Between my wife and I, we have bought 6 bikes from Competitive Gear. Her first "real" bike was a 7.5 fx, and she loved it. (Weight is not an issue with her, though.) She ended up riding a Metric Century in Cooks Forest with it. She has since moved up to Lexa SLX (?) Road Bike. Competive Gear has always treated us well.
If you want some one to ride PI with, let me know. I'll bring the 29er.