I've been riding mostly XC (open trails) and to/from work for the past 6 yrs. Right now I have a Trek 820 and it's done the job fine, but recently over the past few months I've started riding more agressive singletrack with a few friends. I never knew what I was missing until a few months ago! It's about time to get a new bike and this time I'd like to step it up a bit. I'm looking for a quality hard tail that won't break the bank (hopefully in the $600ish range) and will do a lot better on the more rough stuff (I definitely get aggressive and don't hold back much, but at the same time won't be doing any serious DH type stuff). I want a good, solid frame that can take abuse, disc brakes, quality components (but at the same time I'm not buying XLR...you get the point).
My plan is to go to a few bike shops and test ride several different bikes to see what fits me best, but I'd like to go in the shop with a plan of what bikes I'm interested in instead of just aimlessly looking around and randomly picking one. I'm not opposed to getting a last year model, slightly used, etc. if it helps me get a better bike for a little less. I've checked Craig's, etc. but there's really nothing right now.
The bikes I was thinking about just based on the internet:
GT Avalanche 2.0
Trek 6000 (if there's a good used one in my price range)
Specialized Rockhopper Comp Disc
Are these something I should look at, what else would you guys recommend? A friend said try to get Deore components because they're pretty decent without breaking the bank. I appreciate the help in advance guys!
My plan is to go to a few bike shops and test ride several different bikes to see what fits me best, but I'd like to go in the shop with a plan of what bikes I'm interested in instead of just aimlessly looking around and randomly picking one. I'm not opposed to getting a last year model, slightly used, etc. if it helps me get a better bike for a little less. I've checked Craig's, etc. but there's really nothing right now.
The bikes I was thinking about just based on the internet:
GT Avalanche 2.0
Trek 6000 (if there's a good used one in my price range)
Specialized Rockhopper Comp Disc
Are these something I should look at, what else would you guys recommend? A friend said try to get Deore components because they're pretty decent without breaking the bank. I appreciate the help in advance guys!