I am a road biker and am looking for a way to still be able to ride in the cold Minnesota weather this winter. Therefore I have decided to buy a mountain bike, since I have done a little of it before and like the thrill of trail riding. From the really nice post about buying a Mountain bike in this forum I have narrowed it down to these three hard tail bikes. They are from bikesdirect and I do think they would be best for a college student's budget.
Motobecane 700 HT
I like this one because of the XT RD and the Deore components.
Motobecane 600 HT
$50 less than the 700 HT, due to the drop in components.
Windsor Cliff 4700
A better FD than the 600 HT
My choice right now is the 700 HT. Should I pull the trigger?