KyleDurh

Proper newbie question. Would this be an upgrade path for a 2019 Specialized Carbon Epic Comp?

First step is good or decent beans. A corporate machine is often where things fall flat It also might need a service which can work wonders Then typically to dial in: I would go with a black coffee or espresso to taste. While making a coffee you can adjust dose (mine is denoted in beans but differs) and the amount of water of the shot. These machines typically can’t hold a huge amount of ground coffee (Say 15 grams at max strength setting) so would call for roughly a 30ML to 50ML coffee shot depending on preference. These settings can be saved Depending on model but mine has a grind setting dial at the top (near the back) that you adjust while the machine grinds. Typically the finer the grind the more extraction. Mine actually runs very close to stock but it is bean dependent. Some pointers above, that James Hoffman video is really good. Another thing, try smaller cups or making 2 coffees for a bigger cup. The brew unit size limitation is a big cause of disappointment.

Thanks all! Some great suggestions all round. Let me spend some more time on the bike and then figure out my plan.

Hmm. I’ll weigh in here with someone that has a bean to cup machine and came from manual espresso . It is very dependent on what bean to cup machine you get. I have a Jura E6 and it punches well above its weight and for me was worth the investment. Although, I’d admit that in the hands of an experienced barista, you get better results from a manual machine, the consistency of a dialed in Bean to Cup and the convenience is hard to beat. I think the problem is often that people leave their bean to cup machine stock and don’t put in effort to have good beans and then to dial them in.

I guess my thinking is that if I feel more confident on the bike the penalty on weight isn't as relevant. I however could be simply selling myself on a new bike....

Thanks so much all for the views. Lots to think about. My challenge here is that I haven't really experienced other bikes, there is an avenue of wondering what is on the other side. In my case, I am wondering if perhaps for my Marathon riding, if I would be more confident going with a bike that isn't as race focused. In some of my reading it seems that something like a Trek Top Fuel 9.8 is a viable option? I don't necessarily want to go down an upgrade path and look back and say I should've invested in a different avenue all together.

Hey all, New to the forum. Need some wisdom and ideas from the forum. I currently have a 2019 Specialized Carbon Epic Comp that I picked up 2nd hand last year and was my first serious MTB bike. https://www.specialized.com/za/en/mens-epic-comp-carbon/p/154345?color=239075-154345 I initially bought another cheaper bike but had an issue with a bent seat stay from the retailer and they offered this bike to me instead of getting my cash back so I was pushed in this direction. I am starting to get more serious into Marathon riding and I’m entered for W2W and contemplating an upgrade path for this bike. My question, should I pursue upgrading this bike or should I sell it as is and perhaps start fresh?