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Having owned an 05 model i was wondering what any owners of the latest model have to say about them, obviously purely for XC and hopefully some racing. (looking at the carbon comp at the moment) Thanks
i've got an '09 which is essentially the same - epic expert with sid race. drop me a mail and i'll tell you all about it. if you're anywhere near me [reading] then come and have a go....
Why the privacy, threads would be very short if everyone said 'ah yes, I know the answer, but you'll have to email me'.
I had 2007, 2008 and 2009 S-Works ones, they were all good bikes, the 09 was the best by a fair way, if dogged with shock problems, but they seemed to get to the bottom of that. Got a Top Fuel this season, and personally prefer it, it's lighter and certainly feels quicker, without feeling like quite so much of an all out race bike.
You're not gonna go wrong with an Epic though, very good bikes.
I ride with a club that used to be full of Epics. (I've got an 05 S-Works btw) and then in 2007(?) when Spec changed from using the Fox shocks to in-house probably more than half of the guys had shock issues.
After that no-one dared to get the new Epic, especially as the earlier models still had Speci shocks
Finally in 2010 they returned to Fox shocks (I believe) & someone dared to try it. He loves it so much he's sold his other bikes & so far no issues with the shock...
The shock issue was what put me off getting a used 08 or 09 model as a mate of mine had the carbon one when it first came out and i think he was happy by the time he got a shock that did not fail. (4th attempt i think)
I did go to the concept store yesterday and the salesman did say the current shock is by far the best so far and i definately would prefer it over the stumpjumper HT i originally went to look at.
Mmmmmm decisions.
i've got an '09 epic expert carbon in xl - i can't upload pics this morning for some reason but have alook back through my previous posts as i've put photos up before. it's my first full suss bike as i came from a cannondale taurine ht.
the good
super fast - it feels like its got a magnet pulling it along and every time you up a gear it just wants to ga faster
super smooth - over roots and hard pack it grips hard but floats, if that make sense. it smooths out bumps just enough to help you go fast but without bouncing all over the place.
no pedal bob - once you get the future shock and brain set up right for your weight it rides like a hardtail on most bumps but will give when you need it to
spesh warranty - i had the adjuster on the brain fall off last week, took it to spesh and they repalced the whole shock for the price of a service [£90]
the bad
not much to do with the frame other than the above but the wheels haven't lasted with loads of smapped spokes and the rims have corroded very quickly around the join and around some of the eyelets. some issues with sram shifters sticking - again fixed under warranty. drivetrain wear - chain needs replacing every 3 months along a rear cassette but have found running an 11-26 has increased the life of the cassette to only need replacing with every seond chain. a few issues witht the elixir brakes dragging but sorted those myself after some fiddling.
as above you're welcome to come and have a spin but I am not going to put my adress on here for obvious reasons njee.
Completely understand that, it was a very tongue in cheek comment, it was "drop me a mail and i'll tell you all about it" that I was amused by, as if it was somehow sensitive information.
The shocks have all had poor reliability, since 2008 most notably. IMO the AFR shocks were so much better than the Fox ones it was worth it, although it did get to be a bit of a joke.
chain needs replacing every 3 months along a rear cassette but have found running an 11-26 has increased the life of the cassette to only need replacing with every seond chain
How's that a problem with the bike? And by what yardstick did the chain/cassette 'need' replacing in such little time? (genuinely curious!).
The 2010 shock is no different to the 2009 one, which wasn't really much different to the previous ones, they just put a Fox decal on to re-instill confidence in the brand!
As to whether you'd prefer it to the Stumpjumper hardtail that's hard to say, if it was that clear cut they wouldn't make a Stumpy HT! Epics still aren't the lightest out there, although they're not the boat anchors that the very early ones were. They're very good if you just like to sit and pedal through everything though. Definitely worth a test ride if you can get one.
How's that a problem with the bike? And by what yardstick did the chain/cassette 'need' replacing in such little time? (genuinely curious!
I'm not sure whether this is normal wear for an fsr - it seems to me that the chain wears quicker than on the ht. the chain gets replaced when ithas stretched beyond the park tool measure and the cassette when it has has hooked teeth or if it starts skipping, wear is visibly more pronounced in the middle of the cassette where it gets most of it's use.
all round i have been v impressed but as i was born in england i have to find something negative to say [insert winking face here]
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Fair enough, I used to go by those Park Tool gauges, then realised how ridiculously quickly it told me chains were worn! I now just use the entire transmission for a season, until it's totally worn out (although I've still never managed to get a cassette to slip!), and replace, saves a fortune, and has no real ill effects!
Hi, if you are still looking for a Carbon Epic, I advertised my Carbon Epic Marathon on the forum today. In superb condition, 2009 large and a third off the new cost!
A third off new cost for a bike which is nearly 2 years out of date? Good luck!
Thanks but changed my mind, went for a carbon stumpy HT frame (29er)