Pros: Capable descender with 140mm travel, but a good light climber as well. SLX/XT drive train and Fox suspension is great for the price.

Cons: 9mm QR fork, would like to see a 20mm TA. 180mm rotor up front would be nice. Stock tires were bike path tires, fine for hardpack but poor for mud/chunk/loose over hard.

Recommendation: I would heartily recommend this bike to anyone, but especially as an "only bike". It's a great XC bike, and would work great for casual races and general trail riding. I've also found it to be stable and quick on the downhills which makes it a good light "all mountain" bike. For heavier riders, I'd recommend grabbing a 180-200mm front rotor. Brakes are plenty strong enough, but need more surface area up front. Also, changing the wheelset to a lighter setup made this thing climb like a ROCKET.

Pros: The suspension is a great combo. It is pretty light and handles anything that I throw at it.

Cons: Tires are only good for hard fast pack. Mud or sand require different tires.

Recommendation: Very good choice. Would recommend to anyone.