New bike for a Clyde, interested in catching air and riding hard
Hey guys, this is my first post aside from my introduction. I've been lurking for a couple of days, going back in time through old posts and such. I'm new to mountain biking, having commuted by bike before, but not taken it off road at all. At 6'2" and 215 I think I squeeze into the clydesdale class...
Not to long after I took my old bike (A GT Palomar) off road, I put cracks in a weld, bottomed out the forks, lost a grip (this really hurt...), and took a wheel out of true. This leads me to two conclusions:
1) You get what you pay for,
and
2) Big guys need bikes that can take a little extra.
So I went to a bike shop recommended by a friend, and the sales guy put me on a 2009 Kona Hoss. I already know that I want to keep biking, so the price isn't all that hard for me to swallow, plus he gave me 20% off (store wide sale). I asked him if he had any other bikes that he could recommend to me, and he said that he did not. I'm not tall enough to take a 29 on trail (according to him), and at my price range (topping out around 1000), I probably won't find one durable enough anyway. He said the other companies won't make one that will suite my needs for the closing price on his (just over 1000, with upgraded pedals - I don't trust this clipless idea yet).
Now I'm throwing it out to you. I'm not completely committed to the bike itself, I've put it on lay-a-away, and I can change my purchase choice at any time, all I lose is the sale savings (around 200 bones). So, the question is this: Should I stick with the Hoss (which felt great) or try out a few other bikes (that you recommend)? The only other higher end bike I've taken for a spin is a Rocky Mountain Trailhead, which also felt fantastic, but when I asked the sales guy about it, he said that the Hoss had tougher components and would put up with much more sh#t and abuse on the trail.
Any and all opinions are welcome, I've got a couple months to make my decision, so I want to consider as many angles as possible. The only reason I put it on lay-a-way was to take advantage of the sale price, in case this really was the best possible choice.