£11,000
They teased the new Epic World Cup on the race circuit for several months, and SRAM even revealed it before the official launch, but Specialized still had a surprise up its sleeve. Rather than replacing the long-serving Brain-equipped Epic full-suspension bike, Specialized announced that the Epic WC meant the death of its top-end hardtails. And it certainly flavours a lot of the ride feel and aesthetics it delivers too.
With slender seatstays aligned with the top tube, that largely swallows the unique shock, the Epic World Cup certainly looks like a hardtail. The 430mm chainstay length is exactly the same as the old S-Works Epic Hardtail too, and the BB is only 4mm higher to accommodate the 75mm frame travel.
Look closer though and you’ll see the Epic WC is a fully-featured suspension
