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Meribel World Cup XC Pro Bike Check – Jaroslav Kulhavy

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Earlier this year Olympic Gold Medalist Jaroslav Kulhavy suffered a devastating knee injury during training, which caused him to miss the first two races of the World Cup series.

While he’s suffered a string of bad luck in his current pursuit of the rainbow stripes this season, he did capture the Czech National title and is now the reigning UCI Marathon World Champion.

Head past the break for a closer look at his custom painted Specialized S-Works Epic.

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Like many of the other bikes we’ve spot lighted this week, Kulhavy’s sports ESI Foam grips. These cushy grips are easily 50 g lighter than their lock on counterparts.

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Specialized employs a talanted group of designers who frequently whip up custom paint schemes for their best athletes. In the past, many have even been made available to the public. For example, the Big S whipped up this beauty to celebrate Kulhavy’s win in 2012.

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The RS1 has been touted as offering huge performance benefits, and Tyler’s first impressions seem to agree, but hidden inside this fork lie Specialized’s Brain internals – which use inertia valving to help distinguish between terrain and rider induced inputs.

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The bike spins on Roval Control SL 29 wheels.

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While every stock Epic comes equipped with Fast Trak tires, you have to win World Cups to deserve these custom rainbow decals.

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A custom tuned Fox shock equipped with Autosag and a remote Mini Brain provide the cushion for the pushing.

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The Meribel course might not have warranted a dropper, but the Epic does offer internal routing for one. Stock S-Works Epic bikes will be shipping with Specialized’s new short travel XCP Command Post, which has a carbon body and 35 mm of travel.

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Like other Specialized/SRAM athletes like Curtis Keene, Kuhlavy’s bike was sporting the new Quarq XX1 Power Meter, which was officially launched this week at Eurobike.

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Durianrider
Durianrider
9 years ago

Reminds me of the old GT paint work. http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa395/onlymemrlee/92%20karry/IMAG2284.jpg

Or the fleck paint Nike used on some of its trainers in the early 90’s.
http://5.kicksonfire.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/NIKE-ACG-AIR-ESCAPE-RED-GREY1-1.jpg

brattercakes
brattercakes
9 years ago

As a graphic designer who loves bike porn, working at Specialized would be my dream job.

Vadim
Vadim
9 years ago

Great looking ride, but why are the cables hanging down where they can snag on brush/branches?

Mark
Mark
9 years ago

They hang down to allow the rear wheel to move vertically when you encounter bumps.

AlanM
AlanM
9 years ago

@Vadim, every full-suspension bike I’ve owned has had the cables routed that way and not once have I snagged them on anything. Unless you’re somehow riding completely sideways down a trail that’s covered in a foot of loose branches, I’m not sure how you’d do it.

JD
JD
9 years ago

ESI grips aren’t foam, they’re silicone: http://www.esigrips.com/Silicone_Grips_Shock_Absorbing.htm

AlanM
AlanM
9 years ago

@JD, they are a foam made of silicone. A foam is simply a material made up of a solid or liquid with air pockets trapped inside. In this case, the silicone is the solid.

pile-on
pile-on
9 years ago

Cool paint…they still make cherry Certs?

brattercakes
brattercakes
9 years ago

@pile-on HA!

Rico
Rico
9 years ago

Kulhavy is a beast, what an engine on that dude. Just riding with average riders in CZ you would be amazed. Some of them bombing the sketchiest stuff on out dated hard tails. They work hard and ride fast. This guy will turn up!

JR
JR
9 years ago

A short travel dropper seatpost? That seems pretty gimicky.

matt
matt
9 years ago

I am a Specialized guy and have one of these bikes a few years old. I really like it, but I am not so sure I would want to buy another bike with the Brain on it.

AlanM
AlanM
9 years ago

@JR, I’ve used a short travel dropper on my XC rig and really like it. There are a few trails I ride that have some sketchy descents where it comes in really handy. Lighter than a longer travel, multi-position dropper.

Phantom Lord
Phantom Lord
9 years ago

Well holy cow specialized does colors who woulda thunk it? For the last three years it seems this murdered out matte black paint scheme was it. Hopefully the 2016’s will have some color to the pallet other than neon green, red or orange.

H281
H281
9 years ago

XTR pedals???? interesting

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