Mountain Biking - new rider

Hey I was just wondering if there was anyone who could offer some tips on starting out. Ive become ridiculously interested in mountain biking but honestly dont know where to begin,
Whats a good bike (for a female) to start off with?? I dont want to buy a piece of s*** now and have to spend more money later so Im looking for something thats gonna last me a while.
Anythign else I should know?
Thanks

Man I haven't heard of that video game in years...haha..classic shareware :)

Bikes are made for men. So typically they don't fit all women. Kona's tend to be decent because the cockpit (area between seat and stem) is short and the bike are still tall. You might want to give those a try. Otherwise seriously try 5 or 10 different bikes to find 3 or 4 that fit well. Then we can give you a better answer. :)

I'll assume that you're just looking to ride XC. SO starting with that if you're looking for a hardtail(suspension only in the front) the nice one's start at $1000. At that much money you can really get a nice bike that you wont be thinking of upgrading the second you get out of the store. If you're looking for a full suspension bike the nice one's start at $1500 and go up. You can get f/s bikes at $1000, but those are pretty low with the components and suspension. If you do choose to go f/s there's a lot of differant designs to choose from which is a whole differant topic in it's own

Hope this helps

Specialized and Santacruz produce women specific models. Try a female stumpjumper. www.specialized.com

Trek also makes a women's bike, although I haven't heard much from the ladies on this site about how much difference it makes.
Also, don't get discouraged when someone mentions a $1000 price tag. That is a good bike that will last for a serious rider and give you room to grow into. "Decent" bikes start around $300-400 and the quality goes up fast from there, all the way to $3000 rigs that weigh almost nothing. I'd say the three most common brands are Trek, Giant, and Specialized, but their smaller competitor's mostly make equally nice bikes.
Pay a visit to all of the local bike shops and see what they have. Try them out, see which ones feel good. Don't buy on your first visit, but explore all of your options first, and ask lot's of questions.
I guess this is pretty straight-forward advice, but it's easy to forget when you see something flashy with wheels and a seat on it. Come back here for more info as you think of specific questions to ask.

I loved Commander Keen! I still play it on occasion and it's my handle for most of my other online activities. :roflmao:

Thanks a lot guys, ill have to check those out...
Aside from the bike itself is there anything else you could tell me about gettin off to a good start?

Almost forgot...leave space in your budget for the accessories. It just makes sense to wear a helmet. I would strongly advise a couple of spare tubes, a patch kit, a multi-tool (preferably with a chain-tool on it), and a frame mounted pump. That will take care of any possible trail-side repairs. I use a wedge-pack under my seat to carry stuff in. A good bike lube to keep the drive-train running smoothly.
Look for information about local bike clubs. It's always more fun to have someone to share the ride with and riding partners challenge each other to get better. Plus, they can help you find good trails.

Buy cycling shorts and a jersey, more comfortable. Get a helmet, so you can get back up if you fall on your head. You will fall down some, don't worry about it, most of the time, it hurts a little, you get back up and keep going. Even if you do get bumped up worse, it will heal, don't let it scare you.
If you have a friend that rides a lot and is a bada$$, don't ride with him, it can be discouraging. Look for local groups of riders that are out to have a good time not set records.
Find a good local shop, you find them by going to a bunch and asking questions. How does the staff treat you? Do they know what they are talking about? Can they fit you to a bike? What kind of post sale service do they offer? You want a shop you like becauseif you are new, you may spend a fair amount of time there.