The S-Works Epic Hardtail is the lightest and most capable carbon hardtail frame ever created. Need we say more? While that does a great job of summing things up, if we’re being honest, we’re still a bit too proud to leave it at that. An impressive 140 grams lighter than the already ‘how’d they do that’-light Epic Hardtail frame, the S-Works frame makes use of our FACT 12m carbon to cut a figure that’ll make any gram-counter swoon, while still offering riders enough capability and composure to wring out extra seconds on any section of course, not just the groomed bits. Working towards the lightest bike possible has long been the race within the race, but at what cost? The battle of the grams certainly hasn’t been without its casualties, with hardtail XC race bikes coming to stand for a harsh, twitchy ride at the expense of capability and versatility. But who said fatigue from fighting against your own bike makes you any faster? Instead, recognizing that the fastest bike is more than simply the lightest bike, we said out with the jarred-to-death tail, the measure-your-posterior’s-sorrows-by-the-yard tail and in with the avant-garde tail. The ridiculously capable, mystifyingly comfortable, head-shakingly light and all-around fast, Epic Hardtail. Sure, we optimized every inch of the Epic Hardtail frame to achieve the lightest production hardtail frame in the world anyway, but we also prioritized our commitment to creating an Epic Hardtail that’s as capable as it is comfortable with aggressive singletrack-inspired geometry, increased tire clearance and a frame obsessively engineered for increased vertical compliance, all while creating a bike that lives and breathes the fundamentals of fast.