I only been riding XC with a friends bike the last 2 months and the MTB bug has bite for good.

But I need to get my bike and here's what is happening.

I put in lay away a Marlin 29er a month a go with plans to get it out by fathers day weekend. Two weeks after I gave $100.00 went by the LBS to see the bike cause the guy there told me that was the time frame for the bike to get to the shop since we ordered it 2 weekes earlier. That day he told me that the Trek Gary Fisher Marlin 2011 was out of stock but that he could get me the 2012 model by mid July 2011. That day I told him ok, I'll wait for it.

Yesteday for Fathers day I received a new Giro helmet and some $$ and today in lunch break I decided to go to the LBS to see if there were other bikes at the $699.00 price range that I could change and not wait till July.

My options are:

Trek 6000 26' 17.5 $750 RockShox Dart 3 + platform/clip pedals $60 = $810

or the Trek Mamba 29' 19 $949

I know that the Trek 6000 sounds like a good deal but I'm not sure, I got use to the 29er feeliing also.

I am 5'11 32 inseam and both fit me well.

I'll appreciate any help commenting here about this 2 bike cause the LBS closes today at 7:00 pm and I am getting the bike today. Your comments will help me decide...

Thank You !!

Sorry for my bad english writing !

I've got a Trek 6000 that I really enjoy. I chose it over the Marlin myself. I found the Dart 3 nicer than the Suntour on the Marlin and the sizing on the Marlin didn't feel right to me. The 6000 "felt right." Also, the shifting on the X5 was a touch nicer.

Also, I'd imagine the 6000 may be small for you. I'm about 5'8"-5'9" and ride a 17.5 and it feels pretty damn good to me.

Yep, even dough the Trek 6000 has better components for its price I better get the Mamba 29er cause it felt better under my feet.

Or should I ask the guy to give me my $200 deposit back and go for the other bike shop in town and get me a Rockhopper comp 29er for $1,325 ? I did not try this one but fell in love with its looks(esthetics). $376 diference from the Mamba, ouch...

decisions, decisions...

Sure the rockhopper wasn't an expert?

Anywho, Mamba gets a Tora fork, 32mm stanchions, more refined than the 6000's Dart 3 fork.

Definitely go with what feels right.

You may want to do a bit more research regarding front suspension. This is a really important part of the bike to understand, and will make you a lot more confident if you can rely on it. It is really hard for me to go balls to the walls if I am worried about part failure. However, it is also an easy part to upgrade later if you need to.

Got the Mamba !! Had a 30 minute ride last night and it felt great.

Thanks guys for the comments !!

congrats man. show us some pics!

I was gonna say the 6000 is a great bike, but for Hardtails I'd go Fisher 29er. They have the best geometry (in my opinion) of any of the 29ers and are mosters. Plus, Trek/Fisher has always been great to me. Both the mamba and the marlin are great bikes.