First Look: Specialized Epic 8

[BigDL]

  On 3/13/2024 at 11:11 AM, LazyTrailRider said:

Every year, this gets rehashed. Every single year.

A top-of-the-range bike has always (even when I started checking when I was in varsity in 1998) cost roughly the same as an entry-level Polo. Now it's slightly more than an entry-level Polo, but only because of the very expensive electronic tech which has been tacked on.

I honestly don't think this is excessive. The reality is simply that the South African economy has regressed in buying power against large parts of the "first world", so it seems crazy to us.

In my industry (software dev and SaaS) the gap in cost between local skills and US skills as an example, has grown significantly the last 15 years. For those who haven't realised it yet (I don't know how this is possible) the average South African is getting poorer in real terms. This is structurally expected unfortunately, but it still makes people go WTF. Sorry folks, things are expensive because we're povvos, not because they're overpriced 🤷‍♂️

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Looked at this bike online in the UK yesterday. 12k in pounds is still a brutal amount for a bicycle. 

[DJuice]

  On 3/13/2024 at 10:11 AM, NotSoBigBen said:

Thank heavens I'm just a hacker cyclist .... when people ask I say I own an Sworks Epic, don't have to mention which one do I?

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Have a Gen1 S-works epic, 26 nogal.

[WaldoZ]

"It's not about the bike"

[splat]

  On 3/13/2024 at 1:14 PM, BigDL said:

Looked at this bike online in the UK yesterday. 12k in pounds is still a brutal amount for a bicycle. 

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Yep, I'm sure the comments are the same in all corners of the market place.

But the bikes keep selling, while everyone else keeps complaining!

[DieselnDust]

  On 3/13/2024 at 5:53 AM, hansolo said:

New Evo looks amazing and very similar to the Top Fuel I bought last year with a 130mm fork at a "reasonable" price. 

Nice to see bike companies put in solid Engineering in newer bikes and how each generation gets better.

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Assume the positions everyone 

we’ve caught a live one…!!😂

[Irvin85]

  On 3/13/2024 at 10:35 AM, Danger Dassie said:

Even as hot takes go, that's pretty wild.

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Not really, if you are not a factory team you might be able to get the bikes at "cost" to the retailers. So you are still in for a pretty penny to get a team on the best bikes. times that by 4. 

The fact of the matter is there is really no reason for a Sworks Epic to cost 300k, the tech and electrical components in it is not nearly close to that. but us cyclist pay it with a smile. so we are feeding the machine. There is not many companies in SA that can fund a MTB team with the best equipment, salaries etc. all adding up to a minimum of 4/5bar and have that as a non deductible tax expense. Hence why I am saying that we are killing pro Mtbing in SA. A few years back we had at least 7 pro mtb teams. how many is left? 

[bespokes]

Sorry, I missed that. The please confirm the price. 

[IceCreamMan]

  On 3/13/2024 at 1:14 PM, BigDL said:

Looked at this bike online in the UK yesterday. 12k in pounds is still a brutal amount for a bicycle. 

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Saved me a google, was just about to do that. 
 

crazy pricing. 

[leon_pro]

Is this a Sub 3 CTCT(argus) bike?

 

Edited March 13, 2024 by leon_pro

[IceCreamMan]

  On 3/13/2024 at 1:48 PM, splat said:

Yep, I'm sure the comments are the same in all corners of the market place.

But the bikes keep selling, while everyone else keeps complaining!

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Therein the truth. 
 

while some lament the state of the bike industry others happily pay 300k for a fiets. 

[bespokes]

  On 3/13/2024 at 2:12 PM, leon_pro said:

Is this a Sub 3 CTCT bike?

 

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No, it’s a Sub 3 CTCT MTB bike!!!!!

[Danger Dassie]

  On 3/13/2024 at 2:05 PM, Irvin85 said:

Not really, if you are not a factory team you might be able to get the bikes at "cost" to the retailers. So you are still in for a pretty penny to get a team on the best bikes. times that by 4. 

The fact of the matter is there is really no reason for a Sworks Epic to cost 300k, the tech and electrical components in it is not nearly close to that. but us cyclist pay it with a smile. so we are feeding the machine. There is not many companies in SA that can fund a MTB team with the best equipment, salaries etc. all adding up to a minimum of 4/5bar and have that as a non deductible tax expense. Hence why I am saying that we are killing pro Mtbing in SA. A few years back we had at least 7 pro mtb teams. how many is left? 

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It's not killing anything. Take a breath and stop projecting assumptions. 

There's a world of bike options outside of a 300k Epic which makes up a fraction of the total market, pro or for fun. Teams often get bikes as part of a sponsorship package, there is a variety of ways this gets negotiated on top of everything else. 

[lukelockie]

You can buy two top of the range Giant Anthems for this price.

[Giant Bicycles South Africa]

  On 3/13/2024 at 12:56 PM, BigDL said:

I still look at my 2014 Anthem with love, even after looking at these bikes 😂 

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Yes man! Although we have some spicy new Anthems that just arrived... and you can get two of them for the price of one Epic 👀

[MaMc]

  On 3/13/2024 at 3:24 PM, Giant Bicycles South Africa said:

Yes man! Although we have some spicy new Anthems that just arrived... and you can get two of them for the price of one Epic 👀

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Why no live-valve on the 2024 Models? Seems like a bad time to be getting out the electronic suspension game

Edited March 13, 2024 by MaMc

[Headshot]

  On 3/13/2024 at 9:38 AM, Jewbacca said:

By all means comment away. I'm remarking on how predictable the merry dance is every single time.

The same posters making the same comments every year.

It is hilarious. 

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And you making the same post about them every year too?