I agree with these other posters. I started with an MTB with shocks. Did a lot of curb jumping. In six months I destroyed the rear rim (didn't have a rear shock) from slamming it into curbs. On the road, shocks do nothing but rob you of power. After destroying the MTB with six months of urban commuting, I junked it and bought a commuter bike - a Cannondale Road Warrior 4. The first day I rode it to work I was amazed - it was too fast for the sidewalk so I stopped hopping curbs and just rode in the road. It cut five minutes off my commute to work. Bottom line is, if you aren't going truly offroad, a mountain bike is a waste of not only your money, but your energy as well.