After picking up my new 2014 Sworks Epic World Cup just before Christmas, I’ve had the opportunity over the holiday break to give it a good work out, and thought this an opportune time to share some of my first ride impressions.
In a word, this bike is truly ‘Epic’. For me it ‘is’ the do anything bike.
Over the last week I’ve ridden around 500km, with a mix of technical and fast single track, fast fire roads, steep climbs, long rocky descents and the bike has performed impeccably.
I am riding a small frame, with a slightly longer than normal stem (110mm –neg 17%) and the first thing you notice is the agility of the bike. This being a mix of the slightly more aggressive geometry of the world cup, with steeper head angles and slightly shorter chain stays. The bike is sharp, and responds instantly under power and when railing single track. The power transfer is instant, supported by the massive chain stays. Accelerating up short rises is very noticeable, and the chain stays coupled with a firmer suspension setting leaves no room for any loss of power. A little more caution is required on steep technical descents, with the bike orientated to putting your weight over the front, but this pays you back on the steep climbs with the bike and front end noticeable more grounded than my previous epic.
If you read the brochure, the world cup model comes with firmer suspension settings and slightly less travel 95mm. The 5mm travel difference is negligible, but the firmer suspension setting is very evident. On the hardest suspension setting the bike is hard tail firm with no give at all in the rear, and only with major hits could I activate the Brain mechanism on the front forks. On my previous Epic I rode with these settings all the time. On the new bike I have had to dial it back one to two clicks to get a slightly more forgiving but nethertheless firm ride. The new carbon wheelset and the new 15mm front axle is definitely a bonus and adds to the much more stiffer and firmer ride with no flex with my sub 70kg weight. The carbon rims also seem a little more robust / stronger than the previous model.
The bike comes with an XX1 drive train as standard, and if you haven’t ridden a bike with XX1 you don’t know what you are missing out on. XX1 de-clutters everything and adds to the impeccable smooth lines that the bike already has. The first thing you notice (or not notice) is the bike is silent. The drive train coupled with the bike build quality is so quiet, you have to freewheel every now and then to hear the familiar mechanical sound of the free hub. For simplicity, speed and mechanical efficiency I am a big advocate for XX1. SRAM you are on a winner here.
Finally the braking department. The Magura MT8’s definitely fit into the lightness category being one of the most lightweight brake systems on the market. After a little bedding in, the Magura’s offer superior modulation over the previous SRAM XX models, which I found great for the single track. On long, steep descents I did find them lacking in power when I really needed it, with brake fade also evident. Life is full of compromises, and I guess on this bike there had to be some to get to the specifications they were looking for.
In my opinion this bike (world cup or otherwise) is completely purpose built for endurance racing. With the new lines and sculpted frame, the bike now accommodates 2 full size water bottles (yes even on the small frame) and with the suspension system, massive bottom bracket and chain stays is built to get the power down and you moving forward. All this on a 9.32kg package (with pedals). I am looking forward to some long training months ahead and giving the bike a real test at its name sake – The 2014 Absa Cape Epic.
Modifications to standard 2014 Sworks World Cup (Small)
- Selle Italia SLR Carbonio saddle
- Look S Track Carbon Ti pedals
- Specialized foam lightweight grips
- Frameskin
Thanks to Pete and the team at Cyclery Northside at Chatswood for getting this bike ready for me before the holidays, and Specialized for bringing it all together in another fantastic product – Sworks Epic World Cup.
