Go ahead try and find something that’ll put a bigger smile on your face than absolutely smashing the perfect line on a fast capable hardtail. The Epic Hardtail Expert exists to make that smile even bigger—and to make sure your face gets just as hard of a workout as your legs. Working towards the lightest bike possible has long been the race within the race but at what cost? The battle of the grams certainly hasn’t been without its casualties with hardtail XC race bikes coming to stand for a harsh twitchy ride at the expense of capability and versatility. But who said fatigue from fighting against your own bike makes you any faster? Instead recognizing that the fastest bike is more than simply the lightest bike we said out with the jarred-to-death tail the measure-your-posterior’s-sorrows-by-the-yard tail and in with the avant-garde tail. The ridiculously capable mystifyingly comfortable head-shakingly light and all-around fast Epic Hardtail. Sure we optimized every inch of the Epic Hardtail frame to achieve the lightest production hardtail frame in the world anyway but we also prioritized our commitment to creating an Epic Hardtail that’s as capable as it is comfortable with aggressive singletrack-inspired geometry increased tire clearance and a frame obsessively engineered for increased vertical compliance all while creating a bike that lives and breathes the fundamentals of fast. The Epic Hardtail Expert’s RockShox SID SL BRAIN fork offers 100 millimeters of incredibly efficient travel in a lightweight package while Roval’s lightweight yet tough Control Carbon wheelset and a wide-range SRAM 12-speed group round out the lightweight build.

Ridiculously capable incredibly light and refreshingly comfortable the Epic Hardtail’s dropper-post friendly FACT 11m carbon frame rewrites the hardtail playbook with game-changing success.
The 100mm-travel RockShox SID SL BRAIN fork is firm when you want it firm and plush when you want it plush—no levers required.
Descending from a long World Cup lineage hand-built Roval Control Carbon wheels feature a modern 25-millimeter internal-width hookless rim and maximize strength ride quality and durability while keeping weight to a minimum.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

FRAMESET

FRAME
Specialized FACT 11m XC Geometry Rider-First Engineered™ threaded BB 12x148mm rear spacing internal cable routing

SWAT
SWAT EMT Cage-Mount Tool

SEAT BINDER
Specialized Alloy 34.9mm

SUSPENSION

FORK
RockShox SID SL BRAIN Bottom-Adjust Brain damper Debon Air 15x110mm 44mm offset 100mm Travel (XS-80mm Travel)

COCKPIT

STEM
Specialized XC 3D-forged alloy 4-bolt 6-degree rise

HANDLEBARS
Specialized Alloy Minirise 10mm rise 750mm 31.8mm clamp

SADDLE
Body Geometry Power Sport steel rails

SEATPOST
Specialized Alloy Single Bolt 30.9mm

TAPE
Specialized Trail Grips

BRAKES

FRONT BRAKE
SRAM Level TL 2-piston caliper hydraulic disc

REAR BRAKE
SRAM Level TL 2-piston caliper hydraulic disc

DRIVETRAIN

REAR DERAILLEUR
Sram X01 Eagle 12-speed

SHIFT LEVERS
SRAM X01 trigger 12-speed

CHAIN
SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed

CRANKSET
SRAM X1 Eagle DUB 32T XS: 165mm SM: 170mm M-XL: 175mm

WHEELS

RIMS
Roval Control Carbon 25mm internal width Zero bead hook Tubeless ready 28h

FRONT HUB
DT Swiss 350 15x110mm spacing Torque caps 6-bolt 28h

REAR HUB
DT Swiss 350 Star Ratchet SRAM XD driver body 12mm thru-axle 148mm spacing 28h

SPOKES
DT Swiss Competition Race

FRONT TIRE
Fast Trak Control Casing 29×2.3

REAR TIRE
Fast Trak Control casing GRIPTON® compound 60 TPI 2Bliss Ready 29×2.3′

INNER TUBES
Presta 60mm valve

ACCESSORIES

PEDALS

*Specifications are subject to change without notice