Originally Posted by
DMC707
(still like my idea of re-habbing a decent boutique grade 26'er best, --- but that's not my call ---- having the suspension re-built on a Fox equipped bicycle is not really that big of a chore -- Rock Shox all bets are off though )
Fox rear shocks are very easy to rehab, the forks can be much worse. New-ish Rock Shox forks are very easy to rebuild, you can find documentation online.
As for BikesDirect, this is basically the cheapest legitimate FS bike you're going to find:
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...tain-bikes.htm
Depending on your local sales tax, a discounted Stance may only be a little more and comes with LBS support.