The Specialized Epic and the lightest back protector on the market

As well as the top stories to hit the site this week.

Liam Mercer

Feb 16 2024

This week, tech from all corners of the off-road cycling world has arrived at the office for testing and here, we'll give you a sneak peek of what you can expect to see reviewed in the coming months. We've got Specialized's cross-country full suspension bike, superlight body protection from Bluegrass and gels from new brand, Carbs Fuel. That's not all as Schwalbe has sorted us out with some fresh rubber, and we've got the brightest bike light currently on the market.

But before getting into the good stuff, let's take a look back at this week's top stories. This week has been one for the buyer's guides. We unveiled the best MTB handlebars as well as the best dropper posts – all tested by our expert team. Within each of those guides, we also give you handy tips on what to look out for when buying your next handlebar, or upgrading your dropper post.

It's been an exciting week on the features front, too, where we kick things off with a must-read story behind the BMX-turned-MTB legend, Kriss Kyle. We've also looked at Columbian steel bike company, Scarab Cycles, and discussed the differences between tubed vs tubeless tyres.

This week's been big for news too with Renthal expanding into the flat pedal game with the new Revo-F and Hayes announcing purple as its official colour. If that wasn't exciting enough, Privateer has finally pulled the cover off its second-generation 161 and 141 mountain bikes.

Specialized Epic Pro

£5,900

As we're in the process of putting together a round-up of the best cross-country mountain bikes, we thought we'd get our hands on the Specialized Epic Pro to reacquaint ourselves with the brand's XC weapon. The model pictured here may not represent the range-topping S-Works model but it packs a lot of punch for its price and comes tricked out at an impressive specification level. One of the big talking points when this bike launched was its efficient suspension kinematic and lightweight frame (lighter than the previous-gen S-Works).

At 10.5kg, it sure is light and will find favour with those who enjoy smashing the climbs and pile-driving the descents – something the rather progressive 67.5-degree head- and 75.5-degree seat tube angle have helped ensure.

The bike is available in a gloss-white colourway only but is contrasted by a black 100mm RockShox SID Ultimate Brain fork and RockShox-Specialized Brain rear shock. For the price, it gets a SRAM X1/X01 Eagle AXS drivetrain, complete with 34T chainring, 10-52T cassette and carbon crankarms. Other cool bits include the Bike Yoke Divine dropper post and Roval Control wheels wrapped in a Specialized Fast Trak front/ Renegade rear 2.35in tyre combo. - Aaron Borrill

www.specialized.com

Carb Fuel gels

£29 (per box)

The cycling nutrition space and research around the science of the gut and how it absorbs sugar into the bloodstream is continually developing. A few years ago, 60g/hr of carbohydrates was the gold standard for fuel using a 2:1 glucose-to-fructose ratio. However, new research has emerged that using a 1:1 ratio could increase absorption to upwards of 140g/hr. Many nutrition companies now have products that pack upwards of 50g per sachet and cyclists swear by the results.

Enter Carbs Fuel – a new company founded by Colorado-based cyclist Gabe Multer and his partner Aaron Gouw. Gabe's goal with Carbs Fuel is to provide cyclists of all abilities with a high-quality, affordable fuel source to ride for longer and avoid the dreaded hunger bonk. To do this, the company would need to stand out from the well-established brands dominating the space by creating a product that kicks ass in terms of product design, ingredients and pricing. And Carbs Fuel has done just that. The design is bold and effective, and the retro-style use of topography and blue-type-on-white packaging is effective and in stark contrast to the brazen overdesigned packaging we see in the sports nutrition space.

The gels use seven ingredients and include no preservatives, gelling agents or artificial flavours – each gel contains 2:1 glucose-to-fructose carbohydrates. While there’s no specific flavour, the Carbs Fuel gels have a faint citrus taste, which comes as a result of the combination of sucrose, acidity regulators and some sodium. As for real-world results, well, I've been using the Carbs Fuel gels in some elite-level 100km Zwift races and swear by the results, the 100g/hr represents a sweet spot in terms of keeping the fuel reserves topped up and cramp at bay. Of course, you can attempt more – even as much as 120-150g/hr but this needs to be trained and not attempted right away.

The kicker here, however, is the pricing. At $2 (£1.60) per gel or $36 (£29) for a box of 18, Carbs Fuel has a lot going for it and will appeal to the performance enthusiast and price-conscious cyclist alike. For now, Carbs Fuel is only available in the USA but the company says plans to expand into Europe and the rest of the world are currently being explored. - Aaron Borrill

www.carbsfuel.com

Bluegrass Seamless Lite D3O back protector

£200

Bluegrass's Seamless D3O Lite comes with the super bold claim of being the most breathable and comfortable back protector on the market. It's built for maximum comfort over long rides while offering ample protection when the need arises.

As its name suggests, it's built with a seamless construction that utilises a Dryarn microfibre fabric. It uses an open mesh design to aid ventilation and moisture evaporation and it's quick drying. The vest is then cut to be long with the hem intended to fit under trousers or shorts.

The D3O back protector is removable and compliant with EN 1621-2:2024 certifications It's then complete with a pair of pockets for the handy storage of snacks, or whatever you would like. - Liam Mercer

www.met-helmets.com

Schwalbe tyres

One XC tyre and two enduro. The Rocket Ron takes the role of the XC tyre and Schwalbe says that it combines high levels of speed and cornering control, making for an excellent all-rounder between the tapes.

The Hans Dampf has been created to offer top handling as well as loads of puncture protection for demanding trails, going up or downhill. It uses a semi-open tread pattern for mud clearance while its varied tread size is said to give the rider grip in a range of situations.

Finally, the Big Betty pushes the boundaries even further through damp and dry conditions. Schwalbe also says that it compliments the much-loved Magic Mary when used on the rear wheel. Its large braking surfaces get plenty of support for traction when braking and the shoulder knobs have been designed especially for cornering grip. Its tread pattern then blends grip with mud-clearing abilities. - Liam Mercer

www.schwalbe.com

Magicshine light

Magicshine's Monteer 12000 provides a whopping 12000 lumens to illuminate the trail. Modulating its massive output are eco, low medium and high power modes but it also provides floodlight, spotlight and flash modes, covering all of the bases. That's made possible thanks to two separate optical systems with five LEDs.

Those 12000 lumens need a lot of battery, so the brand packs its 14.4V 10,000mAh battery in the box that gives the user up to 121 hours of run time. Not only does it power the light, but it can also act as a power bank, offering fast charging to phones and other devices. Also in the box is a Bluetooth remote, for easy scrolling through all of those modes. There's a lot more to this absolute powerhouse, so be sure to check out the full review coming soon. - Liam Mercer

magicshineuk.com

Author block

Liam Mercer

Tech Editor here at off.road.cc Liam can also be found photographing bikes as well as revelling in cycling's intricacies. Whether it's gravel, mountain, or e-MTB as long as it's a bike on dirt, he's happy.