Cross-country racing has always been a battle of grams—a contest to see who can build the lightest machine. The 2020 Specialized Epic Hardtail 29er Carbon Mountain Bike flips the bird at that hoary convention. Yes, you’re looking at the lightest production hardtail to date, but the Epic HT is a hell of a lot more than that. This is the most capable and comfortable XC race bike ever.

Cross-country courses have grown rougher, so Specialized made the Epic HT more capable. It starts with all-new geometry. Taking a page from the trail bike playbook, they slackened the head angle to 68.5 degrees, reduced the fork offset, increased reach and moved to shorter (60-75 millimeter) stems on all frame sizes. End result? The Epic HT retains a short wheelbase for deft handling, yet it offers more predictable steering and a more centered rider position for increased control.

Specialized boosted tire clearance, letting you take full advantage of wider-volume tires on more challenging tracks. And while they were at it, they equipped the bike with a 30.9-millimeter seatpost, which gives you the option to run longer-travel dropper posts for even more maneuverability and control on technical sections.

A fatigued you is not a fast you. That’s a simple fact, yet history is littered with ultra-light and ultra-harsh XC bikes. Specialized fine-tuned their composite lay-up and tube shaping to make the new Epic HT more forgiving...and even faster. Smaller diameter seatstays, for example, increase vertical compliance. Ditto for the arced seat tube design that offers as much vertical compliance as the previous, smaller-diameter seat tube, yet plays nice with all sorts of dropper posts.

The build of this Epic is value-packed, featuring a 12-speed SRAM groupset, Shimano MT-501 hydraulic disc brakes and a Specialized XC 29 alloy wheelset. Get ready, because this is going to be Epic.

At a mere 915 grams, the Epic Fact 11m frame is stunningly light. What’s more, Specialized designed the Epic chassis to be incredibly capable and comfortable, with progressive geometry and an advanced composite layup that boosts vertical compliance.
RockShox Judy Gold 29 fork brings adjustability and performance to the package without breaking the bank. Features include rebound damping and a Motion Control“lock-out” lever.
SRAM SX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain gives you all the gearing you need to tackle the biggest climbs

Frame	Specialized FACT 11m, XC Geometry, Rider-First Engineered,threaded BB, 12x148mm rear spacing, internal cable routing
Fork	RockShox Judy Gold 29, Motion Control damper, 42mm offset,15x110mm thru-axle, 100mm of travel
Shifters	SRAM SX Eagle, trigger, 12-speed
Rear Derailleur	SRAM NX Eagle, 12-speed
Brakes	Shimano MT-501, hydraulic disc, resin pad
Cranks	SRAM X1000 Eagle, DUB, 170/175mm, Steel, 32T
Cassette	SRAM PG-1210 Eagle, 11-50t
Bottom Bracket	SRAM DUB, threaded BB
Chain	SRAM SX Eagle, 12-speed
Hubs	Specialized, sealed cartridge bearings, 15x110mm thru-axle, 24h / Specialized, sealed cartridge bearings, 12x148mm thru-axle, 28h
Spokes	DT Swiss Industry
Rims	Specialized XC 29, 25mm internal width, disc-specific
Tires	Fast Trak, Control casing, GRIPTON compound, 60 TPI, 2BlissReady, 29x2.3 inch
Stem	Specialized XC, 3D-forged alloy, 4-bolt, 6-degree rise
Handlebars	Specialized Alloy Minirise, 10mm rise, 750mm, 31.8mm clamp
Grips	Specialized Trail Grips
Saddle	Body Geometry Power Sport, hollow Cr-Mo rails
Seat Post	Specialized, alloy, single-bolt, 30.9mm

*Specifications are subject to change without notice