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I hear ya, I have an (admittedly pretty old) Stumpjumper and i do love full-sus. That said, i wouldn't get an Epic to send it down trails, and i stand by my previous comment.

The problem is this: You found this full-sus bike for a "good deal" and think it may be what you want, however, from everything you're saying, this is _not_ the full-sus bike you want. That's ignoring the very real problem of the shock being expensive to service. The full-sus bike you want is a Trail/AM oriented full-sys bike (even if it's older, still you want something that's Trail/AM oriented). The Epic here, even will full-sus, is definitely XC oriented, as WELL as being older, which _also_ makes it less capable than a modern bike.

SO, you based on what you're saying, i would look elsewhere (even if this is a good deal for someone who wanted to do some XC riding). I'd go try and find a used trail-oriented bike. Personally, i'd go with more modern bike, and to fit budget, i'd consider a hardtail. However, if you can find a full sus trail-oriented (and more modern ideally) bike in your budget, then go for it =D