User:Jerry22gr/S-Works Epic

The S-Work is a subdivision of Specialized which create top notch mountain bikes. This division began in 1992 and a very popular bicycle created by this division is the S-Works Epic. This bicycle is extremely technologically advanced and it features the all new “Brain Shock” suspension, produced by Fox Racing Shox, which allow it to automatically switch/convert from hard-tail to full-suspension depending on the terrain. The S-works Epic is a full-suspension 27-speed mountain bike with hydraulic disc brakes. This bike incorporates technology and material properties to provide maximum strength, minimum weight, great control, and unsurpassed efficiency. The S-Works Epic was considered to be the fastest suspension bike in the world due to the efficient Flow Control Brain suspension technology and because it was the first full-suspension bike to ever win the UCI Pro Tour world cup.

Frame

The entire frame is very lightweight and the front triangle frame uses FACT M10 carbon. The rear triangle uses M5 aluminum which is stronger but slightly heavier than the FACT M10 carbon. The frame utilizes Az1 technology which results in maximum strength and stiffness-to-weight ratio.

Suspension

There are three main types of mountain bikes categorized by suspension:

• Fully Rigid: rigid frame and fork with no suspension
• Hard-tail: rigid frame (no rear suspension), and has a front suspension by having shocks on the fork.
• Full Suspension: rear and front suspension. Rear suspension has pivots and a shock which allow the rear tire to move.

Specialized has developed the first “Brain Shock” called the Active Functional Response (AFR) Shock which increases efficiency, comfort, and control. Classical rear shocks increase comfort but decrease efficiency due to the limitations in the adjustment of the shock. These shocks are adjusted to a certain level of stiffness and most of the energy used to pedal goes into compressing the shock and therefore lowers efficiency. The new AFR shock has the Brain Fade adjust which gives it the ability to automatically adjust the stiffness depending on the environment, so it can effortlessly shift from hard-tail to full-suspension. For instance, on smooth level ground the stiffness will be very high and all of the energy used to pedal will be used to propel forward instead of used to compress the shock. On rough terrains, the stiffness will be lower to allow maximum comfort and the rider’s weight will be used to compress the shock while using most of the pedaling energy to move forward.

The fork used is the Fox F100RLC , produced by Fox Racing Shox, with air springs and an alloy steerer to maintain control and maximize comfort.

Disk Breaks

The S-Works Epic comes equipped with the new Shimano XTR front and read hydraulic disk brakes, which maximize stopping power. These breaks move pressurized break fluid through a hose to compress the pads together. The traditional rim breaks, which use rubber pads to compress the rim, were found to be inferior to disc breaks when it comes to mountain biking. Due to the varying terrain which occasional includes water, it is important to have breaks that perform well when wet. Traditional rim breaks do not perform very well with water because once the rim gets wet, the stopping power is greatly reduced due to the loss of friction between the rubber pads and the rim. On the other hand, disk breaks have metal pads similar to the ones used in motorcycles, and water has minimum effects on the stopping power. Furthermore, disk brakes are higher off the ground, which are less likely to get wet in puddles or streams. A higher elevation off the ground also means that disc breaks are less susceptible to damage and therefore will not get bent as easily as rims do which will cause malfunction.