This bike wants to be neither fully nor hardtail. The EPIC WORLD CUP PRO tries a revolutionary approach on the rear shock to mix the best of both worlds. With only 75 mm travel in the rear, it is significantly more sparsely equipped than, for example, the Scott Spark RC or the Orbea Oiz. With the negative air chamber on the damper, the breakaway torque can be adjusted separately from the spring stiffness. Who chooses the hardest of the three driving modes, will notify that the rear shock will only work when it hits big stuff. Otherwise it will stay locked. So you can benefit from the direct propulsion of a hardtail on gravel roads or in the sprint, but gets some support from the rear shock in fast or hard descents. You have no idea if you prefer high speed stability or playful handling? Then you can´t go wrong with the EPIC WORLD CUP PRO. It´s handling is pleasantly balanced. When sitting in the saddle, the posture is neither overly sporty, nor uber-comfortable. This should make the Racebike von Specialized suite the taste of most bikers. Considering that in the range above 8000 Euro, hardly any other manufacturer makes a better bike for the same specs of wheels. Nice! The guarantee of 25 years proves that Specialized is behind its products.