| If you are not sure if you are going to advance in the sport, don't spend too much at first. If you find out you don't like it, the money will be wasted. I don't know your budget, but for a starter bike I would strongly recommend a bike over 300 dollars. Anything below will be super heavy and not good on hills. They are also more dangerous because the cheap quality parts might break on rough places. If you are sure you will be biking for years to come, I would recommend a bike at least in the $700+ range. Yes, bikes are expensive. But they will last longer than cheaper bikes. Don't buy at big stores like walmart, sports authority, etc. It is assembled by people who don't know what they are doing and the bikes will probably break if you ride often. Instead, buy from a real bike store. The staff will be helpful and help you choose the right bike. For bikes under $1000, don't get a full suspension. Hardtails under $1000 are much nicer than the similarly priced full suspension. Since you are riding on hilly terrain, disc brakes might be helpful, but just know it will cost more. Disc brakes are useful for long descents when your brakes heat up. I don't really know about the places you ride, but a relatively nice fork is a must if it is very rocky. If you want the best bang-for-the-buck, online is the answer, but it isn't really recommended unless you know what you are doing and how to adjust bikes. The online store I would use is ibexbikes.com, but the beginner bikes are mostly sold out for the year. The new ones will be coming out late this year. A nice site for researching bikes is mtbr.com. They have a forum for asking questions and lots of reviews for bikes and bike parts. The answers you get there will probably be better than the ones you get here. Good luck! add any additional details if you have any more questions. I will check back.
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