Specialized S-Works Epic 09 - The Story
October 30th, 2008 by Dan Hugo
The all-new 2009 Specialized Epic
Since reports of the new Epic winning World Cross Country Championships by 3minutes, the first dual suspension bike to do so, I’ve been eager to steal one and race at Tahoe and Maui. I tried, but production just wasnt going to happen in the needed time frame. After Tahoe, with form improving, Gary decided to try a last long shot, and got in touch with my Specialized sponsor in South Africa.
A few emails on, thanks to Gary, Rob, Bobby and then Katie, word returned that a bike could be shipped from Taiwan, but only last Monday - 6 days before Worlds. As I was departing for Maui on Tuesday, I gave a Maui shipping address where it should have got to on Thursday.
I fought against the excitement and expectations, realising the risk of it not arriving and what a mind blow that’d be. Eventually the shipping number got mailed through. The box only shipped on Wednesday afternoon, Taiwan time.
I"ll be a customer for life
I tried to get estimated time of arrival’s for something shipped on a Wednesday from Taiwan to Maui, and probable was Tuesday, with best case Monday. Eish. The sinking feelings. Long story short, with many online checks for a shipping update, I went in to the DHL office in Maui on Friday morning.
The idea was to bribe an employee (something we do in Africa) to come in on Saturday and release the parcel to me. But I walked in, mentioned a bike box, and was greeted by name. DHL regional manager was onto it already, and had made arrangements to get the box from LA to Kona to Maui in a matter of hours, as well as specially unpack the United container that gets in on Friday after, usually left till the Monday morning.
I dont know yet who pulled strings, I suspect Specialized South Africa’s DHL representative might have. Either way. I couldnt believe the situation. I’d lost most hope.
S-Works in Mustang
Adam, Greg and myself squeezed into the Mustang late on Friday afternoon.
In other words - the best of the best
The bike was destined for South Africa as part of their order, but thanks to belief in my ability and an incredible committment to support me, it was rerouted to Maui.
Packed like fragile art
Adam helping out
Between us three, we unwrapped and built. I needed to try and get it setup identically to my old one, and we measured all we could. I decided to put my stem and handelbars on, as its what I’m used to, as well as change the XTR trigger shifters for my SRAM twist shifters, which also meant getting a new X.0 jockey on.
Appreciating it like fragile art
At 11pm on Friday night…
09 Epic in Maui
I had maybe 45minutes on the bike on Saturday, and didnt have must testing opportunity on the small practice course. I tweaked the suspension a little, and decided that it was so much smoother, so much more responsive, so much lighter, that even if I didnt get it personalized perfectly, it was still going to rock and roll.
Even for the non-technical mind such as myself, the innovations and developments make sense. Aside from it being the best looking machine I’ve seen. The matt black carbon finish is amazing, and with Specialized covering the bike from top to bottom, the branding and artwork flows better and any other bike I’ve seen. The wheel set, with its carbon front hub, bladed spokes (all black with seven white), are insane. The suspension is the big feature though, and the setting range even from just playing around a bit, is beyond.
Rock and roll it did. Had me riding up alongside the best.
I hope you’ll get your order placed soonest. Can you afford not to?
Features:
* Newly designed Specialized S-Works OS FACT carbon crank is lightest mountain crank available. FACT material choice combined with integrated design boosts stiffness and efficiency. Oversize, integrated bottom bracket with one-bolt removal makes maintenance a breeze. Alloy chainrings with refined tooth profiles for easier, more dependable shifting.
* World Cup XC winning wheels: Roval Controle SL rims feature asymmetric rim profiles to match spoke tension, ensuring durability. Carbon construction front hub for low weight and 28mm axle caps further enhance stiffness, Swiss-made DT Star Ratchet freehub internals for amazing durability.
* S-Works FACT seatpost features refined FACT carbon construction to trim grams and a one-bolt head for easy adjustment and dependability.
* Specialized proprietary FlowControl Mini Brain allows Epic’s AFR rear shock to instantaneously transition between firm and fully active settings, enhancing both efficiency and control.
* Specialized 100mm-travel E100 Future Shock fork with Brain Fade adjustment to match bump performance to rear Mini Brain. FACT carbon 1.5/1.25 steerer/crown assembly helps to make the E100 the lightest and stiffest performance mountain fork available.
* Avid Ultimate SL Mag custom brakes for Specialized with magnesium caliper body, alloy backed pads and titanium hardware for ultra-low weight. Monoblok caliper design enhances brake feel and modulation. Custom Avid Ultimate SL levers feature magnesium lever body and carbon lever blade for low weight.
| Race Report: Xterra World Champs 2008 | Viewer discretion advised |
