Everyone has addressed the 26er vs 29er topic, as well as the FS vs hardtail vs fully rigid topic. So I'll address the money issue. I started out mountain biking just this past spring with a 1998 Schwinn Frontier. After getting sick of the horrible brakes, bent wheels, & heavy weight, I went out & upgraded (ever so slightly) to a 2001 Gary Fisher Wahoo. Both of these are fully rigid 26ers. I've been riding the Wahoo fairly consistently since I got it, at least once a week. But alas, one day my stepdad let me trade bikes with him just for a 3 mile ride, & let me ride his 2008 Specialized Stumpjumper Pro. That's when I decided to save up for a FS bike. But after a few months, it became apparent that I would only have short bursts of extra money here & there--never enough for a complete FS bike worth buying. That's when chelboed helped me out by introducing me to a website called wheelworld.com, where I bought a very nice FS frame with the rear shock for $300. I found a nice wheelset on craigslist for $150. I'll be getting a Rockshox Tora Solo Air fork in the next paycheck or two for $180. When all is said & done, I'll have build up a bike with much nicer components than the complete version of my bike for just a bill or two over $1,000, when the complete bike retails for close to $1700. It's all about finding the good deals, & only spending what you can afford when you can afford it. I don't expect to have this bike complete until early spring, but that's plenty of time to continue building skills with my rigid bike. Not every skill learned on a rigid transfers to a FS, but the things you have to relearn will be much easier & the things you've already learned will make you much better & much more grateful for having learned them on a bike that allows no margin for error.