Mountain Biking - inexperienced rider here

Hey all, I have been mountain biking with my bike now on local trails for about 6 months now, i got a great bike for a real good deal (1999 Giant XtC SE2) for 400$.
Everyone and anyone, just give me some info on bike parts (which i dont know much about) riding, places to ride or any info you think would be useful, thnx.

I can not help with places to ride since I know not where you are.
You also need to be a little more specific with your other questions. I would suggest looking at this site

http://sheldonbrown.com/home.html

There is a lot of information there that should help you out.

Slainte

Take your pick, we'll tell you about. Nobody here knows everything, but everyone knows something, and most will be glad to help.
I believe your bike is one of Giant's cross-country full supsension frames. It's a great one for trail riding and should last you quite a few years with proper maintenance.
I guess these are the parts you might want to ask about. If you specify what brand/style of part you have, some people could probably give you a few more specifics:
Derailers - Shimano and SRAM are the two respectable choices, Shimano's a little more popular
Components - includes the cranks, cassette, deraillers, and I think the bottom bracket, as well.
Wheels - I think you know what that is. Good place to save weight since they rotate (lots of momentum)
Brakes - (V-brakes, cantelever, or disc) V-brakes are the most common, disc are the most powerful.
Fork - I'm sure you've got a supsension fork, probably RockShox brand with 3-4 inches of travel. Other popular brands are Manitou and Marzocchi. People usually have plenty to say about forks, if you're curious.
Pedals - (clipless, toe-clips, platform) Platform are good if you crash a lot (easy to bail out) The other two give you increased pedalling efficiency.
Stem/handlebars - The width and rise of the bars and the height of the stem effect your the way you sit and are chosen based on riding style, depending on if you like fast XC, or more jumping and "tricky" riding. Seat height also has an effect in this regard. That's the basics. People here can also tell you about the little pieces that you never know the name for, particulars about riding a full suspension bike, and essential accessories. If you tell where you live, someone might have some directions to good trails. ASK AWAY

Let us know where you are at for places to ride.Also you might check out www.mtbreview.com for their trail reviews(by state)

Originally posted by redfox
Also you might check out www.mtbreview.com for their trail reviews(by state)
If you happen to live in the US.

no offense, but i would hope you would have the motivation to get out and explore these topics on your own! any specific product/bike questions though, ask away! a huge part of biking is freedom and adventure... and self discovery

not that i am all bad... http://www.trails.com