Rockhopper 2003 vs 2004
 

I'm still looking out to buy a bike (see my prev post ) and I just rode a '04 Rockhopper comp today. Felt nice but it's a little out of my price league, so I think I'm stuck between the standard Rockhopper and the GF Tassajara.

Now can someone tell me why there is a big price drop from the '03 Rockhopper to the '04.

Also, is it worth buying a standard Rockhopper (as opposed to the comp) and upgrading later?

I'm just starting to ride seriously, which means I may do between 1 to 4 rides a week. Will I have any problems with the components on the the Rockhopper?

How does the Tassajara compare?

Thanks.