Submitted by
Cody Friedman
a Weekend Warrior
from Cincinnati, OH
Date Reviewed: March 18, 2011
Strengths: Lightweight, good components.
Weaknesses: none so far
Bottom Line:
I am extremely pleased with this bike, I didnt pay alot for it and it is my first full suspension bike so I couldnt be happier, it beats the hell outta my 2010 GF Marlin. I dont have a whole lot of experience with full suspension bikes but from what I have experienced with this one, I would most definately recommend it to others. FUN FUN FUN!!!
Strengths: Impressed with the Brain rear shock, works perfect with a Fox terra-logic front fork. Handles excellent and climbs impressively well.
Weaknesses: Not fond of the color.
Bottom Line:
Was blown away by how well it climbed for a XC full suspension bike. I raced on a steel hardtail for 10 years and this bike met the hype. Sorry to read about the bad shock experience but as soon as I dialed mine in for the riding I come across, the bike is FAST, FAST, FAST!!@@@!!!!
Similar Products Used: Santa Cruz, Yeti, Ibis, Giant, Trek, Turner
Bike Setup: Full SRAM X0 with Fox F100 fork, Hope mono mini discs, DT wheels, etc..
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
egebhardt
a Cross Country Rider
from San Mateo, CA
Date Reviewed: March 31, 2010
Strengths: 2007 Epic Marathon Aluminum annodized Silver. 2006 2007 2008 are all the same.
Looks cool. Rides nice.
Weaknesses: The brain part weighs around 200g and it may not be entirely necessary. I wish I could find a shock with just propedal and not brain that I could rebuild myself.
Bottom Line:
The bike is really nice to ride and weighs about 5.7lbs. I would have to weigh it on a good scale to be certain, but it's a bit heavy for my taste. I'd like a 2007-2010 Scott Spark, but they cost 4 times more and weigh 1.5lbs less. I hate the fact I can't rebuild the brain myself. I have to pay 100+ bucks for some jerk in Utah do it for me. Not my style.
Similar Products Used: 2004 Stumpy Anniversary.
2004 M5 HardTail.
Bike Setup: Fox F100 RLC, Mavic SLRs, XTR disc, XO shifting, WCS Stuff.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
billq0000
a Cross Country Rider
from Wakefield,MI
Date Reviewed: December 1, 2009
Strengths: Parts spec
Weaknesses: The rear suspension very irritating
Bottom Line:
I have to say this was my first and last Epic. I bought this bike to have something to ride while I had warranty work done on my top fuel. Paid a lot for this bike and was excited to try the brain shock but very disappointed in how ineffective the rear suspension is. This might not be a fair review considering the 2009 models had bad shocks made by X-fusion but a company as big a specialized should have had this under control. If you follow the instructions to a T on setting up the rear suspension, the shock will load up and click like it is going to break as well as bob like crazy. I will say the bike handled well and had a great parts spec but rear suspension being so poor it gets a bad rating. I would like to Compare to a 2010 model with a Fox Brand brain shock to see if the bike would work like the claims.
Submitted by
fsr4000
a Cross Country Rider
from Raleigh, NC
Date Reviewed: November 21, 2009
Strengths: '09 Epic Marathon aluminum rides like a hardtail on smooth trail and goes full suspension when the brain senses changes in the trail(roots,rocks,dips)
Weaknesses: A little tricky dialing in brake adjustment after using v-brakes forever. A lot of adjustments on the fork compared to simplicity of Fox RLC.
Bottom Line:
The bike has been exactly as advertised. The Brain does what they say it's supposed to do. You can feel all your pedal force going towards forward momentum when the trail is smooth, but as soon as you encounter obstacles from small rocks/roots to large transition changes, the Brain opens up and you're in Full suspension mode.I was concerned with moving from a Fox to a SID but it feels plenty stiff and plush. Shifting is crisp and responsive. Brakes feel great after using v-brakes for the last 10 years.100mm of travel is all I've ever needed. Great bike!!
Bike Setup: SID Race fork,XT cranks,Sram XO shifters/der.,Avid ultimate discs,DTSwiss 280 hubs/4.2D rims,Race Face bar,Thomson post
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
BigMike
a Weekend Warrior
from Fairfax
Date Reviewed: October 10, 2009
Strengths: Sweet do-it-all frame. Ride uphill and it's a hardtail. Ride downhill and it's a full suspension bike.
Weaknesses: Bike is a little heavy, and it rides more like a hardtail than a suspension bike (which I like).
Bottom Line:
I love this bike. I was struggling moving away from my old hard tail and into the suspension world. I used a Rocky Mountain for a while but it was a pig with flees; heavy and unresponsive. This bike, on the other hand, rocks! I'ts really the best of both worlds. It only comes in flat black which has 0 bling factor, but the design and build quality are great. I was concerend with the brain shock exploding, but I've had no problems in a year. If you're like me and want a suspension bike that handles and climbs like a hardtail, then this bike is for you.
Similar Products Used: There are so many. I test rode the Turner but I read somewhere that they bought their design from Specialized.
Bike Setup: XTR all around, Thomson stem, Monkey bars and Mavic Kysrium wheel set.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Gustavo Cuan
a Cross Country Rider
from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Date Reviewed: May 23, 2009
Strengths: The Brain really locks when going uphill and flat terrain. And opens when going downhill.
Weaknesses: Extremely heavy, customer service is really rubish, low profile components for the price, seems there is a get-your-free-bike cupon inside every cereal box, lots of issues with brain, geometry feeling not the best. Some magazines have published that when going downhill, at certain angle, it becomes more of a hardtail than a full suspension.
Bottom Line:
After riding hardtails I thought about trying full suspension. With all the marketing fuss about the best of two worlds into the Epic: a hardtail and a full suspension. In 2006 there were rumors about carbon failure. So my choice was the M5 version. It definetelly made me a better rider. But very likely any good FS would had make me achieve such progress. Later I contacted customer service to ask about the weight of the carbon frame. So to know if it was worth the spending. Never got a reply. I feel they took it as an insult. Send emails for other issues and same story. Later I began to have problems with the brain (air pressure). Specialized policies do not allow to buy a new shock. So the only option was to keep fixing the factory one. What would happen if the shock cannot be fixed as it should? FRUSTRATION. And now think about this. I had a fox brain and very likely fox will be out of spare parts in a near future. Maybe reject fixing it since it is a shock they no longer manufacture. Maybe specialized would not want to do it as well due to the fact that it is from a brand far better than theirs: a FOX. Since Specialized is selling all in house components would not be so odd that to happen. My best choice? I just sold the frame and Am very happy I did. Other customers might have nice stories. Mine is not. Would never buy Specialized again. Specially with their in-house components. From my point of view they are expensive, low quality, and bad looking. But sponsoring the top riders really work$$$. I am very pleased with my Giant Trance X0. So far much better than the Epic in all ways. It invites me to push my limits.
Similar Products Used: 2001 Trek 4500, 2002 Giant XTC Sae 1, 2003 Giant XTC composite, 2005 Kona Cowan, 2008 Scott Scale Limited, 2008 Giant Trance X0, 2008 Norco Shore, used for a month 2009 Giant Reign X0, 2007 Iron Horse 6 point 6 (bought early 2009).
Bike Setup: m5 frame with sworks carbon link, fox brain magnesium, crossmax sl, juicy carbon, easton monkeylite handlebar, ec70 stem, chris king headset, thomson masterpiece setback, selle italia slr, fox 100rl, xtr m960 crankset, maxxis larsen tt, hutchinson python, crank bros eggbeater ti. Later swapped a 2009 Rock Shox Sid 100mm and FSA MegaExo crankset.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
mark rodman
a Racer
from Westford, MA
Date Reviewed: May 10, 2008
Strengths: This is an update to my last posting (see below, "Bottom Line") regarding the 2007 Epic Marathon the Brain Shock. I am now on my fifth replacement, but Specialized continues to be very supportive with timely replacements, and the 4th shock, a 2008, lasted much longer than the 2007...and the ride is SO SWEET when it does work, I feel compelled to share some good new as well. Jury is still out but I remain cautiously optimistic.
Bottom Line:
My previous review: Submitted by Mark Rodman a Cross Country Rider from Westford, MA USA Date Reviewed: 9/14/2007 12:08:09 PM FavoriteTrail: Anaconda Duration Product Used: 6 months Price Paid: $3500 Purchased At: Cycleloft Strengths: light, responsive, adaptable Weaknesses: 2007 Specialized proprietary rear shock with Brain has blown its seals twice within six months, despite my only weighing 165 lb.'s and riding with no big drops or air, only aggressive/frequent/northeast rocky cross country riding! Similar Products Tried: Rocky Mountain element Bike Setup: carbon bars, fox front shock, Hutchinson tires, Mavic crossmax St wheels tubeless wheels, XT drive train, Hayes brakes Bottom Line: when the rear shock is working it's great. But the several days of the warrantee process is painful. I regret buying the bike because it's their first year with the proprietary Specialized technology and I am concerned that it's not fully baked. Value Rating: Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chuck Norris
a Cross Country Rider
from CO
Date Reviewed: April 2, 2008
Strengths: 2006 epic marathon came with strong components. xo all around and xt hollowtooth crank. climbs like a champ. brain is swell, it really does work. fast acceleration and handling on slow techy climbs. fox shocks are so easy to work on.
Weaknesses: stock tires, cant remember what they were, blew out first ride. very thin sidewall, didnt corner very well. also came with a flat carbon handlebar and 31.8 stem. changed to 24.5 and a low rise bar. much better set up. also need to change beerings in rear hub but have put it off because i think you need a bunch of fancy tools
Bottom Line:
blown out the seals a couple of times but i attribute this to being a xc rider trapped in a freeriders body. seriously i ride this bike like a 6 incher. i have taken it off 6 foot drops. ok maybe 5 foot drops but it holds up. porcupine rim abused it a bit. several flats and couldnt keep up with the sixers through the rock garden. oh and i think they changed to juicy 7's. all i know is that i think those things are a pain in the butt to set up. xt brakes work fine with the exception of every time i take off the front wheel i have to re-center the calipers over the rotor. whats the deal with that?
Favorite Trail: the one that leads to your moms house
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Bike Setup: put a 6 inch rotor on the front. changed to a kind headset. monkey lite sl low rise and race face stem. run a 2.1 barracuda on the back and a 2.3 barracuda, --> hutchi on the front. pretty sure thats all the changes i have made
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Kelly
a Cross Country Rider
from Boise
Date Reviewed: November 18, 2007
Strengths: New Brain ('06) works much better than my '03 Epic. Much more responsive and tuneable. The extra 20mm of travel makes a huge difference. Good component group. Fox 100RLT just as good with another 20mm compared to my old F80RLT. Noticeably lighter and a faster climber than my '03 Epic with fairly similar components.
Weaknesses: I am still so-so on the Specialized S Works FasTrak tubeless tires. They seem to roll well, but don't have the cornering I would like.
Bottom Line:
Still the best full suspension available for racing and cross country riding. The Brain gets better each year and the frame gets a bit lighter each year. Climbs better than my hard tail and I still have taken 2-3 foot drops without worrying. After over 5000 miles on the two Epics, I am a fan for life.
Posted a review a month ago about how sweet this bike is. Took it on my first loooonnnggg ride last weekend over very rocky terrain, rode it into the ground and lo and behold - seal blew and has to be sent in to get serviced! Boo!
Submitted by
Mark Rodman
a Cross Country Rider
from Westford, MA USA
Date Reviewed: September 14, 2007
Strengths: light, responsive, adaptable
Weaknesses: 2007 Specialized proprietary rear shock with Brain has blown its seals twice within six months, despite my only weighing 165 lb.'s and riding with no big drops or air, only aggressive/frequent/northeast rocky cross country riding!
Bottom Line:
when the rear shock is working it's great. But the several days of the warrantee process is painful. I regret buying the bike because it's their first year with the proprietary Specialized technology and I am concerned that it's not fully baked.
Strengths: Light, stiff frame. Brain is amazing...working flawlessly. Cross Country rocket...climbs like dream.
Weaknesses: Mine's not carbon...
Bottom Line:
This review is for the 2007 Marathon Frame only.
Amazing bike! Perfect for racing...climbs like a dream. If you are a racer, this is full suspension bike is for you. Not an a great trailbike...not enough travel. The rider is the only limiting factor...gotta work on that.
Brain shock has performed flawlessly. I look forward to many great races with this bad boy.
Strengths: Suspension is top notch, Carbon is fairly light, Climbs as advertised, rockets out of the corners, and motors on the flats and over roots/rocks. This has proved to be the perfect bike for my transition from hardtail to full-suspension.
Weaknesses: I have the Marathon Carbon and it scratches at the slightest of touch. You can't tell unless you look closely and I don't plan on selling so it really doesn't matter. Set-up takes a bit of time for the perfectionist
Bottom Line:
Long story short - Switching from a hardtail to a full-suspension was a bit conflicting for me as I couldn't ascertain whether I wanted a fun XC ride or a serious marathon racer. Demo'ed the Ventana El Salt and loved it as a trail bike but it didn't climb like I wanted which was a big concern for me (awesome bike though). Read many reviews on the Epic series and determined that the Brain feature would allow me to have the best of both worlds - efficient racer and fun all-around bike. Found a good deal on ebay and bought without ever riding one.
First ride - hated it. I thought it was slow and sluggish and just didn't compare to the Ventana except for the climbs which I was able to clear. Second Ride - little bit better but I was still questioning my purchase. Third ride - loved it and love it more each time I ride it. I attribute this to a) I just didn't have the legs the first couple rides and b) it simply wasn't dialed in. The suspension takes a good deal of time to get dialed in (front and back) and now it just rockets. The bike feels so good that I am afraid to change any of the settings cause I dont want to alter the ride. Uphill, flats, technical flats, corners it just accels. Downhills are not as plush as I experienced with the Ventana but these are two different rides (and it could probably be resolved with changing the set-up). The bike is fast, light, and puts on a bulls-eye on your back as the one to catch. I am extremly happy with this bike and it has brought the fun back into riding/racing
Similar Products Used: Ventana El Salt, Turner Flux, Trek 9800 Hardtail
Bike Setup: Stock except for XTR cranks, cassette, and pedals and also switched out the laid back post for a straight Thompson post
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Todd
a Cross Country Rider
from Fuquay, NC USA
Date Reviewed: August 9, 2007
Strengths: Stock Set Up for 07. Believe the hype behind the propietary shock it really does work.
Weaknesses: It is a bit heavy if you are switching from a hardtail. My frame is being battered by the second water bottle cage. The bottle sits on the frame and has worn the paint off already.
Bottom Line:
I really like this bike. I got rid of my last full suspension bike three years ago and had no intention of going back. After three years of battering my back I decided to see about full suspension bikes again. The concept of the Epic intrested me and I got to demo it. It was amazing the bike delivered as promised. After loggin 20 plus hours on the bike I can say that it is a very fun bike to ride. I will caution any hardtial XC guy buying this bike by saying don't expect it to be a hardtail. The bike does accelerate well out of corners and does climb well. However if you are like me and had a super rigid XC bike it does take a while to get use to the extra weight and a bit slower acceleration. However the benefit of the suspension on roots and technical ascents and descents makes you remember why you bought the dual suspension to begin with. The shock does allow an amazing amount of adjustability for 07 that does allow for it to ride like a heavy hardtail. Overall the bike delivers and I am happy with the results, good balance, good tracking into corners and alot of fun.
Hey spec forum:
I just finished building up a new (well, new to me) Epic Marathon frame. There's a little wiggle (and by little I mean [I]little[/I]) in the rear suspension. I s Read More »
Looking for some help on a 2010 Epic Marathon build. The bike is in the final stages and I have run into a major problem. The bike is being built with a 3x9 XT/Sram drive train mix Read More »
Race date: Saturday Oct 1st, 2011
Quick Race update,
The new course is up on site with a few revisions. [url=http://www.socalendurance.com]Blank[/url] The course is similar to l Read More »
Just looking to see what the opinions are on this.The difference in price for me is about 400gb pounds.I think I'm right in saying the main differences are e100 fork against a Sid Read More »
