THINK FASTER: The Epic World Cup is the world’s fastest XC race bike on smooth to moderately technical courses thanks to its unmatched combination of efficiency, control and lightness. World Champion 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 fully integrated development approach, the invention of a radical new shock and four decades of winning off-road experience.

REFERENCE FRAME: To deliver maximum speed through relentlessly efficient power transfer and precise handling, our engineering team set and achieved new standards in torsional rigidity and BB stiffness. This feat required an integrated development approach that fused a structurally superior double diamond design with its cradled shock inside the top tube, and topped off with the most sophisticated compound in Specialized history.

SCANDALOUSLY FAST: The Specialized Ride Dynamics team conceived and invented a revolutionary shock technology for the Epic World Cup that gives the rider the efficiency and nimble response of a rigid bike PLUS the control, capability and momentum of full suspension, all with one simple setup. Co-developed with RockShox, the SID Deluxe WCID shock uses independently adjustable positive and negative air springs to deliver the coveted “snap” of a hardtail, combined with terrain-devouring forgiveness, and the ability to easily customize the setup for a specific ride or adjust it to the rider’s preferences and feel. Set it tight and it’ll roll like a hardtail, or open it up and you’ve got a ripper. But you’re not limited to “open and shut”, the simple nature of its setup allows the rider to adjust it on a spectrum from firm to soft.

BITCHING ABOVE ITS CATEGORY: The Epic World Cup’s 75mm of rear travel offers the control and capability of a bike with much more travel. Because it is designed to be mounted at or near the top, it produces the same positive travel as a 100mm travel bike configured with 25% sag. To further optimise suspension performance, the Specialized Ride Dynamics team has adjusted the spring rate to be relatively flat in the middle of the travel to handle the majority of bump forces like a bike with more travel. Due to its large size, the custom Mega Jounce Bumper is an “industry first” and plays a crucial role in smooth bottom-out management on the biggest impacts.

HAVE WE LOST OUR MINDS? MORE OR LESS: While the revolutionary new SID Deluxe WCID shock delivers a unique combination of support and springiness in the rear, the BRAIN lives on in the fork. Its Position-Sensitive technology allows riders to sink 15mm into the fork for a balanced ride, providing smooth damping over small bumps and a firm pedalling platform without the need for remote lockout or levers to operate.

WEIGHT IS ON TOP: With a frame weight of just 1,765 grams (painted with shock and all hardware), the Epic World Cup outweighs the lightest of its competitors. This translates into faster acceleration, more efficient climbing and more agile handling. And it all translates into speed. We achieved the featherweight and monster stiffness of the Epic WC by applying what we learned in the development of our Aethos, the lightest production road frame ever made, specifically the advanced composite laminate and tube shapes.

THE BIGGEST FLEXION IS NO FLEXION: The Epic World Cup features the full suite of Roval Control SL components: 1,240 gram wheelset, 180 gram seatpost and 250 gram integrated frame (70mm x 780mm). Each offers a lightness, stiffness and control unmatched in today’s World Cup.

• The new Epic World Cup frame features Ride Dynamics Developed suspension technology and 75mm of optimised rear wheel travel. Thanks to its damping technology, the Epic World Cup offers unmatched pedalling efficiency and is ready for the toughest descents you can throw at it, without the need for lockout switches.
• The SRAM XO drivetrain is based on what the best riders need in terms of performance and shifting robustness, so it’s perfectly suited to the brutal demands of modern Cross Country racing.
• An all-new SID SL BRAIN fork provides 110mm of bump-dampening performance, while discerning inputs from the terrain or rider to provide maximum efficiency.
  Descended from a long lineage in World Cup racing, the hand-built Roval Control carbon wheels feature a modern 29mm internal width hookless rim that maximises strength, ride quality and durability while keeping weight to a minimum.