Ripping around between the tape is one way to worship at the altar of speed, but for all the other long, fast rides or marathon races on technical terrain, there's our all-new Epic Expert EVO. Consider it a more "epic" kind of Epic.

Take a look around our office and you're going to see plenty Epics—most of them wearing dropper posts, wider tyres and bars, and slightly longer forks. That's because the Epics that we're Frankensteining are not only fast off the start line, they're even better suited to masochistically long rides, multi-day stage races, and fast backcountry missions. At some point, we looked around and said to ourselves, “We should offer this bike, right out of the box, right?” So we did.

So let's dig into the details. First off, the EVO ups the fork travel from 100mm to 120mm. This gives you some relief up front while also slacking-out the front-end by one-degree to 68.5º. Next up, we added a zero-offset dropper post to give you more control on descents, but this design keeps your saddle over the BB on steep climbs. We also put some meat on the tyres with a grippy 2.3" Ground Control at the front and a stiffer Fast Trak at the rear with GRID protection at the sidewalls.

The Epic EVO also features our Brain 2.0. The OG Brain changed the way the bike world looked at suspension, and oh was it good. It won races and put a flag in the ground for us as a true leader in innovation and suspension development, but we knew that we could make it better. Simple physics told us that, by moving the Brain closer to the rear axle, it would be in the most sensitive spot. And after some lengthy R&D, it's totally new. Now, it reacts seamlessly to bump forces, it has much more consistent damping performance, and finally, it integrates the hoses into the suspension links. This means that the oil paths are improved, and that creates an incredibly sleek package that outperforms anything on the market.

This is also among our first Rider-First Engineered™ MTB frames, where the tubes place complex carbon pieces in all the right places, regardless of the frame size. As a result, stiffness is increased in the front-end for a vast improvement in the ride and in control. And to go along with this, each frame size has size-specific tubes that result in the stiffest, best-riding XC bike we've ever developed.

And while stiffness, Brain technology, and geometry features are cool and all, we know what you’re thinking, "What about the weight?” We’re glad you asked. The weight- savings on the frame is equivalent to shedding a chainstay and shock extension from the previous Epic—nearly 525 grams. And now, carbon models also feature additional tyre clearance to accommodate wider, 2.3-inch tyres. More traction, ultimately, equals more speed.

The build of the Epic Expert EVO meshes shredability with dependability and value, featuring a 12-speed SRAM GX Eagle groupset, SRAM Level TL brakes, and a hand-built Roval Control Carbon wheelset.

• A FOX Step-Cast 34 Performance Series fork handles suspension duties up front with 120mm of travel and a GRIP damper that has Open, Medium, and Firm modes for every kind of terrain.
• The hand-built Roval Control Carbon wheels feature a modern 25mm (internal width) hookless rim, so you get the low weight, low rolling resistance, and the best possible grip with the 2.3" tyres.
• An X-Fusion Manic seatpost brings you some much-needed drop for tackling steep descents, but it also features a zero-offset design that keeps your weight over the bottom bracket for the climbs.