Originally Posted by MattP.
To each his own. For some people, yeah 12 miles may be an epic, to others it may be 50 miles. It's a subjective term.
Though I would not classify myself as a mountain bike purist, I disagree.
Please consider the viewpoint offered by Greg Randolph (aka "chopper") in the November 06 issue of Bike magazine:
Originally Posted by Randolph
"And be legit. Please, as a disciple [of the sport], words are not to be abused, lest we reduce their overall value. A ride is not an "epic" unless it is over 8 hours and something goes so wrong that someone nearly dies and you have to haul him out on a travois you made from a tree felled with a multi tool."