re: Mountain Bike Reccomendations

Yeah there are a lot of good brands like Jamis, Kona, Giant, etc. Just steer clear of the trash from the box stores. They are cheap, heavy, and break easily. Welds and fasteners are the last thing you want to worry about when you're bombing down a mountain.

Also wanted to add that when you choose a bike brand you're only choosing the frame and customer service.

All the other components like shifters, wheels, tires, etc are made by other companies. The one main exception being Specialized.