bikinfool-
I don't take any real issue with anything you just said - it's all quite reasonable and you clearly have a lot of experience in this game. The problem is that it's largely subjective. Sure, we can pretty much agree on the extremes - that low end junk is junk and high end is really nice. But what qualifies as acceptable entry level can vary significantly depending on the rider's budget, skill level, performance expectations, and most importantly, their ability to recognize limitations - both theirs and the bike's.
Originally Posted by
Whitefang
Well since I want to get in to doing real mountain biking, what whould be a very cheap but good bike to upgrade to?
I'm not sure that there's a decent answer to this question, but I tried to offer him something so that he doesn't either A) pay too much money for a 20-year-old Gary Fisher with worn out components from Craigslist, or B) end up going to Walmart.
Your position seems to be "if you can't spend minimum $500-$600 then stay on the pavement". He doesn't even know what "real mountain biking" is yet. If you don't offer him a reasonable option that he's comfortable with he may never find out - or he'll try it on a truly cheap bike and get hurt, and I know you don't want that.