mountainbikes 2023 Specialized S-Works Epic, gloss purple tint fades over carbon / chrome XL

Hey you, yeah, you...the one with the scale out seeing which of the six identical tires on the shelf is the lightest. Sure, some might call you a bit obsessive, but no worries, here, the S-Works Epic is speaking exactly the same language. Countless design hours, endless test laps, terabytes of telemetry data—all of it to make sure not a single ounce of speed was left on the table.

Mixing hardtail efficiency and full-suspension capability to impressively quick results, the S-Works Epic has always been defined by obsessive commitment to speed. Well, that and over 100 World Cup wins and podiums too.

A Smarter BRAIN

True to form, the latest Epic continues the tradition, taking advantage of the most efficient BRAIN suspension we’ve ever created to ensure it’s always on a first-name-basis with fast.

Re-engineered hand-in-hand with the new Epic, the latest BRAIN design resets the expectation for efficiency, employing a new race-tuned pedaling platform to ensure every watt possible is translated into forward motion, while handily soaking up momentum-killing chatter and big hits alike—all more smoothly than ever.

Frame-Changer

Redesigned with a focus on efficient power transfer and better handling performance, the S-Works Epic frame features a 15-percent stiffer rear triangle in order to take full advantage of the BRAIN’s new race-tuned pedaling platform. A dedicated layup schedule and the use of our top-shelf FACT 12m Carbon takes weight savings yet a step further than it’s stablemates, while the pièce de résistance comes in the form of a carbon fiber shock link, combining to shave a total of over 100 grams from the previous generation S-works frame—no easy task, mind you.

Pairing perfectly with the Brain rear shock for the most balanced suspension perfomance on an Epic yet, the S-Works' Position-Sensitive Brain fork

benefits from RockShox’s svelte-yet-stiff SID SL Ultimate chassis, improving front-end stiffness and handling precision while keeping the grams at bay.

SRAM’s flagship XX1 Eagle AXS group certainly fits the bill when only the best will do, dispatching shifts with electronic authority while we tasked Roval with creating an entirely new Control SL rim that wouldn’t just be able to go toe-to-toe with the Epic’s newfound speed and handling performance, but add a bit of its own into the mix as well.

At a Glance

• If speed could talk, it’d introduce itself as the all-new S-Works Epic frame. Offering 100-millimeters of brilliantly efficient Brain-controlled travel, the S-Work Epic increases rear-triangle stiffness for peerless power transfer, while the use of FACT 12m carbon, a dedicated layup and a full carbon shock link also make it the lightest full suspension frame we’ve ever created, all while offering the most capable handling in an Epic yet. Nice to meet you, speed.
• Pairing 100 millimeters of the most efficent travel on earth with RockShox's svelte-yet-stiff SID SL Ultimate chassis, the RockShox SID SL Ultimate BRAIN fork serves as the pinnacle of XC-race supsension perfection.
• SRAM's XX1 Eagle AXS isn't just the lightest electronic MTB groupset on the market, it's also designed to withstand World-Cup winning chain loads while instantaneously snapping of instantaneous shifts to ensure you're never caught on the back foot.
• Created specifically to match the increased capabilities of the Epic, the Roval Control SL rim introduces a completely new offset rim profile that features a 29-millimeter-wide internal width and not only increases strength and reduces weight, but also improves pinch-flat resistance by 22-percent.