1993 Specialized Epic Road

This build is something of a grail bike of mine. I’d never ridden one of these bonded carbon tube/aluminum lug bikes, and pulled the trigger when I saw this frame for sale. The frame was in rough shape with peeling paint and clearcoat. After originally considering salvaging the original blue-to-clear scheme, I decided for a full strip due to the need to remove the original decals, which were pretty scratched up. This allowed for one of my preferred end results: mirror-polished alloy, this time for the lugs. A lot of work went into the strip down, given the nooks and crannies of the lugs. Once the old coatings were removed, I went at it with sandpaper, Dremel, and polish to achieve the reflective finish. I generously sprayed-on clearcoat to the tubes after applying the updated decals to show off the carbon construction.

I followed suit with polished and/or buffed components, mostly 10-speed Shimano. The 105 shift/brake levers, Ultegra rear derailleur, 105 crankset were fully stripped and shined, as were the fork, Specialized stem, and SR seatpost. The Dura Ace front derailleur, Nitto Model 55 bar, 105 threaded headset, and SRAM wide-range cassette just needed cleaning. The awesome Mavic Ksyrium Pro wheelset is shod with fast, grippy, smooth Continental Grand Prix 5000 tires transferred from my original Gitane build, as was the blingy gold KMC chain.

As I expected, the bike built up fairly light at 18+ pounds. Not knowing what to expect, I took a first ride. What I found was a very smooth, balanced feel, neither too quick nor dull. I find it a great bike for longer, spirited rides, leaving riders less taxed by harsh feedback and constant attention. I’d even say that the ride even has a steel-like quality, but with a touch more response to pedal input and damping of road conditions.

I think of this bike as a cool blend of modern (for 1993, anyway) materials with traditional tube-and-lug form. This, combined with what I think is an awesome look from the mirrored components and visible carbon, make for a highly compelling build.