Cool -- Tx Mech and Wrinkle. $290 is a great price, no? Where did you order from? I thought $440 was a decent price, but maybe I should set the bar lower since it is a '04?

I rode it today and really liked it as well. It will be XC plus some commuting (perhaps with a set of slicks), and it seems versatile enough to do both (at least until I can afford a separate road bike). I'm a total novice, so I suspect anything will be fine, but in comparison to eithers I've tested, the '04 Marin HH seems like a good ride at a very solid price. Mech, I think you are right on weight - a tad under 30 lbs. I believe....