Specialized has a new Epic out and honestly, we have no idea if we should be calling it a full-suspension bike or a hardtail. That’s because the new shock, integrated into the top tube, will work with zero per cent sag and effectively remain locked out – just like the fixed back end on a hardtail.
It certainly blurs the lines between the Specialized XC race bikes, of which there are now four: the Epic Hardtail, Epic (the old bike), Epic Evo (more down-country-focused) and Epic World Cup