Mountain Biking - Need help choosing between these mountain bikes.

I'm looking for a mountain bike for doing some beginner trail riding. I've found two different bikes that cost about the same, but I can't decide on which one. Any help would be appreciated. :)

Felt Compulsion 4 (http://2009.feltracing.com/09-catalog/suspension-mountain/compulsion-series/09-compulsion-4.aspx)
Hard Rocx Cambrium (http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=no&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=no&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=www.hardrocx.no%2Fartikkel%2Fles%2F349%2F81_Cambrium%2F&act=url)

ride both and see which feels better, get that one. otherwise, i say the felt.

Boy, that all depends on your needs/expectations; since they are two totally different kinds of bike. Are you a beginner with little/no bike experience? Are you a beginner with other two-wheeled background/skillsets (i.e. - moto)? Most of the people on this forum will steer you toward the hardtail. I've ridden a Felt Compulsion and really liked it; but I am a full-suspension nut. The Compulsion is a bit heavy; but if you want to ride somewhere with demanding terrain and want something that will grow your confidence fast, yet still feel like it can goad you to do more-more-more as you gain experience, then that should be your bike. If you're in an area of average terrain and don't ever feel like you'll try your hand at "anything crazy" - - and/or just want something less complex to set up and maintain, then go the hardtail route.

So this guy goes from wanting to simply put some mountain bike tires on his hybrid to a full suspension Felt? Interesting...

Wow, not only are we looking at hardtail versus full-suspension, but we're also looking at what looks like a really race-bred XC bike versus an all-mountain bike with 150mm of travel. Either one will be way more than you technically *need* for beginner trail riding, and give you lots of room to grow. I guess it just depends on which direction you think you're more likely to grow in.

That said, if it were me, I'd get the Felt.

So this guy goes from wanting to simply put some mountain bike tires on his hybrid to a full suspension Felt? Interesting...

I realized the hybrid-idea was stupid, and the full suspension Felt is a clearance sale where I can get it extremely cheap(1/4 of the price), so it suddenly appeared as a good deal. I understand it seems like switching between two extremes. :)

1/4 of the price? Where at?

10 bucks says the bike is going to be too big and it'll come in the mail and you won't be able to put it together yourself or will break parts trying.

Felt for sure. Unless you happen to live in Norway...

If you're not sure about full suss or not, Felt has a slew of different MTB styles. I bought my kid a Felt Nine Sport. Good frame. Average components. But that's what you get for a $1000 29er HT. In hindsight, based on the more techy / demanding trails we ride here in So Cal, I wish I'd have stepped up and bought him a full suspension bike, with a higher quality component group.