Re: new MTB - next level

Scott said:

Go used!

Without any qualifying statements, that's pretty useless advice.

Buying second hand gives you the option of picking up a great deal.
However, if you don't know what you're looking at or for, then you can
pretty easily part with a lot of cash for a turkey. Even if you do get a
good deal on a bike that fits, if the bike in question has simple faults
(eg, buckled wheel, gears out of sync, etc) and you don't know how to fix
them, then it's going to cost you a fair amount of money at your LBS to
get that fixed.

There are lots of pitfalls to going second hand, but if you, or someone
you know, knows exactly what you're looking for, then great. Otherwise, I
would suggest finding a good LBS who will be able to select the right bike
for you, and support it afterwards.