Specialized (United States) - Press Release: The Game-Changer - The New Epic Hardtail.

The lightest production hardtail on earth is also the most capable and comfortable racing machine ever created. Behold the game-changer—the new Epic Hardtail. We refined every inch of the Epic Hardtail to create the world’s lightest, fastest, and most forgiving race machine, because you’re not reaching the podium if you’re getting pummeled by the trail.

It wasn’t enough to make the lightest production hardtail available. We were determined to also make the most capable, comfortable, and versatile bike in its class. Spoiler alert: some of us got a bit obsessive along the way.

Lighter and More Capable Than Ever:

Race courses have grown rougher, and in return, the Epic Hardtail has grown more capable. We gave the Epic more confident handling by slackening its head angle, reducing its fork offset, and increasing its reach. It all adds up to a race machine that remains nimble while boosting your control.

Tuned for Comfort. Tuned for Speed:

A tired you isn’t a fast you, so we obsessed over the Epic’s composite layup to make it more forgiving and even faster over technical trails. Precisely shaped tubes, including smaller-diameter seatstays and an arced seat tube, also increase vertical compliance without sacrificing sprinting speed.

More Versatile Than Ever Before:

We boosted tire clearance, letting you run wider, more forgiving tires. While we were at it, we equipped the bike with a 30.9mm seatpost, so you have the option to run longer-travel dropper posts for even more maneuverability and control on technical descents.

Amazingly Light:

We optimized every inch of this frame by fine-tuning the fiber and resin mix, as well as by custom-shaping every ply to eliminate unnecessary overwrap. End result? A remarkable frame that weighs less than *800 grams (S-Works, Size Medium).

Proven, Reliable, and Simply Badass:

The Epic Hardtail is the exception to the rule—a World Cup race rocket that’s also hassle-free. There are no proprietary, bolt-on bits and pieces to fret over. And yep, there’s a threaded bottom bracket here as well. Proven, reliable, and simply badass.