Epic 9

The Specialized Epic 9 dropped today, and if you’re already riding an Epic 8, you’re probably asking the same question: is this actually a significant enough jump to justify the upgrade? The short answer is that the Epic 9 is a genuinely better race bike in almost every measurable way. Whether that matters for how you ride is a different question. Here’s everything that changed. Frame Weight This is the headline. The Epic 9 frame weighs 1,589 grams in size medium — that includes the shock, seat collar, axle, and all hardware. Compared to the Epic 8, that’s a 179 gram reduction. Specialized claims it’s the lightest full-suspension XC race frame ever made, 129 grams lighter than the nearest competitor. ...

The Epic 9 dropped today. It’s lighter, it’s faster, and Specialized will tell you it’s the best XC race bike ever made. They’re probably right. I’m still not buying one. I’ve been riding my Epic 8 Evo for a while now and it’s genuinely one of my favorite bikes I’ve owned. Around 26 lbs with my setup — Fox Float SL fork, Fox Float rear shock, OneUp V3 dropper, and tires with enough meat on them to actually handle trail riding. It’s not a race build. It’s not trying to be. It’s a lightweight XC platform that I’ve set up to ride real terrain, and it does that really well. ...