Originally Posted by
carleton
A few from the major manufacturers:
Of the currently available bikes, I like the Felt TK2. If I had the same budget and had to get a bike today, that's what I'd probably get.
I've known some people who traded in a Felt TK2 for a
Jamis Sonik - the Jamis handles very well on a steep track. For 2012 it looks like Jamis decontented the bike and lowered the price a lot. If you can get a used one (pre 2012) off of Ebay or something, it is a good value.