Originally Posted by
FrozenK
And on those you linked, with the pivot placed well above the big ring you are in for pedal kickback.
Interesting info. Is that a universal rule of thumb?
OP, if you haven't figured it out, no one is really a fan of your choice.
If $1000 is your limit, I would look at used. And open up to hardtail unless you have some sort of back injury or something that would really be best served with a full suspension. HTs are a lot of fun, too.