Specialized debuted a secret new cross country race bike this weekend

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By chipps

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Specialized Teases New Bike In Banyoles

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that frame bag looks rubbish for bike packing

The new SRAM UDH mech has been talked about for a couple of months now. The patent has been in place since 2021 and UDH is an open free license. Surely that’s a good thing for the industry? Certainly beats trying to find a hanger for my old bike.

It’s an open free licence, but would Shimano take it up? They didn’t with DUB and XD freehubs, so it potentially splits the bike world (more) into SRAM and Shimano sides. (To be fair, Shimano’s ShadowPlus direct mount hangers were a similar-looking idea, so no one is innocent here…)

UDH might be a free (but not open) licence for the hanger… but is this direct mount that uses what UDH has paved the way for also a free liscence? That is… frame/bike brands might be free to use UDH on their frames, but does that really mean that Shimano could also make direct mount rear mechs that fit those frames in the same way that this spied rear mech looks like it does? Genuine, not rhetorical question… I don’t know.

perhaps it’s a bag for socks, not shocks. or something.

good article.

Whether it’s entirely psychological or just paid for, Neff seems to love banging in about that 60mm travel Trek

It’s going to look just like the Diverge STR, ie half-finished. I reckon it’ll need lots of TLC to keep it running smoothly & quietly.

“perhaps it’s a bag for socks” 🙂  Specialized introduce the world’s lightest bikepacking bag? Nice idea!

I don’t think UDH-direct mount derailleurs are a terrible thing TBH. Don’t get me wrong I’m normally a ‘standards skeptic’ but the whole point of UDH is that punters now have the ability to source a common mech hanger from anyone, not have to pay an extortionate sum for some wonky stamped bit of aluminium that ceased production 5 years ago.

As for being forced down the SRAM route? Well you could still buy a UDH hanger and stick any conventionally mounted mech you like on there it’s pretty much the opposite.

The ‘standards’ imposition that worries me most is flat mount, if you start seeing that abomination on MTBs get worried (anyone get close-up shots of the other chainstay?)…

They didn’t with DUB and XD freehubs

I think the whole cycling world is happy they ignored DUB, the different freehub standards is very annoying though

That Sram mech is a bit too discrete – could they not make it a bit bigger and bulkier?

I think its a soft tail, something similar to the Diverge STR

definitely has a pivot at the bb area, I also can’t see a ‘brain’ at the rear dropout this time.

maybe just a different configuration of the linkage, moving the shock closer to the top tube, possibly a dropped link?

On the subject of STR on their top end diverge, I’ve not read a single review which says its worth the money – most just say it’s there but doesn’t really do much of noticeable benefit.

The article doesn’t mention it, but I spotted elsewhere that Evie Richards secured 3rd place in the Women’s XC event – great to see her back at the sharp end of races after the injury-marred season she had last year.

https://off.road.cc/content/news/new-specialized-epic-leaked-12065

Looks very much like a supercal. but, there’s a nobble on the top tube near the seat cluster, could that be a drop link pivot?

I think it’s a fairly normal config push shock, so a short linkage from the top tube to help stabilise the shock side loads would make sense.

Specialized introduce the world’s lightest bikepacking bag? Nice idea!

innovate or die!