Mountain Biking - Need Help picking out an entry level mountain bike!

I'm looking to buy my first non-department store (aka: POS) mountain bike. My budget is $500 and that's kind of pushing it! :lol: 90% of my time is spent on gravel roads, the other 10% on pavement. All I want is a bike that won't fall apart after a few rides. The few bikes I have found in my price range and that I really like are:

Specialized Hardrock Sport $389.99
Giant Rincon $420.00
Trek 4300 $389.00

Any advice that ya'll can give me be will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Ken

Go To Your Local Bike Store And Ride What They Have There.

I rode both the Trek and Giant, and like the Trek better. All my research pointed toward the Giant though. When it came down to how I felt on the bike, I just could do it, and bought the Trek.

What really sucks is that I don't have a local bike shop.:( The closest bike shop to me is a hour away, but once I'm in that area though there are prolly 15 different shops within 20 minutes of each other. It can eat up a whole day just driving around looking at bikes. Once I have narrowed my search down a bit so that I know which brands I'm looking for, I can pick and choose the shops that are closest to one another that have those brands. Does this make since? lol!

I'm looking to buy my first non-department store (aka: POS) mountain bike. My budget is $500 and that's kind of pushing it! :lol: 90% of my time is spent on gravel roads, the other 10% on pavement. All I want is a bike that won't fall apart after a few rides. The few bikes I have found in my price range and that I really like are:

Specialized Hardrock Sport $389.99
Giant Rincon $420.00
Trek 4300 $389.00

Any advice that ya'll can give me be will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Ken

All three are fine choices. Take that hour drive one day and ride them all. Whichever has the best fit is what you should stick with. Don't be afraid to go back for a second or third ride to narrow down your choice. You will be happy with any of three as an entry level rig.

What really sucks is that I don't have a local bike shop.:( The closest bike shop to me is a hour away, but once I'm in that area though there are prolly 15 different shops within 20 minutes of each other. It can eat up a whole day just driving around looking at bikes. Once I have narrowed my search down a bit so that I know which brands I'm looking for, I can pick and choose the shops that are closest to one another that have those brands. Does this make since? lol!

Not at all. Because if you go looking for just the brands that were suggested you might miss a bike that "feels perfect" Suck it up and go to the shops, that's the only way you'll get a feel for what works for you. See our FAQ http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=67259

The reason that I wanted brand recommendations is due to the fact that I don't have a clue who makes quality bikes. I do plan on trying out a wide variety of bikes but, I'd like have some idea of what to look for. Maybe a better question would be, are there any brands that I need to stay away from?

I have a Kona Kula Primo (high end mtb) and I have the Trek 4300 (with the kid seat) the Trek is as stable but not as fast.. The 4300 will treat you very well as a beginner bike. But start saving up for the next one!!