R. Cunningham

Specialized made headlines with the introduction of its carbon fiber Epic—a wildly expensive, beautiful-looking racing machine that rolled its way to a World Championship almost before the first production model hit the bike shops. This year's S-Works Epic Disc marks the introduction of the in-house-designed Brain shock. Like its predecessor, the '07 S-Works Epic is built around the inertial-lockout shock design that was originally penned by suspension whiz Mike McAndrews and perfected by Fox Racing Shox. The Brain-equipped Epic became the only rear suspension design that could duplicate the feel of a rigid chassis without compromising the rear suspension's ability to respond to bumps.

McAndrews left Specialized for a spell, but now he's back, and he is spearheading efforts to develop a range of Specialized-branded suspension products. The first order of business was to give the Epic a new Brain. For the most part, the '07 S-Works Epic is unchanged from last season, and because its inertia-valve damper defines its existence, the big question is: will the Specialized-designed Brain Shock be a step up in performance from the original?

Where the action is: The Specialized version of the Brain Shock uses a magnesium extension and a modified, fast-acting inertial valve.

LET'S GET DOWN TO IT

The first hour aboard the Epic was, well, horrible. The Brain Shock was acting up, which caused the rear suspension to feel as if there was something loose inside the damper. Attempts to tune out the dodgy compression feel failed, but just as we were going to box up the shock and send it home to Specialized, it started working. Go figure?

Once the Epic's Brain regained its faculties, the red S-Works put on an impressive demonstration. We tested the Specialized on trails that are typical of cross-country race courses, and it ate them up. Assisted by a wisely chosen 11x34-tooth cogset, our Epic had low enough gearing to trounce around the circuit without using the granny chainring. The Fast Trak tires rolled fast on hardpack and in sandy situations. The roomy cockpit layout encouraged aggressive efforts in and out of its comfortable Rival 130 SL saddle. With hardtail-firm pedaling added to those perks, we got impressive lap times without really trying.

Going up?: The excellent lateral stiffness of the frame, coupled with the Epic's relatively light weight and efficient power transfer, made all but the steepest climbs feel like bumps in the trail. Its steepish, 74-degree seat angle seems a bit forward on the flats, but once the grade turns skyward, the cockpit feels perfect, and transitions between seated and out-of-the-saddle climbing are seamless.

With the Brain Shock's adjustable platform turned up to about 90-percent firm (a blue dial on the piggyback reservoir), there is more of a tendency to slip the rear tire while attacking steep climbs than with the Fox-made version. That said, however, the Epic can be pedaled more aggressively than a hardtail in any situation, because its rear suspension keeps the tire hooked up far better than its rigid counterparts.

Be prepared to go fast: Our S-Works Epic Disc was one or two clicks faster everywhere on the course. Its technical handling is much improved.

Suspension performance: The '07 Epic Disc is the first of its kind that we could recommend as an enjoyable cross-country trailbike. Aided by a slacker head angle, and a smidgen more suspension travel up front, the new Epic has less brake dive and feels far more balanced while descending at speed than its predecessors. With the Fox F100 RLT fork set up on the stiff side of comfortable to balance the auto-lockout shock, the Epic rolls over the chatter and bangs through rough, technical sections of trail with a firm feel.

The Epic gives up a noticeable amount of cushion to show its pilot that its chassis was designed for racing. If you don't mind riding your suspension on the hard side of comfortable, however, you will be delighted to discover that the '07 Epic Disc can be pushed to the limits on high-speed descents. It jumps well, corners with conviction, and can bash through some hefty g-outs without inspiring the pernicious angst that overwhelms most cross-country competitors when they face a dangerous section of trail.

Intelligence test: Using the O-ring on the shock shaft, pressurize the Brain shock to achieve between 1/4 and 3/8 inches of sag. Once this is done, set the red rebound dial four to five clicks out from full slow. It's hard to get the rebound right because the inertial valve prevents the shock from cycling more than once. Don't bother experimenting with the softer, less-effective range of the Brain shock's adjustment. If you wanted a soft-riding mush bike, you wouldn't have purchased an Epic in the first place. Set it up as close to full hard as you can stand it. You'll only notice the harshness when you are plunking around at jogging speed. You paid seven grand for instant pedaling response, so don't waste it.

The Brain's inertia valve is not seamless in operation. The slower you ride, the more it can be felt. The initial harshness can be softened by tire pressure changes or simply dialing out some of the mass-valve's effectiveness with the blue "Trail Tune" dial. Either way, once you twiddle the dials and fuss with pressures to achieve the best feel at the pedals, you'll notice a corresponding harshness in the rear suspension's initial movement throughout the speed range. Is this bad? Not at all. Most cross-country competitors run their suspension and tire pressures so high that their suspension is merely a placebo. The Specialized delivers more comfortable, full-time suspension performance with rock-steady pedaling and greater efficiency.

Technical report: Shimano's new semi-metallic XTR disc brake pads stop much better than the early season models, but we had an issue with the engagement point of the brake levers. The engagement was too close to the grip, and when the contact point was adjusted outward, the lever moved out of reach. Fortunately, there is more braking power available with the new friction material, so we found a happy medium between what we wanted and needed. Once again, big cheers for Shimano's sharp-shifting front derailleur. Its instant action gave our right hand a rest because we could anticipate rolling terrain with a single shift of the left lever. Mavic SLR wheels are a touch heavier than other racing hoops, but none have passed muster like CrossMax when it comes to reliability and no-hassle tubeless performance. If you need one wheelset to ride and race on, CrossMax SLR is the only name you need to know.

MBA'S WORD ON THE S-WORKS EPIC CARBON DISC

The 2007 S-Works Epic Carbon Disc is the cross-country racing machine that Specialized professed that they had been making since the beginning of this century. All others have fallen short—either in the weight, handling, or pedaling department. This is the first Epic that got everything right. If you want to go as fast as your legs and lungs can take you over the type of terrain that most countries hold their national-caliber cross-country races on, the 2007 S-Works Epic Disc is one of the first bikes you should consider. If you never race, but you want the crisp feel of a racing hardtail, blended with the superior handling of a dual-suspension chassis, you owe it to yourself to ride this bike before you go shopping for less performance.

More under the hood: Mavic CrossMax SLR wheels aren't the lightest, but they are tough, proven winners—and they are tubeless. Pull out the Epic's tubes, insert some sealant, and you'll roll even faster.

SPECIALIZED '07 S-WORKS EPIC CARBON DISC SPECS

Price: $6500

Country of origin: Taiwan

Weight: 24 pounds

Hotline: (408) 779-6229

Frame tested: 17.5" (medium)

Bottom bracket height: 13"

Chainstay length: 16.8"

Top tube length: 22.5"

Head angle: 70.5°

Seat tube angle: 74°

Standover height: 31"

Wheelbase: 42.2"

Suspension travel (front): 3.9"

Suspension travel (rear): 3.9"

Frame material: Carbon fiber/aluminum

Fork: Fox F100 RLT

Shock: Specialized Brain Fade

Rims: Mavic CrossMax SLR

Tires: Specialized Fast Trak (2.0")

Hub: Mavic

Brakes: Shimano XTR disc

Brake levers: Shimano XTR

Crankset: Shimano XTR

Shifters: Shimano XTR RapidFire

Front derailleur: Shimano XTR

Rear derailleur: Shimano XTR (low-normal)

Chainrings: Shimano XTR (44/32/22)

Cassette: Shimano XTR 9-speed (11-34)

Pedals: None (Tested with Shimano 959's)