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Race tech: UCI Mountain Bike World Championship, June 24, 2008
Sauser puts new 2009 Specialized Epic atop the podium
By James Huang
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Christophe Sauser (Switzerland) won his second world title this past weekend aboard an all-new version of Specialized's S-Works Epic. As we predicted a while back, the new model is fitted with a number of features introduced on the company's Stumpjumper trail bike last year and shaves a substantial amount of weight in the process. Thanks to some excellent photo work from Cyclingnews editor Sue George, contributor Rob Jones and our friends at Czech web site www.mtbs.cz, we now finally have some quality images of the new steed to show you, too.
What we know
Specialized claims the new frameset lops a substantial 700g (1.54lb) from the '08 model and, not surprisingly, much of the credit falls on the more widespread use of carbon fiber. Unlike previous carbon Epic frames which reserves the material only for the front triangle and upper link, both the chain stay and seat stay assemblies on the '09 model are now made of carbon fiber, too.
Carbon is also used in the one-piece crown and steerer of the all-new Specialized Futureshock E100 100mm-travel single-crown fork. As expected, Specialized has used a tapered-and-oversized 1 1/8"-to-1 1/2" steerer tube to reduce the weight while simultaneously adding rigidity to the system. Naturally, a terrain-sensing Brain inertia valve is included here as well, meaning that Sauser no longer has to rely on the handlebar-mounted remote manual lockout of his familiar DT Swiss front end.
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Sauser's frame retains the familiar four-bar suspension layout but the pivot locations have been modified and now more closely resemble those of a MacPherson strut design. The rear shock has moved to a more conventional location below the top tube and the inertia valve-containing Brain unit is mounted at the rear axle and connected to the shock via a short length of hydraulic hose. A short link (we're not sure of the material but the surface finish suggests it isn't carbon) mounted on the seat tube adds some torsional and lateral stability out back.
As is typical for the new world champion, Sauser's new bike was also equipped with a number of other gram-cutting measures such as an integrated S-Works carbon crankset, Magura's latest Marta SL Mag brakes, Stan's NoTubes coated aluminium rotors (160mm front, 140mm rear) and alloy and titanium hardware all around.
What we don't know (yet)
We've seen those integrated cranks on Sauser's bikes before but it remains to be seen whether or not 2009 will be the year that the general public finally has access to them as well (the mountain bike version has previously been a team-only item). The two-chainring setup was also matched to a braze-on Dura-Ace front derailleur bolted to a riveted-on mount. While the crankset question will have to wait for an official answer until Specialized's mountain bike launch next week, we're sure this braze-on mount won't see the light of day come production time. Based on the graphics on the chain stay, it looks like the consumer version will use a DMD (Direct Mount Derailleur) layout whereas the derailleur mounts directly to the chain stay.
Sauser has been a fan of Stan Koziatek's lightweight NoTubes tubeless rims for ages but he crossed the finish line in Val di Sole rolling on a new set of Specialized's house-brand Roval hoops. We're not sure of the technical updates to the current model other than the carbon fiber hub shell body and bladed spokes but for Sauser to abandon his tried-and-true Stan's wheels, this new model must either offer a substantial improvement in some way (hard to imagine) or Specialized has flexed a bit of sponsorship muscle.
What Sauser thinks
Although he apparently tested an earlier prototype back in February, Sauser rode this latest edition for the first time only the Tuesday before the race yet the change obviously didn't bother him much. "I'm used to switching bikes. I do it all the time," he said shortly after crossing the finish line. "Pedaling doesn't interfere [with the rear suspension] at all. The change in placement of the pivot point changes the feeling. I feel like I use the travel more on my new Epic."
Most importantly, Sauser and his new Epic clearly get along quite well together as he dominated the race by leading from start to finish.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Rob Jones/www.canadiancyclist.com
- Christophe Sauser had only received his new 2009 Specialized Epic a few days prior to the world championships and quickly put it atop the podium.
- Specialized claims the new Epic shaves almost 700g from last year's version.
Images by Michal Cervený/www.mtbs.cz
- Even at full speed, it's clear to see that the new Epic shares a number of design features from last year's revamped Stumpjumper.
- The enlarged front end features a new Specialized-branded Futureshock fork that is also graced with the terrain-sensing Brain inertia valve.
- The familiar four-bar layout appears again only this time with modified pivot locations and a new carbon rear end.
- The rear shock has moved underneath the top tube. Full-length cable housing keeps things running smoothly.
Images by Sue George/Cyclingnews.com
- Sauser flew this number plate in Italy but will get to use the coveted '1' plate next year as defending champion.
- The remote Brain setup looks to save a decent amount of weight relative to last year's bulky mass of metal.
- Adjustments on the new rear shock are limited to air pressure, rebound damping and Brain threshold (located on the rear Brain unit).
- The new fork is now Brain-equipped as well which hopefully should make for a more balanced feel front-to-rear than before.
- The all-new E100 fork uses a carbon crown and a tapered-and-oversized 1 1/8"-to-1 1/2" carbon steerer.
- Are these carbon dropouts we're seeing?
- There's still plenty of room for a conventional bottle cage.
- The carbon chain stay is protected by a simple patch of Velcro material.
- Sauser ran a two-chainring setup at the UCI world championship, complete with a rather unique-looking spider.
- Magura's new Marta SL Mag brakes and SRAM's X.0 twist shifters make for a lightweight combination.
- A SRAM X.0 rear derailleur is mated to an ultralight KMC chain and a TiN-coated cassette.
- Magura's new Marta SL Mag uses a magnesium caliper body instead of aluminum. Sauser's mechanic, Benno Wiliet, makes things even lighter with anodized aluminum hardware.
- The rim on Sauser's new Roval wheels looks to be about the same as last year but the hubs now boast carbon shells and the spokes are bladed.
- The carbon front hub wear newly bladed spokes and Sauser's usual Stan's NoTubes coated aluminum rotor.
- Sauser's bike was fitted with a one-off braze-on Dura-Ace front derailleur setup but based on the markings on the chain stay, production units will use the increasingly popular chain stay-mounted DMD format.
