Trailwright's 1992 Specialized Epic Comp

[trailwright]

I thought I'd stick up a very light build piece on my fairly recent Epic purchase. It's not one of those extensive restoration jobs as I've been fortunate to come across good nick stuff and I don't have the patience to take lots of documentary evidence!

So a couple of months ago while leisurely scanning the Bay for nothing in particular, I came across a rather lovely '92 Epic frame in forks in Bulgaria of all places. At the time I had no intention of getting into another road bike project as I've four perfectly good steeds already, including a 1990 Allez Epic as they were then known. Nevertheless, I marked the page as a watch and left things be.

A couple of weeks then passed and it was still there in its purple fade glory. Now, perhaps I've got a misaligned view of what is good value, but to me this Specialized, while not a bargain, was good value. Here we had a very good condition, lightly used 30 year old carbon classic, of which I doubt there will be lots still around, and in a big size. I suppose it's in the eye of the beholder of what is value. Anyway, I convinced myself that if the vendor would move down on the price I'd go for it. In went the cheeky offer and it was duly accepted. Righto, now I'm going to have to find stuff for it!

 

[Mod-Master]

I like these carbon epics Subtle yet light, looking forward to updates

 

[Gtpulse]

I thought I'd stick up a very light build piece on my fairly recent Epic purchase. It's not one of those extensive restoration jobs as I've been fortunate to come across good nick stuff and I don't have the patience to take lots of documentary evidence!

So a couple of months ago while leisurely scanning the Bay for nothing in particular, I came across a rather lovely '92 Epic frame in forks in Bulgaria of all places. At the time I had no intention of getting into another road bike project as I've four perfectly good steeds already, including a 1990 Allez Epic as they were then known. Nevertheless, I marked the page as a watch and left things be.

A couple of weeks then passed and it was still there in its purple fade glory. Now, perhaps I've got a misaligned view of what is good value, but to me this Specialized, while not a bargain, was good value. Here we had a very good condition, lightly used 30 year old carbon classic, of which I doubt there will be lots still around, and in a big size. I suppose it's in the eye of the beholder of what is value. Anyway, I convinced myself that if the vendor would move down on the price I'd go for it. In went the cheeky offer and it was duly accepted. Righto, now I'm going to have to find stuff for it!
View attachment 683640

Watching with interest! I think they are great value. I still haven’t found the right forks for mine but managed to get something like the right saddle for it. It was wearing a Brooks when I posted on here. I first thought the ride was a bit stiff compared to the steel bikes I had been riding but the more I’ve ridden it I’ve realised it’s pretty comfy to be honest.

 

[trailwright]

Watching with interest! I think they are great value. I still haven’t found the right forks for mine but managed to get something like the right saddle for it. It was wearing a Brooks when I posted on here. I first thought the ride was a bit stiff compared to the steel bikes I had been riding but the more I’ve ridden it I’ve realised it’s pretty comfy to be honest.

I just wouldn't have considered if the forks were missing. Compared to some of the older Vitus, Look or Colnago C40 frames they are way better value, and dare I say it, better quality. The C40, in particular the newer ones, is over engineered and the paint always seems to have burst on the ones for sale.

 

[Gtpulse]

I just wouldn't have considered if the forks were missing. Compared to some of the older Vitus, Look or Colnago C40 frames they are way better value, and dare I say it, better quality. The C40, in particular the newer ones, is over engineered and the paint always seems to have burst on the ones for sale.

I had some alloy ones in the garage I knew would fit and my frame was what thought of as mega cheap @ £60. Maybe I’ll paint them eventually but it looks well enough with them.

Have you got hold of the Nitto stem and bars or going with something non catalogue?

 

[trailwright]

I had some alloy ones in the garage I knew would fit and my frame was what thought of as mega cheap @ £60. Maybe I’ll paint them eventually but it looks well enough with them.

Have you got hold of the Nitto stem and bars or going with something non catalogue?

For my other Epic I went out of my way to source a Specialized branded S2 Nitto derived stem, albeit I had to pay a premium from Italy, but I need a 130mm and there was nothing going recently. So rather than just get a Nitto stamped one I've gone a different route and will post a photo in due course!

As for the bars I'll be sticking with my favourite ITM Milleniums. I don't think Specialized did theirs in 44cm anyway.

So it's not going to be catalogue spec but in my view better than that. My other Epic has Campag Record 8 speed and that is definitely not catalogue but perhaps should have been!

 

[trailwright]

On the topic of catalogue spec here's a grainy snip of what it is supposed to carry...


Now, I like Ultegra 6400 Tricolour, jeez I raced with it dependably for many years. But that was back in the day when it was all I could afford and I always hankered after Dura Ace. For this period the Epic Comp's big brother was the Epic Pro. Exactly the same frame and forks but with a different paint job, and of course DA 7400 8 speed. It's not a groupset I've got, my other bikes have the three later DA iterations, 7700, 7800, and 7900, so it seemed that this was going to be the route to go. It is not to be regrettably.

 

[trailwright]

As anyone who regularly scans the classifieds for componentry will know, prices have gotten a bit silly for some items, especially if they are of a certain vintage and quality. Dura ace 7400 falls into this bracket for anything that is of reasonable condition. Derailleurs are perhaps the exception to some extent as they are fairly common but try finding a nice chainset with 175mm cranks and lightly worn original rings and you're then talking big bucks. Donor bikes were also an option for this route, but again anything nice is just too expensive. To me, just paying whatever so that I could complete a build takes the fun out of the searching and trying to find a deal. They do exist from time to time!

And so shall it pass. Before I found the Specialized I'd noticed a few weeks prior on the selling forum here a chap trying to sell his much too small for me unbranded aluminium complete bike. Interestingly for a 53cm frame it came with 175mm cranks and the groupset was only lightly used. Had been his father's it seems. He knew what he had as the bike was being offered as a potential donor. Unbelievably, a few weeks down the line and he'd still had no takers. Too good an opportunity to pass and a much cheaper route than collecting individual parts, plus I could recoup some of the outlay by selling the frame on. Take a guess...


Yep, a full 7700 STI Dura ace 9 speed groupset. How could I say no.

 

[trailwright]

So the donor bike arrived, in much better condition than the photos suggested, and was duly stripped down. Turns out that it was an early 2000s Saracen and a UK made aluminium frame and forks to boot. Almost too good to be rendered a donor frame but it had to go as I had no use for something this small.

The groupset was in excellent condition nevertheless and just needing a good nut and bolt degrease. It even came with 7800 DA pedals rather than the matching 7700 ones, which while these are nicer looking (I have a pair in a drawer), are impossible to now find shoes for with the right cleat pattern. A rare Ultegra 6600 seatpost was also included.

A few things did have to be replaced though. The DA chain looked to have had signs of several breaks and rejoins from spotting the replacement pins, and the bottom bracket was a little bit rough, and an Ultegra one for some reason. I manged to find replacements for these both NOS Dura ace 7700 at sensible prices. A threaded 1" headset also had to be found, so too bars and a stem, plus the usual cables, bar tape, and retro Specialized alloy bottle cages. I also managed to find a virtually new flite saddle, my absolute favourite, at a bargain price given the stupid money folk think they are worth. After much cleaning and a bit more ebay bargain hunting, here's what's accumulated:

 

[trailwright]

Have you spotted what's missing yet?

As part of the package the donor Saracen came with very nice DA 7700 hubs laced via DT spokes to Mavic Open Pro rims. Nothing wrong with those of course and ordinarily these would have been part of this build. But alas it's not to be. They're 36 holers and cos I'm a dick I have it in my head that they're not racey enough (not even racing any more) and it's not a touring bike etc etc. So of course that means selling these and using the cash to find something with 32 hole rims and DA hubs.

But hang on. What if I used this 'opportunity' to buy something period, and more befitting a Specialized, and that I definitely couldn't afford BITD and had to beg and borrow of rich clubmates?

What about these bad boys on ebay?



Damn. They're tubular and plastered in tasteful but completely wrong decals.

What the hell, they're very cheap. And I don't puncture that often. And I'm sure I can get the right Specialized decals made, right?



Weirdly, the carbon weave on each of them is different. I'm guessing the rear is the older one as that was the carbon pattern style that came on early frames. I won't notice that when they're spinning. The tyres are in reasonable good nick too (though deflate after a few days 'cos of latex inner tubes) and the wheels have had a fairly easy life, just been used for time-trialling up and down dual carriageways. I've got a nice pair of Conti Sprinters I will eventually put on but these will be fine for now.

I think that's everything then. On with the build!