II own 2 mountain bikes, a Chas Roberts custom made in '88 and a Marin East Peak which I brought on a whim in '99. The Roberts has been resprayed and rebiult several times and is still going strong. Its "fully" rigid ! But I love riding the boody thing. The Marin has been upgraded over the years as well, new drivechain, new Pace RC38 forks to mention a couple of things. To be honest though, any money Ive spent on this bike has been a waste. I ridden it for miles but have never experienced anywhere near the pleasure that I get from riding the Roberts. It all seems like too much effort, probably a lot to do with the Marin being a full susser AND the fact that it has always felt far too big for me, whereas the Roberts fits me like a glove.