Originally Posted by Crue4
Still in the "what do I do" mode... Haven't bought a mountain bike in 13 years... just don't want to over spend for what I will use it for... but don't want to underspin, and be left wishing I bought a nicer bike.
I hear you.......I myself came bact to MTBing after a 7/8 year gap. Before I used to ride GT bikes and loved them. But when I got back to MTBing in 2002/2003, I was surprized to see GT's down fall, and was unsure about what to do. A lot of people from this forum helped me, including LowCel, gastro and others.
But, the first thing I did was buy a GT bike (avalanche 1.0). it was an okay bike.....but I kept on wanting more......Then I bought a K2 Zed 4.0 2004, but my brother kept wanting it and I finally gave it to him. Eventually I decided to get the best hardtail that I can afford It was a Kona Cinder Cone 2004. although I was not riding anything too challenging, I wanted a bike that has a lot of potentials that I can grow into, if I decided to. I think thats the nature of this hobby, you want the best.....I liked Kona's previous frame/tube (pre 2005) desing on their hardtails. I am not a fan of their new boxy tubing...
anyway, the point is, if you are anything like me, you may get by with a minimalist bike, but you will keep on wanting more....so, buy the best you can afford right now so that you dont have to do any immidate upgrade......and remember, upgrades are lot more expensive than if you can get a good set of stock equipment.....upgrades add up very quickly....
So, if I were you I would need less upgrades on the Scott than on the Cinder Cone. Scott has top of the line drive train, cranks, decent wheels, and a sweet frame....where as the Cinder Cone does not stand out in any particular area IMHO...
but you have to be convinced...its your decision....but, spending a little more now on a complete bike may save you a lot in future upgrades.....