epic vs. enduro

"Steve Robertson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Hi there,

I am looking at getting a 2004 Specialized Epic or Enduro but am stumped

on

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which one to get. I think the Epic Comp & Enduro Expert are around the

same

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price. Does anyone know where a comparative review can be found? Or can anyone tell me some
relevant details, weight etc, on these two bikes?

Thanks, Steve.

Epic is more of a light (ish - depending on the model) XC-type bike with the Brain shock that locks
out on smooth surfaces. I have one (03 S-Works M5) and like it very much.

Enduro is more of a freeride kind of bike. It's heavier and could take more abuse. I hear next
year's (04 I think) will also have the Brain shock, but it will be tuned to keep it active more
than the Epic.

I'm primarily an XC rider and weigh about 150. I occasionally race, but I'm not really a "racer". I
like light bikes and this is my first FS. The Epic suits me very well.

Matt

"Steve Robertson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi there,

I am looking at getting a 2004 Specialized Epic or Enduro but am stumped

on

Quoted message said:

which one to get. I think the Epic Comp & Enduro Expert are around the

same

Quoted message said:

price. Does anyone know where a comparative review can be found? Or can anyone tell me some
relevant details, weight etc, on these two bikes?

Thanks, Steve.

I can just second what Matt wrote. I to ride an Epic and I like it's geometry, Brain suspension, I
changed handlebar to flat, all together it's fast very responsive and comfy bike. A friend of myn
rides Enduro, and he likes it a lot, it's more forgiving, very soft it's more laid back kind of
drive, while Epic is more like best race hardtail breed but with the twist, Brain.

BTW, goggle the group there where some very good posts about both bikes.

d'amir

"Steve Robertson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi there,

I am looking at getting a 2004 Specialized Epic or Enduro but am stumped

on

Quoted message said:

which one to get. I think the Epic Comp & Enduro Expert are around the

same

Quoted message said:

price. Does anyone know where a comparative review can be found? Or can anyone tell me some
relevant details, weight etc, on these two bikes?

Thanks, Steve.

I'd agree with what's already been said. I own neither bike but have taken both out for day's test
ride (on different days, of course!) The Epic is a 'lighter' bike with a race-bred, XC style to it.
The Enduro is more of a do-anything bike that can take a few more knocks. What style of riding do
you do and where do you do it? There is more at stake than weight issues with these bikes too. The
suspension and geometry make more of a difference than a few pounds difference IMHO.
--
Westie (Replace 'invalid' with 'yahoo' when replying.)

"Steve Robertson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi there,

I am looking at getting a 2004 Specialized Epic or Enduro but am stumped

on

Quoted message said:

which one to get. I think the Epic Comp & Enduro Expert are around the

same

Quoted message said:

price. Does anyone know where a comparative review can be found? Or can anyone tell me some
relevant details, weight etc, on these two bikes?

Thanks, Steve.

I cannot speak to the Enduro but I've got an '03 Epic with Brain and Fox Forx. The Forx was a
freebie upgrade that Specialized threw in--they sent Forx to dealers with Epics in stock for an even
exchange for the Mani... (sp??) fork.

I really like the bike. I rode hard tail until this Brain technology came along as I had an
aversion to bobbing... this aversion was because I "grew up" with old-school road bikes (e.g., full
Reynolds 531, full Campy, tubulars) and to bob and loose power to the suspension just didn't sit
well with me.

About 80% of my riding has been single track and rail trail, most of the rest technical, and a small
amount of road getting to and from the trials. I typically ride 20-30 miles on each ride and the
fact that my hands are not numb and my lower back doesn't kill me (auto accident injury) is enough
to make me happy with the bike. What makes me very happy is that I can now tackle trails that are so
rough that I'd be forcibly dismounted if I were on my hard tail!

John

"Steve Robertson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi there,

I am looking at getting a 2004 Specialized Epic or Enduro but am stumped

on

Quoted message said:

which one to get. I think the Epic Comp & Enduro Expert are around the

same

Quoted message said:

price. Does anyone know where a comparative review can be found? Or can anyone tell me some
relevant details, weight etc, on these two bikes?

Thanks, Steve.

Enduro is what I would classify as a Big Rig. I have an Enduro SX. It's built like a tank for DS.
You wouldn't want to be peddling that thing up a hill.

Thanks Westie, I went into Papanui cycles and had a look. They were very helpful, although then they
told me about 'Giant' as well. But thanks for the tip!

Steve.

"Westie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

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"Steve Robertson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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I'm just interested in what you mean by 'a few more knocks'. What does

that

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translate to in the real world? Like what sort of drop off could you do

with

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the Epic compared to the Enduro? I guess the Epic will be better uphill, but going down???

You can do the same drop with either bike. It's just that after doing it several times it's likely
that fewer bits

will

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fall off or bend on the Enduro. The Enduro should stand up to more

physical

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abuse than the Epic, IMO. You'll get conflicting advice too. Some people will say "My Epic handles

3

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foot drops with no trouble" and others will say "My Enduro broke going

over

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a kerb. Personally I wouldn't want to start regularly launching a lightweight XC bike off anything
more than 12-24" before I started to get nervous. But then I'm not highly skilled and I'm no
lightweight either coming in at 190#s. I wouldn't want to plough through rock gardens on it all
the time either. If I was thinking of doing either of those things I would go to

the

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Enduro.

And I thought the Enduro was better downhill but considerable worse going uphill.

Are you in Christchurch? If you are, go in and see the guys at Papanui Cycles. They've got an Epic
and Enduros available for test rides and they can give you some pretty

sound

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advice
--
Westie (Replace 'invalid' with 'yahoo' when replying.)

"Steve Robertson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Thanks Westie, I went into Papanui cycles and had a look. They were very helpful, although then
they told me about 'Giant' as well. But thanks for the tip!

Steve.

Ah ha. Giant! A whole other kettle of fish. FWIW, I've got a VT1 ordered from Chainreaction Cycles
in Riccarton.
--
Westie (Replace 'invalid' with 'yahoo' when replying.)