$1300 for a FS XC rig

walkman said:

Be sure to test the Specialized FSR XC for the same price.

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I went with the FSR since then added disk brakes new rear and front shocks it rides very good. Its similar to the stumpy fsr but with less rear travel, although I added a 6.5" rear shock and now my rear travel exceeds a stumpy (of course still not a stumpy).

Trek 80 is a good price but It was my decision with that bike and the Specialized FSR (fsr was 300+ cheaper) but fuel was better equiped. Trek 80 looked like a good bike but it just didnt look as aggressive fast like the FSR. Plus my friends were all on Specs. Although the fuel 80 shock placement is in a good spot ( I get rocks all over my rear shock) it functions the same; I like specializes 7 bar shape of the fork tube.

Check the warranty of Trek and compare it to Specialized, with specialized they warranty the frame for the first owner of that frame for life.

If you decide to try another bike and want to go without upgrading for awhile try to get one with front and rear air shocks and if possible lockout.

Take a look at the Gary Fisher Sugars. I this girl I know has one and shes stuck with it for 2 seasons so far, not that im calling you a girl.

Khs

I rode a KHS Alite team hardtail last season and was as happy with it as I have been with bikes that are twice the price. I also have a KHS road bike, and have not had a problem with either. Excellent value. I have not had to deal with any warranty issues so I cannot comment on thier service in that area. I am planning to purchase a 904r for racing next season to replace my Specialized epic.
If you are concerned with bushings wearing out I would avoid Specialized. I have had many bikes, and the pivots on every Specialized I have ever owned have gotten sloppy with in six months of riding. Replacing them solves the problem, but I still seems premature. I had an 04 Stumpjumper, and an 05 epic, and replaced every bushing in each bike during the 1 season that I rode them. Don't get me wrong Specialized makes great bikes and backs them as well as anyone in the business.
As far as the Fuel goes I have only demoed them, and I think that they feel very racey. The rear end in my opinion is not as plush as some other bikes, and with the advent of stable platform shocks it is possible to have a plush riding bike that is very efficient. I Have not tried one of the new fuel EX's so maybe it is a little more forgiving. I also felt that the rear suspension of the Fuel suffered from what is reffered to as Brakejack. Underhard breaking into turns the suspension seemed to lose some of its effectivness, leading to a rear tire that was bouncing off of obstacles and causing skidding. Compared side by side with the Specialized FSR's that I am familiar with I would much rather ride a Specialized. Softer, Faster, Better braking, just as efficient, and better looking to. This is only my opinion, others probably disagree.
As far as the ride on the KHS XC I have only demoed them as well, but found the ride to be similar to the Stumpjumper. The one I rode had a Fox shock with propedal, and there was no noticeable bobbing in the pedals. In 06 they are using the new stable platform rock shocks. The biggest thing I like about the KHS is the handlebar mounted lockout, the can control both the front and the rear. In my opinion the 2800 dollar KHS rode as well as my 5500 Specialized stumpjumper. My only complaint was the wheels, and there was nothing really wrong with them, sun rims just don't have the bling factor.
I would reccomend test driving as many bikes in your price range that you can. Off road if possible. Pick the one that you feel the best on. Best luck, and I hope all that helps a little.
Pedal

Thanks guys - I did forget all about Jamis. I wonder what the XC-Comp's shock and rear arm design changes (improves or hurts) compared to the Specialized and KHS designs. If I can find an XC-Comp locally I'll definitely try it. Now that I think about it, this being south Florida and all, I'l going to have tons of fine dust/grit (sand) flying, so maybe the Jamis design of a high rear shock would be a very good thing?

psynsid, what is it you like so much about the Kikapu Deluxe?

Pedalfaraway, I'm really new to XC FS bikes, so I don't know how many companies sell bushing sets, how affordable those bushings sets are, nor how often or easy they are to replace. But in my mind if a company designs a bike with all bushings being easy to replace, not hard to find in a year or two, and relatively cheap, then they just might get my money. I'd like to know that, for whatever bike I buy, in a few years its 'tightness' in the rear will be as good as the day I bought it with just a bushing change-out. That Specialized's bushings wear faster may mean they are of a softer design that is self-lubricating (so less stiction) (sp?). That would be pretty cool if that's what you were experiencing.

Gosh, I'm really starting to look forward to this now. I know that as soon as I get a FS rig I'll be out there having fun and getting more exercise again, so that's my justification to spend $$$ - it's for my health.

I'm not even near getting to a store yet (working my evenings away to afford the bike), so I'll gladly take more input!
Wow am I glad I asked about the Fuel. (I'm wondering if all the Fuel needs is a longer handlebar stem to make it more stable?)

It's done (I think)

Ok guys, thank you so much for your help. Here's the outcome:

The decision was based on designs and companies I knew of and that were local. On top of that I had to be able to find a close-out deal (in retrospect I did get a little off, but would have liked more) on a bike that I could stand to look at (looks aren't everything, but I don't want some funky paint job or color). I started by going to the local stores. DId I mention how bad the service was at one of them? That's what I get for trying to give business to a store who specializes in lower-end models of otherwise good bike company products. They didn't have anything even near my price range in stock to look at, so thankfully I was on my way with that one.

Another did have only a very limited selection of close-out bikes, and only one that was near what I wanted. This was a Haro with s single-pivot suspension. It, however, was spec'd below the level I wanted (but it was only $1000 - great savings, but I'd like a better package)).

Brown_Teeth may have a point there. In fact I hope he does. In my search for some local bike I called another somewhat local bike shop (SWLBS?) asking about the Jamis Dakar Comp. There weren't any left, but the guy was really excited about a bike he actually bought for himself, the Dakar XLT. It worried me that it had more trave (for ride-ability and for price)l, so I guessed I would be giving up something major to get a bigger travel bike for what I could afford. He assured me that he rides his XC all the time, so I went and had a look. The three there were sold, but I could sit on one to just feel it out. I may be wrong, but it seemed like a heck of a package for the money. I don't really know anything about Fox Forks though (but I was glad to find a bike in my price range without that Manitou fork every reports is too soft).

It has hydraulic Hayes as opposed to the mechanical Hayes I kept seeing (if mechanical, I would rather have had Avid I think), SRAM 7.0 rear der, but only Deore hubs. (Hope those low-end Shimano hubs hold up!)

This store had some Specialized FSRxc's in stock, but the price range was higher than that of the Jamis.

So I was able to find what seems like a respectable 2005 FS bike for what I was willing to pay. I made a down-payment and should see 'my' XLT soon. Thank you all for guiding me into what systems were good and what bikes I should use to base my judgement on.

SLX, thanks for your pointers, too. I kinda would rather a oil and spring front fork over an air fork for the reliability issue, but that's the old-school me talking when air shocks and forks lost air, and went bad fast. I don't know how the parts hold up these days. Heck, I'd take a spring rear shock, too, 'cause I know if there's a problem I will still have a spring to ride back on.

I guess the bike isn't an 'all-mountain freeride' bike, but it isn't a XC racer either. It seems to be in the middle of the two, and that may be a good thing. The salesman told me it has a lifetime frame warranty, and based on the reports in the reviews it does seem that Jamis gets things repaired when needed. (I had a little spat with Cannondale the last time I had to replace a frame)

At this point I'll take pointers as to what I'll need to expect to change out first, because I guess I have a bike (finally!).

Best,
GammaDriver

here she is.

Here is what may be the bike of my recent dreams... problem is - I didn't realize that the local trails are completely (yes, completely) closed due to all the trees down from the hurricane. Trees on top of trees, on top of 300 foot Australian Pines. I may not be able to really test the bike for 6 months too a year unless I travel a lot. Oh well... that's south Florida