Hey guys, old time member (so old I can't even remember my previous username) that is now back. I had a major back injury and was out of biking for awhile, but now I am wanting to get back into it. A little history that might help with my question...

I started biking with a regular Trek 26" mountain bike to get around town and ride on a few mild off-road trails while I was in college. After two years of riding, I got into the whole fixed/ss scene. I noticed towards the end that I was riding ss more than I was fixed. However, with road bikes I always missed the ability to ride on all types of terrain. I don't live in a very bike friendly community so riding on sidewalks, grass, etc. will always be something I have to deal with. I decided on getting a cheap 29'er to see if it is the right style of bike for me, and also to make sure any pre-existing back injuries are not affected. I have narrowed my choices down to two bikes that are the same price ($399). The first bike in question is the Gravity G29:

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/gravity/g29fs.htm

Pros: price, front suspension, 29" wheels, single speed, decent entry level components.
Cons: not familiar with Gravity's quality, aluminum frame, not big on the styling.

The other bike I am looking at is the Dawes Bullseye:

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/dawes/bullseye.htm

Pros: cro-mo frame, 29" wheels, single speed, I like the styling more, and I have previously owned a Dawes SST which was a solid bike.
Cons: no front suspension, the components appear to be of lesser quality than the Gravity.

If you guys/gals had to choose between these two bikes for getting back into biking, and into the 29'er world, which one would you choose and why?


Also, if this should be in the mountain biking section, please move. I decided to put it here because they are both single-speed bikes. Thanks in advance for any help.