there are so many of these "which bike is best" type posts.
I agree that most people are going to tell you that their bike is best.
After all, how many want to admit that they spent hundreds or thousands of dollars on the 'wrong' bike
My advice is don't be afraid to plunge into the scary world of local bike shops. Tell them what you want the bike for,
test ride their suggestions, do the same in as many shops as you can.
Then when you've settled on a few 'finalists', come back to bike forums.
You will still get people advocating for 'their' bike, but you will have some personal experience to help you decide.