Originally Posted by gtrdave

Oh, I get that, but for a first time mtb rider I would not suggest an outdated full-squish bike to start on. Like everyone else has stated, f/s bikes have made leaps and bounds in tech and geometry in a short time, so even a 5 y.o. f/s bike may not be a wise first-time-rider choice. I would never recommend a Super V700 to a new rider...well, maybe 20 years ago I would have.