Utility Cycling - DB Response for entry-level and upgrade

Recently I have been looking at getting a hardtail to use as an all around bike. I would use it for commuting to and from work, working out as well as wanted to be able to take it on some easier trails. It will be my first decent bike (non-walmart).

As I have looked at reviews, it seems that the Diamondback Response and Sorrento are good bikes to start with and eventually upgrade due to lower quality components. My ideal situation would be to get a less expensive bike with a good frame that I can build of of. I do want it to perform well though, until I can get the money to upgrade to better components.

Any ideas? Are there any bikes that would be better for this purpose? Does this even sound like a good idea or should I just buy a better bike now and not worry about upgrading?

If you really intend to use the bike for utility type riding, a modern mountain bike is a bad choice. Even a 50lb load is too much for a lot of modern mountain bikes. If you're not going to haul more than about 30lbs at a time, it's probably ok.

An older style mountain bike with a rigid front fork and longer chainstays is a nice capable bike tho. They're a lot more stable, so a good sized cargo won't mess up the handling. And with the rigid front fork, you have the option to do front loads. If you're not intending to do trails with major jumps, a rigid fork will do fine. (Surly's 1x1 and Karate Monkey are good examples of older style MTBs... same with Redline's Monocog)

If you're not interested in hauling serious cargo, you'd probably get better advice in the commuting forum.

Thanks for the help Torrilin, that makes sense. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what I'm looking for in my price range.

What I'd do if you're really short on cash is look for a used bike. Rigid MTBs and old 3 speeds tend to run pretty cheap used, and can take a fair bit of abuse. The Classic and Vintage forum has good advice on used bike shopping in their stickies. That way you've got a cheap bike *now* so you can get out, ride and figure out what you like and don't like.

The frame tends to be about 1/3 of the cost of a complete bike... so a cheap new bike is probably not the way to go if you're looking for a good frame. Might be a good idea to go out and start test riding stuff, including all the weird stuff you're sure you won't like. Might turn out that a single speed bike suits you or you turn out to like drop bars *g*.