Do ‘Trail Stuff’ With a ‘Race Bike’: Specialized Epic 8 Pro Mountain Bike Review

Specialized bills its Epic 8 Pro mountain bike as the “fastest XC bike in the world” and “a wolf in wolf’s clothing.” And there’s no mistake that this thing is fast. Weighing 23 pounds, 15.4 ounces for a medium, it’s the lightest trail bike I’ve pedaled. Transitioning from training rides on my trusty but burly steel frame Surly Bridge Club made me feel like Superman.

A little competition is healthy for a family. If not exactly true, it’s what I told my brothers-in-law when convincing them to sign up for Iceman Cometh. Named after the famed Eugene O’Neill play, the Iceman takes place on 32 miles of forest road and single track in Northern Michigan every November.

As fate would have it, for a brief and brilliant 6 weeks, I secured a loaner Epic 8 Pro to attempt to repeat last year’s win of my family bracket.

In short: The Specialized Epic 8 Pro is a bike that wants to go fast, period. Its lightweight carbon construction, top-of-the-line components, and 120mm of travel make for a PR-destroying, race-ready bike that got our writer in a little over his head (which he turned out to love).

Suspension and Frame Dynamics

The Specialized Epic 8 Pro handled well, thanks to a combination of components designed to get the most pedaling efficiency possible out of a full-suspension bike. The RockShox SID ULTIMATE fork and rear suspension combine for 120mm of travel. This was adequate for anything from rock garden navigation to landing jump lines.

The three shock-damping settings — open, pedal, and lock — were impressive. These were ridiculously effective — more so than on any other suspension I’ve tried. The full lock felt like pedaling a hardtail. And the “pedal” setting was a Goldilocks function that tightened up under rider inputs and allowed more give when the trail got rough. Understanding the physics of that is beyond my pay grade, but let me tell you: it worked.

Last year, my daily rider was the spec’ed-down Specialized Epic Evo 8, an impressive bike in its own regard. It carried me to a PR (and ever-important victory over my brother-in-law) in last year’s Iceman race. I’m usually between L and XL frame sizes, but last year’s Large sizing on the Epic Evo was the perfect sweet spot.

The Epic 8 Pro had a different feel. The more aggressive geometry and lower stack made it feel a bit small. It’s worth considering a size up, but keep in mind that the geometry is most likely more aggressive than your daily driver. This is a race-optimized bike.

Drivetrain Characteristics

The Specialized Epic 8 Pro has SRAM Eagle AXS wireless shifting tech, something I’m always wary of. Sure, it shifted fast, but I hate adding a “charge the battery” to-do for my pre-ride prep. I’m also wary of things going wrong on the trail and being locked into an IT issue that turns your bike into a single-speed.

That said, I didn’t have a single problem with shifting throughout the many test miles. And come race day, the instantaneous response combined with the ultralightweight bike to dominate hill climbs. The cassette range is impressive, with a 34-tooth low gear. Combined with the carbon wheels and lightweight build, the Epic 8 Pro was a hill killer.

Speaking of tech, the Epic 8 Pro comes with a Quarq power meter. If you’re spending this much money on a bike, you likely already own a power meter. But it was nice to have one built in.

Other Features of the Specialized Epic 8 Pro

Although suspension and drivetrain are the major contributors to performance outside of the frame, the Specialized Epic 8 Pro had other notable features.

SWAT downtube storage can be divisive on the internet, but I loved it. Reason one: a secret compartment! Reason two: On race day, I stashed my flat repair kit and an extra gel or two, allowing me to ditch the hydration pack for a more race-oriented kit.

The Roval Control carbon wheels were hill-eating monsters. Carbon wheels on MTBs have always made sense for racing but give me pause on day-to-day riding. The stiffness of carbon hoops, lighter weight, and improved handling feel like a tradeoff for durability. But the Rovals convinced me otherwise: silent and deadly, they also held up to plenty of abuse. (Read, crashes. Sorry, Specialized team!)

Speaking of keeping on — the Divine dropper post was wildly response, making for an interesting surprise the first few uses. It telescoped smoothly and actuated quickly and remained so even after a few spills.

While the paint job shouldn’t be the deciding factor in whether or not you buy a bike, the Epic 8 Pro’s chrome-inspired color-shifting was beautiful. It impressed me, my 4-year-old, and random riders on local singletrack.

Combined with the racy frame geometry and efficient suspension, the components made this bike fly. Think about the Specialized Epic 8 Pro as a high-end, do-it-all bike. Every part of this bike is capable of cross-country race speed and accuracy, but it has the suspension travel to bust out on a trail ride.

But to boost your performance, you need the skills and the legs to leverage this bike. The Epic 8 Pro is a multiplier — whatever your base level of skill is, the bike will express that to the fullest.

Room for Improvement?

For $9K, you’re going to get a nice bike. In today’s market, that’s pretty universal across brands. Decisions at this price come down to preference rather than to design flaws. That said, there are a few key notes to take into account.

For a bike focused on speed, it’s also remarkably competent when it comes to handling and comfort. But it’s a bike for going fast, not going far. Full days in the saddle pushed the limits of the Epic 8 Pro’s ability to remain comfortable. It’s a small price to pay for potentially hitting a PR, but it’s something to consider.

I also had a very minor quibble: I didn’t like the stock grips — SRAM Slip-on with Twist-Lock. But this is from a chronic overgripper who needs the plushest of all grips. And complaining about the grips on a bike of this caliber is the equivalent of complaining about the paint color in the closet of a new house. It’s a small thing and an easy fix. But when the rest of the bike works so well, you’ve got to find a minor quibble or two.

Race Day: Where the Rubber Meets the Dirt

As mentioned, I rode the Epic Evo in last year’s Iceman and was very interested in how the Specialized Epic 8 Pro would compare. I was also deeply worried I’d be the slowest guy on the fastest-looking bike in the race.

But when the jitters of the first few miles wore off, I didn’t think about time. I just rode. Above all, this bike was fun to race. The Iceman is a Midwestern race, so it skips the long mountain climbs for multiple, punchy, steep wooded ascents. The Epic 8 Pro ate up hills that blew me up last year on the Evo.

Other riders congratulated me while I was passing them (also very Midwestern of them), and I wanted to shout back, “This bike is 22 pounds; I’m not working very hard!”

The Iceman combines twisty singletrack with intermittent forest roads and double tracks. You pass on the logging roads and hope not to get stuck behind someone slow on the singletrack.

When making a pass about halfway through the race, a giant race-ending log peeked out from under the leaves of the second track. With no room to swerve back in, I hopped it, thanks to the springiness and maneuverability of the Epic 8 Pro.

A full over-the-bars wipeout in loose sand humbled me in the next mile, but that was pilot error. There were no handling shortcomings on the bike.

Losing my water bottles in the crash and subsequent cramping kept me 3 minutes off my goal time. However, the Epic 8 Pro still carried me to 12-minute PR despite a longer, more technical course than last year.

More importantly, this bike raced like a dream, living up to its marketing hype. I went into this race thinking the Epic 8 Pro was a very nice bike but a little impractical for day-to-day riding. It turns out that I just wasn’t riding the bike fast enough during training. When I approached my VO2 max, this thing just ripped.

My only issue now is I don’t ever want to race on a different bike.

Final Thoughts: To Spend or Not to Spend?

There’s no question; $9K is expensive for a bike. Is it less spendy than it used to be? Sure, more and more bikes emerge in this price range every year. However, the Specialized Epic 8 Pro and its specs are geared toward more than a hobbyist. The “Pro” in the title isn’t some throwaway but rather an indication of your level of commitment to the sport.

A rider like me, who spends time on weekly singletrack rides and throws in one to two races a year, is better off investing in the lower-tier Evo. It’s a fantastic bike that’ll perform on race day with geometry that syncs better with the realities of daily riding.

But if you’re focused on speed and PRs and can afford to have multiple bikes in the quiver, or you prize performance above all else, the Specialized Epic 8 Pro is for you.