Mountain Biking - need some help

i'm sorry if this seems a little trivial and overdone, but i'm new to this forum so what-the-hay. i will be moving to a mountainous area and would like to purchase a mountain bike for hobby as well as transportation, but i'm new to this and don't know much about this sort of thing. i was hoping to get some advice on a bike that will be reliable, dependable, last, and that will serve me well. i would like to spend $350 max. thanks!

You'll probably have to spent at least 650 Cdn....so that would mean about 500 U.S.
To get the least expensive of the best of the Mtn. bikes;)

i don't need the best bike nor do i want the best bike. i would like a bike that will do well and last a while. i guess if it's totally impossible to buy a good bike $350 i'll spend more, but my main worry is i'll be spending way too much money on a bike that's just more than i need and i don't want a clunker that will fall apart either. any more suggestions? anybody?

The Specialized HardRock goes from $280-$330. Probably the best entry-level bike for under $400 bucks. I own one, many ppl on these boards own one. Try to ride one first to see how it feels.

http://www.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/2003/bikes/hr_blue.jpg

what do you guys think of:

http://www.trekbikes.com/bikes/2003/mountain/4300.jsp
http://www.trekbikes.com/bikes/2003/citybike/7200.jsp

Trek makes an okay bike. What type of riding will you be doing? What kind of trails? How often will you ride?

One thing to consider is that if you intend to use it for transportation on the roads, it doesn't really matter that there are mountains nearby, a mountain bike with knobby tires may be a poor choice. At the very least, unless you intend to primarily use it on rough trails, consider asking the shop to switch out the tires for something with little or no tread. Knobby tires on pavement are inefficent and give a very poor ride.

Paul

i'd primarily be riding it just around town, campus, and the mountains/forest area. i hope that helps. i figure a bike would be a good option because i live in southern california and will be moving to northern california for school. i won't be able to take my car with me.

Most companies make an entry-level bike in the $300 price point. Regardless of who does, the bikes are going to have nearly identical specifications at this price level. The only BIG differences are the geometry of the frame, and the paint job.

Sure, there will be slight deviations, but they will all perform about the same.

The other thing to look into is getting a used bike. You could probably score a $500 bike that someone bought and didn't get into the sport and wants to sell it cheap. The only problem with that is if you don't know what to look for in "Used" equipment. It's a bit of a gamble, but if you have a friend who's "Into" mtn biking, they can probably help you out!

Go to as many bike shops as you can, test ride as many different brands as possible. Heck, ALWAYS ask if they have any used bikes or Left over inventory.

The shop where I worked always had one or two bikes that would just never sell. For whatever reason. If it was the last bike of that model, no one would buy it. We would literally lose money just to move the bike!

L8R