Mountain Biking - I need help, newbie!

My wife bought me an Mongoose XR-100 for christmas from wal mart, it made noises in the chain, so anyway after reading all of the bad press that this bike gets, I returned it, and I have ordered a diamondback Coil 04. Have I made a good choice, this is my first bike since I was 13 years old, I ride with my wife in the neighborhood or on light trails, and I also take care of my bikes very well. Is this a durable bike? any info would be helpful, I have read as many reviews as I could before I ordered, it was between the Giant Boulder SE and this bike, and I just felt like I wanted full suspension, plus that is what my wife has. Thanks look forward to posting in the future.

Here's a rule of thumb: Never touch a full suspension bike under $1000. Below that too much suffers (component wise) from the need to cheapen to get the rear suspension. I'm not trying to be harsh but you should have gotten the Giant.

D'back spec
Sizes SM (16"), MD (18"), LG (20")

Colors Gloss Black/Silver

Frame 6061 Series Aluminum Ft. Single Pivot KS-200 Rear Coil Over Shock

Fork SR M2000 63mm Alloy Crown

Headset OS ZeroStack Ahd

Bottom Bracket Sealed Cartridge

F. Derailleur Shimano Tourney TY-22 GS, 31.8TP

R. Derailleur Shimano Altus

Shift Lever Shimano REVO 7spd

Cog Set Shimano Freewheel 14/34t 7spd

Chain Z57

Hubset Alloy 36h

Spokes 14g SS

Rims Alloy 36h

Tires Kenda Klaw XT 2.1

Brakes Alloy Linear V-Brake

Brake Levers Shimano (see shifters)

Pedals ATB

Handlebar ATB 30mm Rise

Grips Avenir

Stem Alloy OS Ahd

Seatpost Alloy Micro Adjust 27.2 x 300mm

Saddle Avenir MTB SS

Extras Clear Coat Owner's Manual, CatEye, Reflector Set, H20 Bottle Mounts

Giant Spec
Specifications:
color Men's: Red
Women's: Blue/Silver
Men's/Women's: Black/White

size M: 12.5", 14", 17", 19", 21", 23"
W: 14", 17", 19"
frame: Supersized ALUXX butted aluminum w/integrated gusset

fork: SR/Suntour XC60 suspension w/pre-load adjustment

derailleur Front: Shimano C-102, Rear: Shimano Altus

derailleur shifters Shimano EF-29, 7-speed

cranks SR/Suntour XR120, 28/38/48T

pedals Steel w/ resin body

handlebar Steel 1.25" riser

stem Giant 1 1/8 Ahead

headset Ahead 1 1/8"

brakes Alloy direct pull w/ power control

saddle Giant Groove Plus, VARIABLE-DENSITY MTB with Kevlar bumpers

seatpost Alloy micro-adjust, 30.8, QR Seat lever

rims Alloy, 36H, black w/ brushed sidewall

hubs Alloy, 36H, QR, double seals

tires MTB knobby w/ center ridge 26x2.1

cassette Shimano 14-34T, 7-speed MegaRange

spokes Stainless Steel 14G

additional Chainguard

The main things I'd be concerned with (other than the fact from my previous post) are the freewheel on the DB (Shimano freewheels are becoming a b!tch to find) and the weight of the DB the Giant is going to be much easier to pedal for longer distances due to the fact of it's lighter weight.

Personaly I would go with teh giant.. on lower end FS bikes you suffer sever loss of power with FS and weight goes up. So you will utilize more power to go the same distance.. But in the end if you enjoy riding it that is all that matters :)

Whichever one makes you glad to be back on a bike!

If it were my money and I was wanting to ride local sealed and unsealed trails/paths, I'd get the Giant. Lighter weight, easier to upgrade in the future, and possibly a stronger frame. In that price range, full suspension is more likely to be a disadvantage in most scenarios. Harder to pedal on flats and uphills (more weight plus you lose power through suspension bob), and not really a good enough rear shock to be of a huge advantage on downhills or rugged terrain.