It’s one of the most desired mountain bikes in SA. And one you’ll see a lot of in stage races up and down the country, but which one is better for you, the Specialized Epic or the Specialized Epic World Cup? Seamus Allardice found out.
Initially, side by side, the Epic Expert Carbon 29 and the Epic Expert Carbon World Cup 29 are visually differentiated by the World Cup’s 1 x 11 drive train and the standard Epic’s SWAT storage system. But as the standard Epic is 1 x 11 compatible and the World Cup will house a SWAT set-up, the things you can do aftermarket shouldn’t be a major consideration – the real difference is in the geometry.
Ok, so let’s get the semantics out the way first. The standard Epic is designed by Specialized for what they term “endurance XC racing” while the Epic World Cup is for “competitive XC racing”. Technically for our South African usages that would mean the Epic is for marathon racing and stage races and the Epic World Cup is for the very few riders who actually race Olympic format cross-country. In the real world out on the trail though, the Team RECM guys are all riding World Cup’s (the ladies are now on Era’s) and they’re not the only ones. Many riders further down the racing field are also choosing World Cups over the standard Epic, but should they really be?
As you’ll note from the geometry table the difference between the two is mere millimetres. With only the Reach, Stack, Chainstay length, head and seat tube angles, and the wheel base length offering any difference in measurements. And so you have to ask, what difference lies in the half a degree and a few millimetre change?
The simple answer is 104 seconds. On a 7.9km route that takes in 715 meters of climbing. But does that mean it’s a better bike…?
Well, it depends on the race. If money isn’t an issue and you have a range of bikes to choose from (lucky you) then on its day the Epic World Cup is the perfect weapon to have in your arsenal. But if you are going to have to choose, because you’re riding the Cape Epic or any of the other top South African stage races, I’d suggest the Epic is a safer bet.
The Epic World Cup is designed for speed, its handling is nippy to the point of being twitchy and skittish (which makes it faster on technical sections, most notably on technical singletrack climbs), while the Epic is still sharp and fast but it lacks the World Cup’s razor edge, so it won’t kill you if your hand slips. The steep angles of the World Cup pull you forward, over the bottom bracket which forces you to really power down on the pedals, while the ever so slightly more relaxed Epic is a bit more comfortable to pedal with less angry intent.
I found the Epic less precise on the singletrack climbs and like the World Cup it’s 2.2 inch Fast Trak Controls on the front wheel took some getting used to, so I don’t feel I gave either bike the best I could on the singletrack descent. But where the Epic did excel is that it is noticeably more stable and comfortable, with the softer Brain shock and fork tuning, than its World Cup stable mate. Over a short ride, like the loops I took the bikes on (scan the QR codes to view the full ride stats), the stability isn’t an issue. But after four hours in the saddle, try navigating a tricky descent on a twitchy bike like the Epic World Cup; it could turn nasty fast.
Even completing a simple task like having a sip from your bottle is tricky on the World Cup, just clip a rock a little larger than a pebble with one hand off the bars and it could end you in tears.
If you want to win races, go for the World Cup, but know it, like any true thoroughbred stallion, will buck you off more often than a midfield runner would. If you’re a racy amateur looking for a top 100 ABSA Cape Epic finish, the standard Epic (with its more stage race orientated standard specifications) is the way to go. It’s no old nag by any means; it’ll get you from Point A to Point B (or in ACE terms from Point A back to Point A) faster than nearly anything out there.
I do have a final bit of advice though. After riding the harsh and rugged Du Toit Tankwa Trek (with half of the Cape Epic entrants it seemed) I was pleasantly surprised to see the number of longer travel bikes at the race. Epics and Staples were in abundance, but there were also lots of Tall Boys, Cambers, Fuels and even a Kiwi on an Orange Segment (or a Five of some sorts). So it seems that people are coming around, trail bikes with 110 to 120mm of travel are more than adequate for stage racing. In fact they’re more comfortable, easier to keep on the straight and narrow when you get tired and they’re more fun when you get to that hard earned downhill. I rode my Specialized Camber and the only bike I’d have traded it for on the Tankwa Trek was a Camber Evo.
But enough of that, here’s the summary in case you’re short on attention and just skipped to the end. If you’re racing to win: Epic World Cup. If you’re racing for a good place: Epic. If you’re riding a race to have fun… you know where I stand.
Sus the Geometry
Medium frames, all measurements in degrees or millimetres.
| Epic Expert Carbon
RRP R74 999 |
Epic World Cup Expert Carbon
RRP R76 999 |
|
| Seat Tube | 434 | 434 |
| Top Tube (Horizontal) | 593 | 592 |
| Top Tube (Actual Length) | 557 | 557 |
| BB Drop | 40 | 40 |
| BB Height | 332 | 332 |
| Chainstay | 448 | 439 |
| Seat Tube Angle (Actual) | 69.25 | 69.75 |
| Seat Tube Angle (Effective) | 73.75 | 74.25 |
| Head Tube Angle | 70.5 | 71 |
| Wheel Base | 1 112 | 1 103 |
| Standover Height | 774 | 774 |
| Head Tube Length | 105 | 105 |
| Stack | 601 | 597 |
| Reach | 418 | 423 |
Sus the Strava Stats
I took the bikes up to the Blockhouse along a route I ride often and know well, which includes a technical singletrack climb, a lung busting steep kick, the treacherous Plumb Pudding descent and the 4.2km grind from the bottom of Plumb Pudding Downhill to the Blockhouse. I rode at around the same perceived effort and both evenings were similarly windy, so the bikes should be the defining factor. It’s not scientific but it’s the best you’re going to get.
Click here to view the Specialized Epic Expert Carbon test ride on Strava and click here to view the Specialized Epic World Cup Expert Carbon test ride on Strava.
(Pardon the recording error in the final kilometers of the Epic World Cup test ride, Strava addicts will understand it happens from time to time, especially when you’ve really given a segment a real go)
