Era
Origin
The Era was Specialized's women's-specific XC full-suspension race bike — the female counterpart to the Epic — launched around 2008 from Morgan Hill, CA. It carried the same proprietary Brain inertia-valve suspension (co-developed with Fox) tuned for lighter riders, and evolved from 26" through 27.5" to 29" wheels. Specialized retired the Era name around 2017-2018 when it dropped women's-specific model names in favour of inclusive sizing on the standard Epic line.
Specifications
- Frame
- FACT 9m carbon front + M5 alloy rear triangle (Comp Carbon 29); also full M5 aluminium on FSR/non-carbon variants. Carbon PF30 BB, carbon headset cups, 142mm dropouts, internal cable routing.
- Weight
- kg
- Drivetrain
- 2×10 Shimano: Deore XT rear derailleur (Shadow Plus) + SRAM front derailleur/crank, SRAM PC-1031 10-speed chain (Comp Carbon 29). Higher trims (Expert/S-Works) ran 1×11/2×11 XT/XX1.
- Brakes
- Shimano M506 hydraulic disc, resin pads, 180mm front / 160mm rear rotor (Era Comp Carbon 29). Reviewers flagged the 160mm front-equipped trims as under-braked on descents.
- Wheels
- Roval Control, hookless alloy rims, 21mm inner width, 32h, tubeless-ready (2Bliss), 142mm rear / 15mm front thru-axle. ~1800g wheelset. 29" (also 27.5" and 26" on earlier generations).
The verdict
- Brain suspension delivers excellent climbing efficiency — taut on smooth ground, frees up travel on rough terrain, no manual lockout needed
- Race-focused women's geometry: steep, low standover, lively 'irresistible forward drive' (Velomotion)
- Quality FACT 9m carbon front + light ~1800g Roval Control wheelset
- Reliable Shimano XT Shadow Plus rear derailleur shifting
- Strong pedigree — S-Works Era World Cup raced at XC World Cup level
- 160mm front rotor on lower trims is undersized — reviewers reported brake fade/loss of power on descents
- Brain occasionally fails to engage smoothly during fast terrain transitions (~5% of cases per Velomotion) — momentary harsh hits
- SRAM X7 front derailleur/crank felt underspec'd for the €3,899 price point
- Discontinued since 2017 — no new support for proprietary Brain shock parts/tunes
- Women's-specific naming/fit limited the used-resale market vs the unisex Epic
Who it’s for
Versions & builds
Every official build side by side — differences highlighted.
| Spec | Era Comp Carbon | Era Expert Carbon | S-Works Era Carbon | Era FSR Comp | Era FSR Expert | Era 29 | Era Comp Carbon 29 | Era Expert Carbon World Cup | S-Works Era 29 | S-Works Era FSR World Cup |
|---|
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