The Brookhaven store is the closest to me (I'm in the metro Atl Area). I figured it was the actual components when I saw a review about a particular fork that was $1,200. That's a bit out of my beginners budget. Regarding forks, which types are best suited for a mix of paved surface and trail riding? Honestly I'll probably spend a lot of time riding the trails at Ft Yargo in Winder (if you're familiar). I've seen forks that say 100mm with lockout- honestly that's all Greek to me.

I'm looking at mostly 29er bikes, and I think I need a 19-20" frame. I saw one on Craigslist that I liked but was 17" frame and I'm afraid that may be too small. I'll probably just wait another week or so when I have time to swing by the bike shop.