Originally Posted by Jason222
The rival has 8 inch rotors, wider tires, has a bash guard, has 120 mm of travel (opposed to the HR's 100mm), the Rival has a burlier frame in my opinion, and the Rival has an FSA headset(better than the HR's no name headset).
Although, I think the Hardrock Pro Disc is much better.
I see where you're coming from, but are the wider tires and extra travel really a big advantage when you're just starting out? I mean, you might end up gravitating toward the smoother, hardpack trails where the travel would just absorb pedaling energy and the tires slow you down?