2018 Specialized Epic Expert | Test Ride and Review

[@carravagio16]

just demo'd this bike and loved it. I tend to gravitate toward shorter travel trail bikes and even thought this is a xc race machine i loved it. only change i would make is droper post and maybe a fox 34 w/ 120, 780 bars and bam I'm in love

[@bikerdhill]

your commentary is very good, very informative, awesome

[@jctrails]

Thanks again bikerdhill. It was hard to talk about this bike since I usually ride trail / enduro bikes.

[@antoniodimeo6893]

I'm from the area, great to see someoje from this area that constantly makes great content. Never knew about these trails and now I do. Keep it up

[@jctrails]

Thanks Antonio, maybe I will see you on the Trails

[@jaymueller2418]

So funny I'm watching this in my bed in rural Australia and the video is from Duxbury MA...we left Arlington before coming here. Nice video and thanks for reminding me of home.

[@jctrails]

Jay Mueller i'm glad I could bring a little home to you. Where Australia do you live?

[@Whitebassonly]

Saw one of your other videos and thought "man that really looks like Massachusetts." Great videos!

[@jctrails]

Thanks Ryder, stay tuned for more vids! Spoiler alert - next couple of vids will be my wife and I riding in Sedona.

[@JoshuaLTRyan]

I love this. I ride there all the time. Nice review.

[@jctrails]

Thanks Joshua hopefully I will see out there!

[@mtbsavant5414]

With bikes getting longer and slacker it's refreshing to ride a sports car once in a while. Great review.

[@jctrails]

Thanks James, it brought me back to when I first started mountain biking. Long stem, 100mm of travel, and narrow bars, it almost makes me want to wear Lycra. 🚵😏

[@joelzimmerman5614]

Is that a 200mm stem? I think a 50 or 60mm might be good 👍 cool videos thanks

[@frankfattore989]

Sadly, $5,200 really isn't considered high-end anymore, as X01 spec'd bikes have a 7k-ish price tag. I think Specialized is right on the money with the GX group.

[@tamaskg]

not if you buy from direct-sell brands like canyon

[@johnnyyammine77]

costs 9500 in Brazil, today.. used

[@emilegoguely4032]

Coming from a HT and thinking of a second hand 18' epic ; a bit tempted by the epic evo (or Orbea Oiz in the 120mm confg). But I like to go uphill more than downhill + coming from a hardtail...

[@jctrails]

Emile Goguely you love the Epic evo. It pedals just as well as the race bike but you have the dropper and a beefier fork to soak up the bumps.

[@havock1013]

JC did you weigh the bike? Do you feel the wheels offset the drivetrain at that price point?

[@jctrails]

I did not weight it but I would guess it's at 24-25lbs. I much rather have carbon hoops than a higher end drivetrain, the GX shifts great just weighs more. The higher rims will actually give you a better ride.

[@rickgervais8445]

Weighted a large 2018 carbon comp with spds at 25.6

[@jctrails]

Rick Gervais nice

[@gabrieledalessio6707]

I had the chance to try the same bike a few weeks ago and I found the brain to be a litle too much invasive, at least at the back. In my opinion the bike is a good compromise between an hardtail and a full sus xc bike not something in between a xc full and a short travel trail bike. Honestly this bike is, in my opinion, a good choice for who is undecided between an ht and a full.. maybe someone used to ht and wants to try a full but is afraid of losing stifness and responsivness

[@jctrails]

Hey Gabriele that's a great way to describe the Epic, it's a ht with a little squish. Thanks for watching

[@markkligerman6861]

I demo'd a 2016 and found it fast! What I did not like is the "thunk" as you break the brain threshold.

[@jctrails]

Hey Mark I did not experience that, but the bike was brand new so I’m sure once the brain breaks in....

[@markkligerman6861]

I was at my local bike shop today and they said Specialized has fixed the "thunk" for 2018.

[@Fluterra]

@@markkligerman6861 they have not - but it's subtle... I like it.

[@mattradke6007]

Great review on bike! Had just a question on you height and inseam? I currently ride a 2016 epic and just trying to compare to the new frame

[@jctrails]

Hey Matt I have 31" inseam and I'm 5'10" and the large size feels a little big but not uncomfortable. I would say if your 5'11" and up def go for the large. Thanks for watching, stay tuned for more bike reviews!

[@markthomas2166]

I really hate my friends who ride FS MTB! You're not helping! I love my Specialized full carbon flat bar road bike but NOW I'm thinking about getting THIS bike! Awesome review! THANKS A LOT! LOL.

[@jctrails]

Mark Thomas get it! You will love it.

[@marceloblumm]

Nice video! I have some questions....About the wheels, the logos on the wheels are in carbon layup or they are stickers? The spokes really are the DT Revolution? Thanks!

[@jctrails]

Hey Marcelo they were definitely stickers on the wheels and the spokes are Dt Swiss revolution! Thanks for watching

[@TheSoldkall]

Nice review man, thank´s, just a little worried about the head angle, 69,5, does it feels as your going over the handlebars going down, trail style?

[@jctrails]

It's not too.bad, the head angle is like what trail bikes were in 2012. If the terrain gets steep just make sure you get your weight back. Thnaks for watching

[@zachhamadeh5931]

love duxbury I live right down the road and have been looking for people to ride with

[@jctrails]

Hey Zach hit me up, follow me on Instagram jctrails and shoot me a pm. Def go for a rip I live 2 miles away.

[@MikeBertelsenDK]

I can't decide between the Epic Expert or Camber Expert :/

[@jctrails]

Mike if you are going to race XC more often than ridingyour local trails, definitely get the Epic. You can still go super fast on the Camber but you are going to lose a little pedal efficiency. The short travel 29 trail bike is one of my favorite type of bikes, so I'm a little biased towards the Camber. Stay tuned I will be reviewing the camber soon. Thanks for watching

[@MikeBertelsenDK]

Hey thanks for reaching back to me, I most definitely didn't expect that. I have owned a Epic Comp once which was a great bike but I never felt secure on it. I missed more grip and it felt too light. I like to ride long distances between 50-100km. so I'm confused about the cambers ability to perform on climbs and flats.

[@jctrails]

No problem Mike, it sounds like the Camber will be a perfect fit for you.

[@coderedex]

I tested the new epic 2018 expert last week,it does not have the acceleration the older model has,could be because of the slacker head angle ---- good on the down hill though. Good bike though,I prefer the older model.

[@jctrails]

Hey Jazz Jive, I think your right about the acceleration. My buddy has the previous generation and it definitely feels more race oriented. This bike is almost like a small travel trail bike. Thanks for watching

[@coderedex]

Nice video,I think specialized should have gone less drastic on the head angle. Like 71 to 70 would have been better.IMO. But from 71 to 69.5 is a notable difference.Especially climbing. Thanks again.

[@chihirogustafson8557]

Fact 12m is their top carbon now

[@DamianGso]

Max size tire rear ?

[@danielwithadee5025]

I noticed in he fattie6 29 it has a pocket in the downtube under waterbottle holder. Is that also a feature on the bike in this video also?

[@jctrails]

Daniel With A Dee not on this bike, their trying to save every oz on this bike. Thanks for watching

[@danielwithadee5025]

JC TRAILS thanks

[@ps3narciso]

How does compare to the Scott Spark rc or to the sc tallboy 29?

[@NLTHEDOCTOR46]

Hi there nice review I am from the Netherlands (its a xc county 😎) and i can not make a decision between the epic expert or the scalpel si 3 . Meaby you have a opinion.

[@jctrails]

Thanks, I have heard great things about the scalpel, but I have not ridden one. My friend who has one says it rides a lot like a trail bike on the descents and still climbs great. One thing to consider if purchasing the Epic is that the Brain suspension seems like it needs a lot of maintenance. Other than that the bike rides great. I recommend you test ride both and see which one fits you better. Thanks for watching

[@NLTHEDOCTOR46]

JC TRAILS Thanks a lot for youre replay!

[@Fluterra]

@@jctrails Wrong! The 2018 and newer have the Brain 2.0, which only require maintenance every 200 hours! That's 2x the interval of the Cannondale, or any other modern suspension bike.

[@PhilAndersonOutside]

Did you get a chance to ride this on typical New England rocky trails?

[@jctrails]

Not yet Phil, but I will.

[@juandrevandenberg9210]

You must test drive the specialized camber expert next 👌

[@jctrails]

Juandre Van den berg you read my mind hopefully the camber will be the next bike I review. I'm excited to ride the new camber it's that sweet spot for a trail bike fast and nimble!

[@juandrevandenberg9210]

JC TRAILS Yes that new camber is looking beautiful i love the paintjob and it is between the epic and stumpjumper so i think i am going to go for the camber the epic i would rather prefer but i dont trust the brain shox so much but i have never rode with brain shox so i am going to test one hopefully soon

[@juandrevandenberg9210]

But thanks for the reviews they are as good as always

[@jctrails]

They say this Brain is suppose to be the most reliable one to date, but I think you get beat the Camber for the over all utility it provides.

[@sebastianrenemorales1103]

JC TRAILS Is it common for disc brakes to make that noise?

[@jctrails]

Hey sebastian rene morales when the rotors get wet they tend to squeal.

[@sebastianrenemorales1103]

JC TRAILS If the same thing happens to me, I have the tektro drako with metal pellets and I do not know why they spend so fast, I think I'm going to have to change and opt for Shimano, I loved your video anyway ha ha ha ha ha ha

[@jctrails]

sebastian rene morales 👍🏼

[@BrianVaughn]

I knew those were sram brakes from the sound. Dam that stem looks long!

[@jctrails]

Hey Brian, actually the brakes were really good it's just the trees and bushes were so wet the rotors never had a chance to dry. These SRAM level TL's almost felt like my XT's. These are way better than the guide R's. The long stem felt like I was back in the early 2000's, on the steep climbs it was nice to have the weight on the nose though, motored right up.

[@antoniofeliciano2813]

100mm. I changed to 90mm for my bike

[@Aerfmosfera]

Hi friend, Wheels weight?

[@jctrails]

A e r f m o s f e r a I did not get a chance to weigh them. Thanks for watching

[@SneakerHeadAustin]

1580 grams

[@MajkY77]

Nope, 1580g only for Pro model. Expert has diff hubs and spokes - this wheelsets weight 1750g.

[@mc540flip]

Good review

[@jctrails]

Thanks for watching Michael, stay tuned for more reviews.

[@davidjarjar3419]

Hi! I'm 5'6.5''. What size do you advise me? thanks

[@jctrails]

Hey David you are right in between a size small - medium. If you like your bike to feel roomy on the top tube I would recommend a medium and if you want a bike that feels more flickable then probably a small. The only way to truly find out is to head to your local bike shop and try each one. Thanks for watching

[@seanPar]

ARe those the stock brakes? I hear them singing.

[@jctrails]

Yup it was a wet day.

[@fattie2550]

Does it have internal cable routing for a dropper post?

[@jctrails]

It does, the cable routes on the right side of the top tube. Thanks for watching

[@fattie2550]

Thank you

[@KimFieldstad]

It is nice to see a company putting carbon wheels as standard. I’ll go with SRAM GX and carbon wheels over higher components and AL wheels.

[@jctrails]

Hey Kim, I totally agree with you Carbon hoops transform how the bike feels. Thanks for watching

[@chriswest579]

Think I would like the Epic EVO better

[@jctrails]

Chris West Evo for sure!

[@chriswest579]

@@jctrails just don't like the long stems on XC bikes.

[@baghragaming6531]

Price

[@jctrails]

Sonu Kumar retails for $5500

[@Montblanc1986]

How tall are you

[@jctrails]

Hey Kazak I'm 5'10'', thanks for watching

[@Fluterra]

not highest grade carbon, that's the 12m!

[@Fluterra]

Not the correct front shock!! Looks like a 2017. 2018s have the Brain 2.0 where the Brain Fade is on top.

[@CsupOfficial]

Dude that's hilarious, I call my Epic a "sports bike" after a "sports car" in all my videos. Guess we are on the same page lmao.

[@jctrails]

It feels like I'm riding a track car compared to the trail bikes I ride, which feel like a Lincoln Town car. Thanks for watching

[@walter4840]

weight, please!

[@jctrails]

Hey Walter it's 25.12 lbs with xt pedals and tubeless setup. Thanks for watching

[@mrnormalnormal]

No brain system?

[@barrysimmons7408]

Next time grease your brake rotors!

[@jctrails]

Hey Barry the trees and bushes were so wet it never gave the rotors a chance to dry off, so it attracted all the dirt and grime. They still had stopping power though. Thanks for watching

[@cheryee3659]

No worthy

[@podunkman2709]

I own 2017. Could be great bike but very poor quality. 1500km and three time in service; dumper leak, loose in the wheel, wire anchors felt off.... And this crappy Reba fork - worst part of the bike (if someone will tell you 'this fork is fine' then this guy knows nothing about forks).

[@jctrails]

Podunk Man that stinks man seems like a lot of people are having trouble with the Epic's durability. This bike I demoed felt great, but I was the first one to ride it. Do you think the bikes durability problems are due to being such a light weight bike? I wonder how long it would take for me to break something on a long term test