Mountain Biking - need advice on buying a full suspension bike

Hi, i'm kinda new to bike buying and don't know what to look for in a bike.

I'm 5'9" and 130 pounds, and the budget is around $1200 including tax and shoes with toeclips, pedals for the shoes... and i'm 13 so i need to be able to grow into the frame.

i found a few bikes to start off with:

specialized FSRxc (it's a little out of the budget but if it's really good i'd be willing to spend the extra buck)
http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=32567

giant yukon fx (it sounds like this isn't one of the bikes I'll be considering in the end)
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bikes/mountain/1382/29355/

giant trance 2
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bikes/mountain/1283/29372/

If your new to biking, do you really want to spend 1200 or more on a bike. How about if you end up not liking the sport?

But if your experienced, I really like the specialized. That extra 100 is worth it. And you could probably get a 2007 model for cheaper.

Out of those three, the specialized. I can't support a company (Giant) that steals a suspension design (DW Link) without paying the designer of that design(Dave Weagle, aka DW) the licensing fees and calling it their own design(maestro).

Out of those three, the specialized. I can't support a company (Giant) [B]that steals a suspension design (DW Link) without paying the designer of that design(Dave Weagle, aka DW) the licensing fees and calling it their own design(maestro).[B]

Can I say sued?

DW's been tight lipped about it.

DW's been tight lipped about it.

Ah I see. But if im not seeing right, meaning he was paid off?

Never saw a cent from Giant.

Never saw a cent from Giant.

Now Im just confused.:(

DW never saw a cent from Giant.

DW never saw a cent from Giant.

But hes not talking? Thats weird. Or am I just missing somthing here...

Meaning he's probably getting ready to file suit.

thanks lanfarm,

i want to look into some other bikes first, but i will definitely take your advice into consideration

Meaning he's probably getting ready to file suit.

Teehee, now I got it :)
Took me long enough.

I just looked at some bikes on the mongoose website ( http://www.mongoose.com/mtn/dualsuspensionbikes.html ) and saw that they have a big line of full suspension bikes, but the majority of them seem too good to be true or way out of the budget. I haven't heard that much about mongoose so I somewhat doubt the quality of the bikes.

any advice on bikes from different companies would be accepted too.

Mongooses (Mongeese?) are good bikes...assuming you can find a good one. Eric Carter's downhill line is supposed to be fantastic, and I've heard some good stuff about Khybers. Most of the stuff they actually advertise on their website is more than likely good. But good luck finding one...the big box store Mongoose bikes are crap, and a lot of bike shops dropped the brand because people either came in and ignored them because they equated Mongoose with the crap Walmart and Sports Authority bikes, or ignored them because they "could buy the same Mongoose at Walmart for $1500 less." Also, anything that seems too good to be true likely is.

My advice would be to wait until you stop growing. At 13, you're going to grow out of this bike in a year or two, and that's a lot of money for a beginner to spend on a bike that they're going to get rid of that soon. If you were already really into the sport it would be one thing, but it sounds like this is your first bike. And don't buy big...it'll be too hard to control and you'll get turned off to the sport. Plus you might not even grow into it right...your proportions might change, and the bike's geometry might never fit you. If I were you, I'd buy a used hardtail, see if I liked it, and then buy a really nice bike once I was done growing.

If you're really set on the FS though, the FSR and Trance are supposed to be great bikes (haven't heard much on the Yukon). Trek makes a Fuel at that price point too.

I'm actually really into the sport, and I usually ride my bike to school every day that i can through local trails, and spend as much time as I can out on my bike.

What I meant by "I'm kinda new to bike buying" is that this is the first bike that I'm purchasing, and wasn't given to me by my parents.

would i be correct to assume the bike you mentioned was the Feul EX 5.5 http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/2008/mountain_full_suspension/fuel_ex/fuelex55/

do you know how that would compare to the FSRxc (i'm asking just because they're the practically the same price)

Out of those three, the specialized. I can't support a company (Giant) that steals a suspension design (DW Link) without paying the designer of that design(Dave Weagle, aka DW) the licensing fees and calling it their own design(maestro).

I say go with the better bike and the better suspension before it's to late....Giant all the way.

which of the two giant bikes do you think would be better? I don't really need something exceptional, but i go riding on a daily basis, and want it to be able to withstand some abuse, and have a comfortable ride

the trance x2 is an awesome bike. great standover and it looks mean. I test rode one, but the shocks werent adjusted so I couldn't tell too much about it.. they only had a medium which is probably what I need, but the long seat post was almost fully extended.

in short ride them all .. the trance had a long stem and shortish top tube if I remember right.

oops you said regular trance 2 ... I never found one of those locally, I'd say it's much better than the yukon though.

edit edit ... the FSRxc is the best bike you list , it has a nicer fork.

Out of those three, the specialized. I can't support a company (Giant) that steals a suspension design (DW Link) without paying the designer of that design(Dave Weagle, aka DW) the licensing fees and calling it their own design(maestro).

Smashey do you pay for MP3's??? do you buy the store brand of cheerios??

the design looks different to me maybe DW is just making a killing on a vague patent?

I just found several bikes from the mongoose website, and it seemed good to me, but i don't know much. I just wanted to hear someone else's opinion.

2007 Otero Super
http://www.mongoose.com/mtn/ProductDetails.html?id=2346&enc=mtn|6
(I really like the idea of being able to adjust the travel for uphill, and downhill, and the pneumatic brakes)

2007 Teocali Comp
http://www.mongoose.com/mtn/ProductDetails.html?id=2355&enc=mtn|6

2008 Teocali Comp
http://www.mongoose.com/mtn/ProductDetails.html?id=2607&enc=mtn|6

I'm a poseur, i'd never ride a mongoose..

they have a bad rep for sticking their name on wal-mart bikes.

I was somewhat hesitant about getting a mongoose for that reason, but it doesn't matter to me that much so long as it's a good bike.

My advice would be to wait until you stop growing. At 13, you're going to grow out of this bike in a year or two, and that's a lot of money for a beginner to spend on a bike that they're going to get rid of that soon. If you were already really into the sport it would be one thing, but it sounds like this is your first bike. And don't buy big...it'll be too hard to control and you'll get turned off to the sport. Plus you might not even grow into it right...your proportions might change, and the bike's geometry might never fit you. If I were you, I'd buy a used hardtail, see if I liked it, and then buy a really nice bike once I was done growing.

I think I'm going to take your advice on that, and get a hardtail like you suggested.

ad thanks to everyone who helped me with advice