Gone are the days when a date with a hardtail race bike meant paying for it for days to come. Now, the Epic Hardtail Comp’s reality-altering combination of comfort and capability in a lighter-than-life package means counting down the hours until you meet again.

Working towards the lightest bike possible has long been the race within the race, but at what cost? The battle of the grams certainly hasn’t been without its casualties, with hardtail XC race bikes coming to stand for a harsh, twitchy ride at the expense of capability and versatility.

But who said fatigue from fighting against your bike makes you any faster? Instead, recognizing that the fastest bike is more than simply the lightest bike, we said out with the jarred-to-death tail, the measure-your-posterior’s-sorrows-by-the-yard tail, and in with the avant-garde tail. The ridiculously capable, mystifyingly comfortable, head-shakingly light, and all-around fast Epic Hardtail.

Sure, we optimized every inch of the Epic Hardtail frame to achieve the lightest production hardtail frame in the world anyway—but we also prioritized our commitment to creating an Epic Hardtail that’s as capable as it is comfortable with aggressive singletrack-inspired geometry, increased tire clearance and a frame obsessively engineered for increased vertical compliance, all while creating a bike that lives and breathes the fundamentals of fast.

The Specialized FACT 11m frame features Progressive XC Geometry and Rider-First Engineered™ design, complete with a threaded bottom bracket, UDH, 12x148mm rear spacing, and internal cable routing. A SWAT EMT tool is integrated, and the bike comes equipped with a Specialized Alloy 34.9 seat binder with an alloy bolt. The suspension includes a Rockshox SID SL fork with a Rush RL Damper and Debon Air, offering 100mm travel for sizes S-XL and 90mm for XS, paired with a 15x110mm thru-axle and 44mm offset.

The braking system utilizes SRAM Level Bronze 2-piston brakes with Stealth integration and rotor sizes of 180/160mm for the front and 160mm for the rear. For the drivetrain, the bike features a SRAM AXS POD Controller shift lever, SRAM GX Transmission chain, SRAM XS 1270 Transmission cassette (10-52t), SRAM DUB threaded wide bottom bracket, and SRAM S1000 Eagle crankset (165/170/175mm, 34T) with a SRAM S-1000 Eagle Transmission rear derailleur.

The wheels and tires include a Specialized alloy rear hub and front hub with sealed cartridge bearings and thru-axles (12x148mm rear and 15x110mm front). The rims are Specialized 29 with a 27mm inner width, tubeless-ready design, and 28 spokes supported by DT Swiss Industry spokes. The front tire is a Specialized Fast Trak (Control Casing, T7 Compound, 29x2.35), while the rear tire is a Specialized Renegade (Control Casing, T5 Compound, 29x2.35), complemented by standard 40mm PV inner tubes.

The cockpit is outfitted with a Body Geometry Power Sport saddle with steel rails, Specialized Alloy Minirise handlebars (10mm rise, 750mm width, 31.8mm clamp), a Specialized Alloy single-bolt seat post (30.9mm), Specialized Trail Grips, and a 3D-forged alloy stem with a 7-degree rise.

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