Forever might be too long, jclants, but do take your time. One thing to put into the equation is; how much are you going to ride it. I really believe if you get into the 300.00 - 400.00 range on any of the brands that banzai mentioned, you are going to spend a lot more time riding it, and less time moving it around the garage, to get it out of the way. And, if you ride it a lot, you are going to find things that need improving (any bike, any price). It will make you almost physically ill to spend more on an upgrade than the cost of the entire bike. Trust me.