Hey Raiyn,

You could buy a lot of bike these days for $1,000. and as far as other people being shocked by how much you spend, don't worry about it. If it's (or one of) your passions, who cares. These are the same people who golf and see no problem spending $350 on a single club! Or Scuba Dive and spend $250 on a BC....etc.

There are a lot of hardtails that are available. With your weight, I'd suggest a beefier more "freeride" oriented hardtail rather than a "production" XC frame. I'm about 225 to 235, and I rode a Specialized P.3 and could easily hang with all my friends on their bikes. BTW, the "P" series bikes are very nice this year.

Another "dark horse" brand that doesn't get a lot of press, but makes (has made for them) good bikes, is HARO. They've got some great bikes and the prices are hard to beat. Check em out at www.harobikes.com The shop I work part-time is a dealer and I can get you some MSRP prices if you let me know which model you like.

This is a sweet bike with a great spec for the $$$$$, plus, I really like this color for some reason, I think it's sweet!