# Making an Epic HT like the Cutthroat?



## HotEricHoney (Jan 29, 2020)

Tried my neighbors' new Cutthroats. Comfy, and I really like the drop bar. Then I got to thinking....
I saw Lael Wilcox's Epic HT 29er setup. Is it just a case of combining AXS, a short stem, and the drop bar to have a similar setup as my buddy's Salsas (minus their myriad of bag options and frame compliance)?
Or am I missing something, and Lael has a custom setup from her sponsor?


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## SHREDINATOR5000 (Jul 11, 2012)

She probably doesn't have a custom frame because the carbon molds for each frame size are REALLY expensive. I suspect that she's on a frame that is a size smaller than what she would ride with flat bars.

You can compare the geometry of the two bikes at Bike Insights

I'm not sure if this link will work, but you'll see that you'd need a size small Epic Hardtail to fit relatively similar to a 56cm Cutthroat. 





Compare: 2021 Salsa Cycles Cutthroat GRX 600 56cm vs 2020 Specialized Bicycles Epic Hardtail Base S


Find your ideal bike using bike-on-bike geometry comparisons with diagrams, powerful search tools, and category analysis.




bikeinsights.com





Your primary issue would be having a stem that is short enough and getting the drop bars high enough.


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