FWIW, I was over 250 at my zenith, and I ride a Trek 4300 Hardtail w/ front suspension. It is great. I throw my knobs on if I want to hit the state park, but mostly I have 1.5" road tires on it. Though a heavy setup, the front fork is actually good on a commute for some area where the road condition is less than savory. After riding a full suspension bike, I would think that any hard tail or hardtail/front fork combo is going to feel stiff. My bike is probably a lower to mid level entry level bike (if that makes sense) but I have gotten almost 6 years out of it, and only put in $100 in repairs or so, and it is solid as a rock still. Ride a bunch of hard tails and hard tail fork combos from different makers, and I am sure you will find one within your range that is a good bike for you.