Epic Marathon or Scalpel Carbon 2 for XC racing?

Hi guys,

A lot of people are comparing these bikes (at least the general Epic vs. Scalpel) but I just tested both and to me they somehow seem to aim at quite different audience, that is, the Epic being the "comfy" marathon bike and Scalpel being the rocket for short xc-races.

The Epic was fitted with a 64 cm wide riser bar compared to the Scalpels narrow flat bar, so maybe putting on a narrow flat bar would transform the Epic into a short-race lightning too, or is it all in the frame geometry?

I'm looking for a fast xc-race full-suspension bike to replace my hardtail and I got a pretty good offer on the Epic Marathon (20 % off) . However, I worry that the geometry is simply too much "upright seating position, long haul" for my taste. As I mentioned, my impression is somewhat blurred by the different cockpit setup on the test bikes (Scalpel with 58 cm flat bar and Epic with 64 cm riser).

What do you think? Can I tune the Epic Marathon into a xc rocket like the Scalpel with a simple change of handlebar/stem/bar-ends, or will it always be a bit more on the comfy xc marathon side (hence the name Epic Marathon)? (To me, a fast xc bike includes a rather stretched flat seating position and I always rode with a 55 cm Ritchey WCS flat bar because I prefer a quick response over stability).

Any comments are highly appreciated:thumbsup:

/sebbesen