I am 50 and really got back into mountain biking about 2 years ago. I went with the Roscoe 8 and my son in law upgraded his Gary Fisher full suspension for a Fuse. The Roscoe is 2.8 inch and the Fuse runs 3 inch. Both are a blast to ride. I agree, the front suspension is great and the plus tires give some cushion. Depending on the types of trails you ride will depend on the need for the full suspension. You might want to rent some bikes or wait for the LBS has demo ride days to get the true feel of the bikes. I have ridden 29’rs and I like the 27.5 better but I am not very talented so I can’t use a bike to it’s fullest. In the end I don’t think you can make a wrong decision with the bikes that are out there especially when you get above the $1500.00 mark.