Beautiful Bicycle: Staff Edition, Andrew's Specialized S-Works Epic 9

This week’s Beautiful Bicycle belongs to Andrew, one of our own here at the shop. His Specialized S-Works Epic 9 is not a build where every part was chosen simply because it was the top option. Instead, Andrew picked his way through the bike with a pretty clear balance of weight, value, and the parts he actually wanted to use. The result has a few less expected choices, from the white-spoked Berd wheels to a full carbon Gemini chainring, all wrapped around one very good-looking red Epic frame.

FRAME DETAIL

The build starts with an S-Works Epic 9 Team frameset finished in Gloss Red Tint over Red Reflex Pearl Edge Fade. The color has a lot going on in person, with the deeper red tint and pearl finish changing slightly depending on the light. Ride Image also wrapped the frame in protection that disappears remarkably well against the finish. It blended in well enough that we barely noticed it while photographing the bike. RockShox SID Ultimate Flight Attendant suspension sits front and rear, with a 120mm fork paired to a SIDLuxe Ultimate Flight Attendant shock.

DRIVETRAIN

Andrew mixes X0 and XX Eagle Transmission parts rather than sticking to a single groupset, choosing each piece with weight, cost, and compatibility in mind. The XX power meter crank is a particularly deliberate choice, giving him the 8-bolt interface needed for the 34-tooth Gemini Rigel carbon chainring. After seeing carbon drivetrain components become fairly common on road and gravel builds, Andrew went looking for a similar option for the mountain bike and found Gemini. A silver CeramicSpeed OSPW X pulley cage adds another less typical detail at the rear derailleur.

WHEELS & TIRES

Starting from a frameset gave Andrew the freedom to go a different direction with the wheels. He chose Berd HAWK30 Gold wheels with Berd’s distinctive white PolyLight spokes and Talon ESL hubs. The fiber spokes give the wheelset a look and construction that are quite different from a conventional steel-spoked setup, and they stand out especially well against the deep red frame. A 2.4-inch Maxxis Rekon sits up front with a Rekon Race at the rear, backed by a Vittoria XC Air-Liner.

COCKPIT & CONTACT POINTS

A 60mm by 760mm Roval Control II cockpit keeps the front of the bike simple, finished with black Deity Knuckleduster grips and a SRAM AXS Pod Rocker. For now, the Romin Evo Pro Mirror saddle sits on a Roval Control SL carbon post, but Andrew already has a 125mm BikeYoke Divine SL planned for the bike. The mechanical dropper is another deliberate choice, keeping an additional AXS battery off the bike while saving some weight compared with the wireless option. Two S-Works Carbon Zee Cage II cages finish out the frame, with one carrying Specialized’s EMT tool.

LEARN MORE

Another build that rewards a closer look, especially when you start picking out the smaller choices throughout the bike.
Interested in building something of your own? Stop by the shop or get in touch with us to start putting together your next custom build.