Specialized EPIC

[Bykeaddict]

Has anyone got on the new Specialized EPIC? I know it's supposedly only been demoed to some select bike reps but .. I'd be real curious about how it really rides.

:confused:

[Max]

I just saw the new EPIC yesterday on their website. Interesting. Another fad? It looks as if they had given it a lot of thought. We'll see.

[carlvoss]

It looks like 2003 will be very interesting for FS bikes. I'm looking forward to taking the new Klein Palamino for a test ride as well as the new 29in Sugar for Gary Fisher. Check out the torsional spring designs that are out there too - might be worth a looking in a few years.

[Browne]

Dirt Rag was supposed to head out to ride this thing, but complications inevitably arose. Anyway, we might still have a chance to hop on, but in the meantime, here's the official press release. Looks interesting. It's just cool to see a company go out and put so much research into a specific complaint that riders have. Not to say that companies don't pay attention, it just seems like a more niche product... a good niche, one that xc riders have created out of their own needs and demands. But I digress... here it is....

SPECIALIZED EPIC PRESS RELEASE

June 20, 2002 -Morgan Hill, CA -

Forget everything you thought you knew about
bicycle suspension. Because unlike every other suspension design in cycling
history, our new Epic knows what terrain you're riding on. And responds
appropriately. The secret's in The Brain. On smooth ground, Brain technology
keeps your Epic hardtail-firm. And hardtail-efficient. But when the going gets
bumpy, Brain knows that too. And instantly delivers the fully active/fully
independent benefits of FSR suspension. Epic bikes have an FSR suspension system
that's completely locked out until bump forces are detected, but so sensitive it
can "read" less than 1G of input. Then the shock responds instantly. Once
activated, the Epic's FSR suspension is fully active and independent...and
remains that way until the terrain becomes smooth, the inertia valve closes, and
the shock is locked out again. It's that simple. And that effective.

FSR: The Next Generation
Specialized engineers began working with suspension guru Horst Leitner more than
a decade ago to create the technological breakthrough that became the patented
FSR four-bar linkage suspension system. Since that time, FSR has become the most
successful system in bicycle suspension history...so much so that more than a
dozen of our competitors now license it for use on their own bikes.
About the only disadvantage to FSR was that the system sometimes responded when
you didn't want it to...specifically when pedaling out of the saddle on smooth
surfaces.



An Epic Achievement

That's where Brain technology comes in. On smooth terrain, Brain locks the
suspension out so the Epic is unaffected by rider input. But the same system
instantly becomes fully active/fully independent in response to bumps and dips,
delivering the full benefits of FSR suspension.
Epic bikes, FSR suspension, Brain technology. Mountain Bike Action calls it "a
very big moment in the history of the mountain bike." And they ought to know.

Inside the Brain
How does the Epic work? Very well, thank you. But the secret's in the Brain.
Brain technology consists of an inertia valve mounted inside a near-vertical
cylinder near the Epic's rear axle. The inertia valve controls the shock's
ability to compress; the result is a system that responds to terrain input
(bumps and dips), but not to rider input (you, pedaling the bike) until the
going gets bumpy.
The technology works because forces from the ground activate the inertia valve
inside the Brain, which opens and allows the shock to compress in response to
the bump. The rebound circuit is left open. With purely negative input (a dip
without an accompanying bump, like a pothole in an otherwise smooth road), the
shock moves in response to gravity, taking up sag initially put into the system
by the rider's weight and allowing the rear wheel to track with the dip. Brain
technology literally ignores rider input but detects bumps, allowing the
suspension to engage whenever it's needed.



Epic bikes with Brain technology. Patented suspension technology that knows.
Available exclusively at select Specialized Dealers, summer 2003.

[Max]

If you go to their website, there's two videos you can download, one explaining the epic's suspension, and making comparisons as far as terrain goes, and the other one is of riders just free riding on the bike. I must admit, just looking at the photos I didn't understand it at first. After going back and reading about it, and then seeing it's performance, hot damn! I am a devout hardtail man, but upon looking at the performance of the Epic, I started to become a bit jealous. I noticed drool building up on my keyboard. Check it out?:)

[jimilton80401]

Yeah, it looks like they've taken Giant's NRS concept and actually made it work better. My only issue is that the initial offering will have only 90 mm of rear travel -good for a racing bike, but not exactly optimal for a cross country all around trail bike. Isn't 100 mm the commonly accepted minimum for this application?:confused:

[a2psyklnut]

I'm not a XC racer type, but it's great to see the evolution of suspension design hit another spike! The design seems simple enough and if there is "No-Bob" as claimed, I know a lot of racer boys who'll go gaa-gaa.

I've always like Specialized "Horst-Link" design and can't wait for a production model to hit the showroom floor. Seems like Interbike is gonna be interesting this year featuring this design and some of the torsional spring designs seen at the Sea-Otter.

This makes me wonder, "What's Next?" Part of the reason I love this sport, there is always some new concept or design or gaget to drool over!

BTW, I'm sure as this design becomes more refined and accepted by the masses, Specialized will continue it's development and extend it's travel to at least 4" and I wouldn't be surprised to see it pushed into the 5" range!

L8R