Originally Posted by tannermsmith

NEWBIE HERE...I have been reading some of these pages, sorry if this might be a bit redundant, but I need help figuring out what bike to get in you guessed it, the $500 range.
What I am looking for is a hardtail with good components all around, I want to be able to ride it hard and do some jumps with it, and I would like for it to be able to take a beating, not a terrible one but a beating. Disc brakes are a must, and i think its important the fork is good quality and good to use on technical trails. I am 5'10 and weigh about 160-70. I also want the bike to be light as possible and have good derailers, preferably shimano deore. The bikes I have in mind are

05 Fuji outland pro....$500

05 Iron Horse Warrior Comp....$500 (i think its a bit heavy though)

05 Gary Fisher Mullet....around $500-$550 (Heard things about the manitou splice comp)

04 GT avalanche 1.0..... on closeout from last year for $450 (hayes brakes?)

So I am overwhelmed here and cant find good amounts of reviews on any of these bikes. Please help me, i think i described my riding style but if you need to ask me anything else to help me figure it out please feel free, I will frequently be on this forum, thanks ahead of time for your expert advise.