Originally Posted by mrchristian

+1 Profail suggested whats known as an All-mountain bike or trail bike. Basically, its like an XC bike, but with more travel (around 5 inches) but still pedals pretty well if you want to do big climbs on it. Usually, they come with coil forks to take bigger hits (also less maintenance), and larger tires (2.3's) Probably the best solution for most people who want a full-suspension mountain bike.

Possibly the best option is the Cannondale Prophet. Find an '07 and get the base model (Prophet 6) for around $1200 or less. One of the cheaper 5in trail bikes, and made in the USA. Also, the Giant Trance.

If you want a hardtail, the Kona Five-O is about the same price and is a pretty good trailbike as well.

Specialized makes some awesome bikes, but they are considerably more $$$. Don't bother with the FSRxc for this type of riding. Check out the Pitch Comp ($2k)