Mountain Biking - Advice for getting a new bike

I want to by a mountain bike in the 500-800 price range i love biking on trails and doing smallish jumps. My old bike was a gary fisher wahoo and it is very old and rusty and i won't shift well anymore. If anyone can help me that would be great! Thanks a lot

Wow, what a new and completely original question! :rolleyes:
Not to come off like a complete tool, but did you see the nice sticky we have at the top of the MTB section?
Please Read Before asking Question: MTB FAQ. (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=67259) <CLICK IT

Basically you need to go to a couple Bike Shops (as in Joe's Bikes not Sports Authority / X-mart) and test ride a few bikes in your price range pick 2 (3 at most) that YOU like THEN come back and ask for an opinion. Ultimately our opinions don't mean JACK **** if the bike doesn't feel right to YOU.

Here is my advice for getting a new bike

1: Read the sticky mentioned above

2: Get out of your pjs

3: Find your keys, you have a car, right? If not ask for a ride/walk/bike.

4: Drive to the nearest bike shop and see what they have to say.

5: Come back here and then search forums/google for any questions you might have, or ask if you can't find it.

Or- what about the GF? Why don't you tune it up so it shifts right, maybe put a new fork on it and go ride.

Seems like that would get you a lot farther then dropping $500 on an entry level bike...

I read the FQ and i think i want a cross country bike. I don't want to tune up my GF because it has very realaxed geometry and i want more aggressive geometry