12mm rear thru axle. Because carbon can be manipulated to a specific intended use, engineers at Specialized were able to create specific tube shapes and wall thicknesses to provide the stiffest ride from the lightest tubing.

Brain inertia valve technology has continued to keep Specialized at the top of the game when it comes to efficient pedaling on suspension bikes. The patented technology locks out the shock or fork when pedaling over smooth terrain. When the bike hits a bump, the inertia valve opens, allowing the suspension to be fully active through rough terrain, then the valve closes again, locking the suspension out until the next bump is encountered. The release threshold of the inertia valve is easily adjusted to a rider’s desire with the fade-adjust knob. It can be easily adjusted out on the trail (but not on the fly).

After nearly eight years of fine-tuning, Specialized has nailed it with the latest Brain system. Previous models were criticized for creating an inconsistent feel on the trail, being fragile and offering a limited range of adjustment.

For 2011, the Brain system offers a much wider range of adjustability, allowing the ride to be tuned for a specific trail or type of race course. The improved action of the inertia valve makes it more predictable when riding on varied terrain. Once I had the adjustment dialed to my liking, I found the suspension was fully active when descending or pedaling through rough terrain but when standing up to power up a short stinger, it rode like a stiff, responsive hardtail.

A custom 100mm RockShox Reba World Cup fork—fitted with Specialized Brain inertia valve internals and a one-piece carbon crown and steer tube—keeps the front end on the S-Works Epic 29er efficient and light. Outback, a Fox-made, Brain-equipped 100mm rear shock, keeps the rear wheel tracking in rocky situations. These suspension partnerships allow Specialized to offer customers top-notch maintenance and warranty options via either RockShox or Fox service centers.

With an efficient suspension system Specialized needed to make sure all of the extra power would be transferred into forward motion. Thus, wheel engineers stepped up to create a stiffer wheel system. Utilizing the international standard 142mm rear axle spacing, which essentially widens end caps but allows for a 12mm thru axle, Specialized realized that there was room for improvement and widened the drive side of the rear hub by 2mm. Though it seems minimal, it allows for less dishing on the drive side of the rim. Specialized believes this wider stance creates a much stiffer rear wheel with more balanced spoke tension, increasing power transferred to the ground and improving wheel durability. The front hub is fitted with extra-wide 28mm end caps, which creates a wider interface with the fork dropouts and additional stiffness in the front end. A quick comparison with standard 19mm end caps revealed a noticeable difference in stiffness.

Every millimeter and moving part on this bike has a purpose: to be as light as it can be without compromising performance. With no expense spared, it is absolutely amazing what a company like Specialized is able to create. This bike has set a new baseline.

It is obvious that the S-Works Epic was designed as a race bike. But it is more capable and performs much better overall than any other race bike I’ve ridden. The bike is meant to go fast and it does so with surprising finesse and control.

My first ride on the S-Works was surprisingly comfortable and familiar as if the engineers at Specialized knew exactly what I wanted in a 29er: a compact 110mm head tube (medium frame) keeps the center of gravity lower and more streamlined (in spite of the height gained with the larger wheels); nice, wide 680mm bars provide greater steering control; short 448mm chainstays and a compactp frame geometry keeps the wheelbase tight and allows the rider to rip through even the most technical terrain with ease. After a few minor adjustments, the bike fit better than any 29er I have ever ridden. Even descending, the bike was efficient and stable with a high speed cornering ability yet to be seen from most 29ers.

A few shakedown rides and the bike was like a long-lost friend, surprisingly familiar yet exhilaratingly fresh. The Brain suspension system allowed me to focus solely on the task at hand: moving the S-Works rapidly forward.

In three months of testing, Mountain Flyer’s crew raced the bike more than 340 miles. I raced the Whiskey 50 in Prescott Ariz., Fruita Colo.’s 100-kilometer Desert Rat Classic, the Durango Dirty Century (hardest race I’ve ever done) and a handful of local races. Local pro racer Brian Smith hammered it through the 64-mile Original Growler in Gunnison, Colo., and our editor Brian Riepe raced the Fat Tire 40 in Crested Butte. We put it through the ringer.

It is the fastest bike I have ever ridden, by far,” Smith said after the Original Growler. “I felt like I had such an advantage on that bike, not thinking about where and when I needed to lock out suspension, allowing me to just focus on riding. I feel like it gave me a 10-minute advantage over the course of the race [a technical course with 9000 feet of climbing].”  Smith finished in 5 hours, 8 minutes, breaking Kelly Magelky’s previous course record by 20 minutes.

Though the bike excelled in every riding situation we put it through, it did require a good bit of maintenance. This is something that should be factored in when buying any high-end race bike. It’s like a Ferrari: Running at peak performance requires steady maintenance.

The S-Works is no exception, though the bike is extremely well built. Racing does accelerate wear and tear on a bike, and in the three months of testing we cracked the rear rim in a crash, replaced a seized bottom bracket bearing, and twice disassembled and re-lubed the linkages, bottom bracket/cranks, and headset bearings. It needs a new chain and brake pads but is otherwise ready for further race-borne abuses. With this in mind, many of the S-Works’ parts are specific to Specialized and can be tough to find in a pinch. Keeping critical spare parts in the toolbox is prudent.

At nearly 10-grand out the door, purchasing the Specialized S-Works Epic 29er could require help from a venture capitalist. But one ride was all it took for each of our dreamy-eyed test riders to walk off muttering to themselves: “I need to find a way to buy that bike.” If you ride an S-Works Epic 29er, those may be the next words you say to your financial advisor. A bike is a good investment, right?

Speed and efficiency is embedded in every aspect of the S-Works Epic 29er—from the suspension design, Brain technology, and frame construction to the 1400g Roval carbon wheels and FACT cranks—which makes riding it nothing short of remarkable. The S-Works Epic 29er is stable, nimble, efficient, light and uncompromised. Scot Banks at Absolute Bikes in Salida, Colo., sums it up best: “That bike is a weapon.” Pure and simple

MSRP: $9,900

Weight: 22.8 lbs (w/o pedals)

www.Specialized.com