I've just moved to Austin, TX and want to buy a bike since I don't have a car. I'll be using it for getting around town as well as trail riding/downhill.

I used to mountain bike on a regular basis but it's been a while since I've been in the bike world, so I'm seeking opinions/advice of the gurus here.

Should I go for hard-tail or full suspension? What brands should I be looking at/staying away from?

Will I be able to find a decent 2nd hand bike as I don't want to buy new? How much would I be looking at for a good 2nd hand hardtail/full suspension bike? I don't need a top of the line bike but I also don't want a piece of junk. Ideally I'd like something maybe 2-3 yrs old, not much more than that.

This caught my eye: https://austin.craigslist.org/bik/1937973536.html

Thoughts?

Is craigslist a good place to look or is there somewhere better that I should be searching instead?

craigslist is a great place to look. a decent full suspension will usually be expensive, they are nice, but not necessary. any brand name bike is good. most important thing is get a bike that fits comfortably.

For what I've said I'll be using the bike for, what is more suitable, hardtail or full suspension?

For a decent HT/full suspension, how much would I be looking to spend for a second hand one 2-3 years old?

Anyone have thoughts on the link I posted?

I'll be using it for getting around town as well as trail riding/downhill.

i understand getting around town, a hardtail is perfect for that. your idea of downhill and my idea of downhill might be a bit different. by downhill, do you mean "super D" type downhill, with 3 foot drop offs, gaps, rocks, roots, etc? because if so, then you want a downhill bike, which would be full suspension, and while you could ride it around town or XC on trails, it wouldn't be the best.

the bike in your link is perfect for getting around town, provided it fits you. the most expensive bike with the best parts is no good if it doesn't fit you.

as for how much for a used bike, that honestly depends on the bike and the seller.

I've been out of the bike scene for quite a few years now so I'm going to ease back into it and not do anything too crazy to start off with.

the giant boulder is generally sold a bit CHEAPER than 300 dollars. Also this guy already has it, so you dont what condition it is in so the price should be lower than msrp. If you keep looking you could probably find something cheaper. I actually demoed that bike before buying a Rockhopper and it was alright, the front deralliuer sucked, but the ride was plush and its good for the price.

Alright thanks, I'm still trying to figure out whether I should be looking at HT or Full susp

So the impression I get is that HT is more suited to limited off road stuff, whereas Full Susp is mostly for off road. Given that I'll be doing about half of each, what should I go for?

You're better off to start with a budget first.

Well thats why I'm trying to figure out which sort of bike is better suited to my needs so I can figure out my budget from there.

I've been using a fully rigid 26" GF Wahoo for moderate trail riding for a while now, & it's still working fine for me. You can use any bike to do anything. When you start incorporating suspension, it's all about luxury. If you're going to be doing some serious XC & light DH, get a FS bike & then get a cheap road bike for commuting. If you're going to be doing moderate XC & no real DH (reference Youtube "downhill biking" search to get an idea of what real DH is) then get a hardtail & use it for everything. Hardtails are generally lighter that FS bikes & it would drive me insane commuting with the my ass bobbing up & down with every rotation of the crank. If your budget is $300, check craigslist. Check craigslist either way, actually. But if you can go a little more expensive & want a new bike, $400-500 will go a much longer way than $300 for decent mountain bike. It can get you a solid frame, decent components, & entry level fork. The biggest thing is that it can get you a frame that's worth upgrading when things start to break.