Hi Guys,

You guys have made good points about All Mountain versus XC. I really did not have a clear distinction in my mind previously. A bike pound or two doesn't bother me, as I need to lose much more body weight than that. I'm now focusing on getting a good All Mountain around $2000.

I was thinking about getting the Jamis Dakar 1.0, but now I'm leaning to the Dakar 2.0 because it has air shocks front and rear, and other better components. The Dakar 1.0 has Manitou Minute 1:00, which is a spring shock.

I have read the excellent shock thread and visited the shock manufacturers sites. My take on air shocks is that they are better than springs (if you're not free riding or doing big jumps) for technical XC because they absorb shock better and with less pedaling power loss and can be fine tuned to rider and trail. If correct, these are huge advantages of air over spring for the type of riding I do.

Are the new air shocks harder to maintain and as reliable as spring shocks? They sure are more complex.

By the way, I currently have a 1998 Gary Fisher Level Betty FH 0 (DS springs, freeride or all mountain?) and a 1999 Giant Yukon (HT spring). I like both equally. They are both 19'' frames which I got about 5 months ago, one hardly used and the other new, from a friend for great prices. Since I should be using a 16'' or 17'' frame, and since I would like to take advantage of new technology, I'm looking for a 2005 model.

Thanks again for all of your excellent help.