This is Keegan Swenson’s Specialized S-Works Epic 9 for the Leadville 100
Keegan Swenson will debut an S-Works Epic 9 at the Leadville Trail 100, decorated with the colors of the XCM world champion and with a much more conventional build than his last bikes for this race.
Keegan Swenson has already prepared the bike with which he will seek his sixth consecutive victory in the Leadville Trail 100. It is a Specialized S-Works Epic 9 that sports the rainbow colors of the XCM world champion and that, despite being destined for one of the most unique races on the calendar, presents a surprisingly close-to-the-production build.
Keegan Swenson’s S-Works Epic 9 World Champion Edition
Keegan Swenson’s arrival at the Specialized Off-Road Team was set to have one of its first major chapters at the Cape Epic. He was scheduled to compete alongside Matt Beers and debut the bike decorated with the colors of the reigning world champion in a major XCM race. However, a fracture to his iliac crest, caused by an impact with a car door, forced him to withdraw from the South African race at the last minute.
That setback temporarily sidelined one of the most anticipated bikes of the season. Now, recovered and facing one of his most important races of the year, Swenson has finally unveiled the Specialized S-Works Epic 9 he will ride at the Leadville Trail 100. The American enters the race as the winner of the last five editions and as the 2025 XCM World Champion .
The frame features a white base with small lines in the five colors of the rainbow. It’s not an elaborate design, but rather a restrained application of the world champion’s colors, present on the top tube, seat tube, and several points along the chainstays. Keegan Swenson’s name and a small rainbow flag complete the customization.
During his time with Santa Cruz, Swenson’s long-distance race bikes became a showcase for unconventional solutions. The American combined MTB and gravel components, drop handlebars, huge gear ratios, and various aerodynamic features to adapt his builds to the extremely fast pace of some American races.
Leadville was one of the best examples of this trend. Swenson won the 2024 and 2025 editions using gravel handlebars, a setup that took advantage of the long, rolling sections of the race and allowed for a more aerodynamic position. For 2026, that option is gone: Life Time regulations prohibit road or gravel handlebars in Leadville and require the use of flat or riser handlebars for safety and course compatibility reasons. The rule will be enforced both before the start and during the race, with the possibility of disqualification for violations.
Swenson’s response has been quite straightforward. His Epic 9 incorporates a conventional MTB flat handlebar, paired with a stem featuring a pronounced downward angle to lower the head tube position. SRAM Blips shifters are mounted on the inside of the handlebar, allowing him to change gears when he adopts a more aerodynamic, tucked position on the bike.
It’s one of the few details that deviate from a typical competition setup. There are no extensions, fairings, or an alternative handlebar shape. The organizers have ruled out the technical feature that defined Swenson’s winning bikes in the last two editions, although that doesn’t prevent riders from achieving an aggressive riding position through the height of the headset and the position of their hands.
MTB wheels, without resorting to gravel rims
The choice of wheels is almost as significant as the choice of handlebars. In American long-distance races, it has become common to see mountain bikes equipped with gravel bike rims, especially on fast, relatively untechnical courses. Swenson, who in the past was one of the riders most open to this type of combination, has not followed that path with his new Specialized. Perhaps he is not allowed under his contract.
His bike uses Roval Control World Cup wheels, the brand’s top-of-the-line XC wheels, paired with Specialized Air Trak GridLite T5/T7 tires. It’s a setup fully geared towards mountain biking and much closer to a conventional World Cup bike build than one of Leadville’s usual experiments.
The Air Trak tires are the fastest rolling option in Specialized’s XC range and are well-suited to the demands of a race where rolling resistance is paramount. The GridLite casing, in turn, aims to offer more protection than lighter constructions, a crucial factor in a race of over 160 km where a single puncture can ruin any chance of victory.
RockShox Flight Attendant and SRAM drivetrain
The suspension is handled by RockShox, with a SID Ultimate Flight Attendant fork and a SIDLuxe Ultimate Flight Attendant shock. The electronic system automatically adjusts the performance of both suspensions based on data collected while riding, a particularly useful feature on a route with frequent changes between fast tracks, climbs, and rougher terrain.
The drivetrain features a SRAM AXS groupset with a silver cage rear derailleur, a 10-52 cassette, and SRAM cranks with a power meter. The enormous aerodynamic chainring again highlights the speeds at which Leadville is contested and the importance of having a high gear ratio in the faster sections. The rainbow-colored anodized bolts are one of the few additional aesthetic touches, distributed across areas such as the derailleur, stem, seatpost clamp, and frame pivots.
The bicycle also retains the bottle cage mounted on the downtube, although Swenson will have assistance at the aid stations. A custom-designed cycling computer bearing his name is mounted on the stem, positioned far back and close to the handlebars.
A Differen Leadville Course
The 32nd edition of the Leadville Trail 100 not only features a ban on gravel handlebars , but wildfires have also forced a route change, eliminating historic sections like Powerline and Sugarloaf Mountain. The planned course covers approximately 164 km and accumulates just over 3,000 m of elevation gain, maintaining altitude as one of its key competitive factors.
Swenson arrived as the rider to beat after five consecutive victories. It will also be his first participation in the race as a Specialized rider, wearing the colors he earned at the 2025 XCM World Championships. His new Epic 9 lacks the experimental feel of the Santa Cruz bikes with which he dominated the last editions, but it clearly demonstrates a grasp of the new rules: flat handlebars, a very low front-end position, XC-specific wheels, and gearing designed for speeds uncommon in a mountain bike race.
Pending any pre-race modifications, this is one of the less extravagant bikes Swenson has prepared for Leadville. The biggest news this time isn’t an unexpected component combination, but rather finally seeing his rainbow S-Works Epic 9 in competition.
