The Epic World Cup is the fastest XC race bike in the world on smooth to moderately technical courses thanks to its unmatched combination of efficiency, control, and light-weight. World Champ Christopher Blevins said it best, "This thing gives me everything I could want from a hardtail, plus the control and capability of full suspension." All it took to create this speed machine was a totally integrated development approach, inventing a radical new shock, and four decades of off-road winning experience. To deliver maximum speed through ruthlessly efficient power transfer and precision handling, the engineering team set and achieved new standards in torsional rigidity and BB stiffness. This feat required an integrated development approach that merged a structurally superior double diamond layout with its shock cradled inside the top-tube, and finished off with the most sophisticated composite layup in Specialized history. The Specialized Ride Dynamics team conceived of and invented a revolutionary shock technology for the Epic World Cup that gives the rider the efficiency and snappy response of a hardtail plus the control, capability, and momentum-carrying of full suspension—all with a simple setup. Co-developed with RockShox, the SIDLuxe WCID shock utilizes unique independently adjustable positive and negative air springs to deliver the sought-after hardtail "snap", combined with terrain-devouring forgiveness, and the ability to easily personalize set-up for a specific course or tune for rider preference and feel. The simple nature of its setup allows the rider to set on a spectrum of firm to soft. The Epic World Cup's 75mm of rear travel delivers control and capability of a much longer travel bike. Because it's designed to be ridden at or close to topped-out, it yields the same positive travel as a 100mm travel bike set up with 25% sag. The custom Mega Jounce Bumper is an "industry first" and plays a crucial role in smoothly managing bottom-out on the biggest impacts. With a frame weight of just 1,765 grams (painted with shock and all hardware), the Epic World Cup edges out the lightest of competitors. This translates to faster acceleration, more efficient climbing, and more agile handling. The featherweight and monster stiffness were achieved by applying what was learned in the development of the Aethos, the lightest production road frame ever made, specifically the advanced composite layup and tube shapes. The Epic World Cup Frame sports the 180-gram Roval Control SL seat post, boasting peerless light-weight, stiffness, and control on the World Cup today.
