I've been looking all over for decent bikes around 500 bucks.
what i've found were.... gary fisher "marlin", giant "iguana", kona "blast", there was also a schwinn "mesa" 01'.

i'm leaning toward the giant or the fisher (shwinn?)
i need some input:

are giant decent bikes generally?, schwinn? fisher?

are manitou six or rock shox judy TT better?

i don't know what components are most important to look at for comparisons.

If anyone would be willing to give me some input it would really help me a lot.

Specialized make better bikes than any of the choices you have up there, giant, schwinn and gary fisher make decent bikes, manitou six are better.

Shawn H, Schwinn recently was bought out by Pacific, who sells bikes at Wal-Mart. Spend a few minutes going through the forums and you'll quickly see that Wal-Mart bikes are disdained. Gaint makes great bikes with big bang for the buck. The Iguana will probably be better equipped than the others you mentioned. A Manitou Six is a better fork, RockShox Judy TT's have no dampening adjustments, and RS has recently gone bankrupt.

yea, but the schwinns out on the bike shops floors didnt come from "Pacific" so they still are good bikes

thanks, that helps. i think i may end up with the giant, i still want to see what other peole think though.

Go test ride them and see which feels the best to you. I voted for Fisher because that was what I chose. I like the geometry and the frame construction. The components where good for price I paid (Big Sur) I'm assuming your looking at the Tassajara since you asked about the Manitou Six fork. I think the Manitou is a much nicer fork then the Judy TT, and I also think the Tassajara is a great bike for the money. The shop I work at does a good buisness with the Tassajara's. But, if the geomtry doesn't feel right to you, then go with something else.

Best in what way?

Best value for money?
Strongest construction?
Lightest weight?
Best mix of components?
Best warranty?
Best after-sales service?
Best looking?
Most comfortable?

These are all points you need to consider and I doubt the 'best' at anyone of these will necessairily be the 'best' at all the others.

I don't think you'll get a bad bike from any of the manufacturers you listed (or most other big names (or many small names)). You really need to try the bikes to see what you like about them - in my opinion, comfortable fit is probably the most important factor, and for that you must try them out.

Once you've narrowed it down to a few that you've tried and liked, or have specific questions on a bike or manufacturer, come back and ask us, and we'll happilly give our biased views

In the meantime go and give them a test ride and enjoy it

With regards to forks opinions are very mixed but Marzocchi seem highly regarded by most users. Rock Shox have very mixed reports, Manitou generally good, Fox pretty good. Have a look at www.bikemagic.com or www.mtbr.com for reviews on specific forks.

Richard

I'm with Rich D and Slide on this one,

Ride as many as you can, and make a decison based on that.

We all have our favourite bike brands, but they may not be the ones for you

Let us know what you go for!

Rich

hey im from england so im not to sure about the value of $500 but over here u can get some decent frames for about £500 like the azonic and the club roost

I couldn't decide between the Kona, the Fisher or the Giant. Heck, they're all good bikes! I ended up voting for the KONA because I feel their bikes are designed a little beefier than the rest. Trek = Gary Fisher, so those bikes are pretty much the same!

I agree with everyone else, the SIX is better than the TT!

Good Luck!
L8R

i ride for the shere fun nothin beats a good fast trail in the middle of nowhere. Yeah the Konas are pretty solid but my vote would have to go on the giant atx one.

Hi Davetrails...

Welcome to the forums...always good to have a Brit on the boards What do you ride?

Rich

Kona makes the toughest most hardcore bikes out of the ones on your poll. get one if you pound.

I have a Giant NRS right now and I love it. If and when I look for another MTB, the only other one I would be interested in would be a Kona. (At least for right now.)

At this price point (i'm assuming this is your first or perhaps second "real" mountain bike) shop for your DEALER more than the bike.

If you are new(ish) to the sport you will have lots of questions and concerns and may need mechanical help down the road(errr trail )

After you narrow your search to 2 or 3 models that "feel" right, spend some time at the shop asking questions about service after the sale and find out how willing they are to swap parts(like saddles and tires and stems).

Go with the shop that treats you the best! A bike shop that treats you poorly or is overly snobby will certainly not be any better AFTER they have your hard-earned $$$ in hand.

Good luck.

I thought I should add that i have broken two giant frames ( ATX 870 1999, and a ATX 890 2001). So if you ride hard ie. drops, jumping, trials, urban assult ect. Don't but a giant

Yeah i'm new to the sport. I think i'm going to go with the giant iguana, it has the most bang for the buck. From what i get, they make decent frames, so now i just look at componentry. It has better stuff then most bikes in the range, some shimano deore stuff(best i've seen on a bike in that range), manitou six shocks, everything seems pretty good. The peole are pretty nice where i've getting it. thanks for your help, anymore tips and info would be good.