Originally Posted by floating dutchy

MTB's don't use tubulars, so your stuck with clinchers. Are you a troll or was that a troll filter?

Assuming your not a troll:

Three things you mention:

1, you are not new to cycling, and own a few bikes. You probably have access to at least a crap MTB.

2, you want bang for buck

3, your budget is 8K

So why don't you use any bike you can get your paws on and go have a look at the local trails, come home and spend 1K on whatever you think is the closest fit to you , your riding style and the trails. Quit the bike after six months and get $500 for it. (realistic). Think about the school kid that's going to buy the 1K bike for $500 and love it!
Remember, that bike cost you $20 a week, and you've had fun from it and learned from it.
Then spend the 8K on a bike, by now you will know exactly what you want and spend wisely, let's say 8 K and you get five years good use from it, after five years riding one bike, you will think, I've got my money's worth, you can write the bike off as money well spent.
8K over 5 years is $32 a week, lots more than what the "test bike" cost!
And you can call the $500 on the test bike a "donation to the sport", helping some school kid have a go if you like.
Win / win!
Oh, and buy from your local bike shop, Cost me $100 extra to buy from my LBS than buying over the interweb, has saved me MUCH more that that since, and next time I have an issue, LBS will give advice for free, something they cannot do if nobody buys there and they go out of business.

FD