The Specialized Epic 9 Expert 2027 bike we’re featuring at Escapa is the culmination of 24 years of award-winning innovation in Cross-Country, designed to be the lightest, fastest, and most efficient XC race bike ever created.
Key Features:
Use: XC racing
Frame: FACT 11m carbon, progressive XC race geometry, 120 mm of travel
Suspension: Front: RockShox SID Select+; Rear: RockShox SidLuxe Select+
Drivetrain: SRAM GX Eagle
Wheels: Roval Control SL VI with Dt Swiss 370 hubs
Building on the Epic 8—the bike that marked a turning point in modern XC—Specialized has gone one step further by eliminating everything that could hinder performance. The result is the Specialized Epic 9, a bike that’s 206 grams lighter, making it the world’s lightest full-suspension XC bike .
The evolution isn’t limited to weight alone. Suspension friction has been reduced by 11%, fine-tuning the kinematics to the utmost to deliver immediate responsiveness, outstanding pedaling efficiency, and surprising capability on the most technical sections. Every watt you apply is transformed into real speed on the trail.
The Epic 9 doesn’t just go faster—it disappears beneath the rider, creating a total connection between machine and rider. When the bike is no longer a limitation, the rider’s true potential emerges. And that’s where pure speed is born.
206 Grams Rapido
We didn’t just shave weight from a single spot. We eliminated it from everywhere. The result is the lightest full-suspension XC frame ever built: faster acceleration, more precise response, better control, and more speed per watt.
Here are some of the specific areas where we’ve saved weight compared to the Epic 8.
1. Front triangle: -110 g
2. Main pivot: -15 g
3. Seat tube: -17 g
4. Rear triangle: -37 g
5. Linkage and hardware: -27 g
Shock mount integrated into the top tube
The optimized structure with continuous fiber paths increases strength and reduces weight.
Size-specific seat tube laminates
Variable wall thicknesses and shapes optimized for weight, strength, and stiffness.
The Missing Link
The link and ultra-strong, lightweight hardware increase stiffness while saving 27 grams.
