first of all, hello everyone, i am an avid cyclist and a new member of these forums. and i am just now realizing how lame i sound.
anyway, to respond to the original post, i bought a specialized epic comp a few days ago and it is phenomenal. i have been road racing for years but have not ridden a mountain bike since i was 20. (33 now) i was looking for a bike that would not bob at all durring the pedal stroke and this does feel like a hardtail, the old stiff, sketchy-on-downhill, hardtail that i remember hammering on. except it flies down hills like i'm skiing back at snowbird. smooth and steady everywhere. highly recommended
ok, starting to sound like a specialized commercial (most of my other bikes have been cannondale). live in mass now and me and the lady friend are moving to utah in july. riding a mountain bike again, i feel like i am reliving my adolscence. i'm gonna build a figure 8 in my front yard. invite friends over for trials, races, beer fests, etc.