Mountain Bike Racing - Tough Decision

Hello Everyone

I am new to the board. I am looking at getting a new mountain bike. I don't want to go much over $800. I have narrowed it down to specialized since I have a dealer in close proximity to my house and he really knows his stuff. Not to mention I really like the bikes. I test rode three bikes last weekend and liked them all. I have narrowed the field down to these three bikes.

Hardrock Pro Disc
Rockhopper Comp Disc
P.2

I will mainly be riding light XC with some street/urban mixed in. I used to be into BMX and I like the idea of being able to stunt a mountain bike and maybe hit the dirt track once in a while. I am most attracted to the P.2 because it has pretty beefy components and a really strong frame. I liked the rockhopper because of its weight. The hardrock was also nice for its price and all around capabilities. Overall it seemed that the P.2 had the best components (fork, BB, crankset, bombproof frame, etc.) and it looks like the best value. I am not stuck on it and would actually like to be proven wrong because it could save me some money.

So, if you were me, what would you buy. Any advice from owners of these bikes would be greatly appreciated. If you love your bike, tell me why. Don't just say " get the XXX it's awesome.

Thanks in advance!

You would be a lot better off to post this in the general mountain bike area since this is not a race question. You will get a much better response there. :)

The hardrock is an overall great bike - especially for your intended use; if you're not going to go for free riding or lots of bumps & rocks, you don't really need to spend extra $$ on full suspension. You can always upgrade/swap out components, so you really want to look at the overall frame & how it feels - then decide what fits you best.

And, while my 2 sons have moved on to other bikes for racing, they both refuse to let go of thier hardrocks for playing around the farm - they're real sturdy (these bikes are @ 6 years old) and hold up to alot of abuse.

If you plan to do cross country at all I would not get the P.2. I'ts hard enough pedaling on my bike, the equivalent of a hardrock,and the added weight of the P.2 would slow you down a ton. But if you plan to do a lot of street/urban the P.2 might be a good choice.