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, Specialized 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, they optimized every inch of the Epic Hardtail frame to achieve the lightest production hardtail frame in the world anyway—but Specialized also prioritized their 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.
On the Epic Hardtail Comp, RockShox's long-beloved SID SL fork is tasked with handling suspension duties, while a full SRAM GX Eagle groupset leaves no doubts about why it sets the benchmark for accessible performance.
At DASH, we've created a Cycle to Work enabled storefront which allows you to browse and order a range of items, all whilst benefitting from savings of 28-47%. The cost of items you order is split into 12 months and deducted from your gross (or pre-tax) salary, allowing you to save on income tax and national insurance contributions, which is called salary sacrifice. After 12 months, you'll be able to continue using your items at no extra cost.
We have a range of items, from bikes and e-bikes, to accessories (such as helmets and locks), bike parts and tools, clothing (including jackets, shorts, shoes, and everything in between), even pre-owned bikes. We work with a range of brands so there's sure to be something you like in stock.
Since we are a Cycle to Work scheme ourselves, we cannot accept vouchers from other scheme providers. If you would like to use DASH and already have a voucher, it might be worth speaking to your employer to see if they are able to refund it.