For some reason my friends are very trust worthy and tend to lend me their mountain bikes to pretty well do as I please with…within reason. And who would I be to pass up the chance to put 5 hours of quick glades, tough climbs, and sweet technical sections on what I can say is my favorite bike to have ridden yet, the 2009 Specialized Epic.
Set Up
The Epic I tested was the stock version Comp with the MS alloy frame, FSR suspension featuring the FlowControl Mini Brain shock with Brain Fade Inertia Valve, Avid Elixir brakes, SRAM X-9 rear derailieur, and the S-Works Captain and Fast Trak front and rear tires, respectively.
The Brain that Thinks for You
The most noticeable modification to the 2009 Epic is the location of the rear shock. The once signature location of the rear shock along the side of the rear triangle is now changed to the more common location of being inline with the top tube. Unfortunately, this resulted in loosing the second water bottle mounting location, but is easily solved with a CamelBak or a seat mounted water bottle cage.
Even though Specialized changed the location of the rear shock, the functionality obviously remains unparalleled in the industry today. When out of the saddle and sprinting down the home stretch or pushing a heavy gear up a hill, the shock is automatically locked out until bumpy terrain is felt from underneath at which point the full suspension kicks into action. I tried sprinting up some steep climbs covered in roots and still found an excellent balance and smooth transitioning.
Cornering
I was quite surprised at the body angle position that frame geometry placed me in. I was anticipating a more race like position down and stretched out; however, the raised handlebars and stem place you in a more upright position, which ends up providing excellent control and handling when pedaling at any pace.
Acceleration
It is no surprise to me why the Epic has brought several World Championship victories to the Specialized team. Put the HAMMER DOWN! This bike is as responsive as any hardtail out there and worlds apart from any other dual suspension bike I’ve ridden.
Climbing
The rider can stay in the saddle and pedal smoothly up most accents with very little weight shifting, maximizing the amount of traction of the rear tire. I did experience that the front end became a little light on a couple of really steep climbs, but the bike still remained on line and never veered. That being said, it was at the end of my ride and I was getting a little lazy.
Descending
This is a 4” (100mm) travel bike, so if you are looking to blast through some serious downhill, then this bike may not be for you. However; for cross-country and racing, the descents were smooth, effortless and didn’t chatter away. The Avid Elixir brakes were sensitive to the touch and were fantastic as I didn’t feel the need to lock out the brakes once during the ride.
The Epic Tale
If you are looking for any incredible fast and light weight dual suspension bike or have been a life long hardtail rider like myself and thinking about making the change to a full suspension than the Specialized Brain will make the decision for you. The Epic is an outstanding bike that can climb slowly like a Billy goat or fast like a rocket and is responsive when you crank it out.
Andrew Nause
The only problem with riding a friend’s bike is you must give the bike back because chances are they want to ride it too. In this case, I understand why he wants to hit the trails.
