"Thisdale" wrote
get yourself a good quality used bike, change the tires and have it tuned. There are extremely good deals out there and buying new won’t help you much because if you are serious about riding, within a year you’ll change half the components on it. On that subject, aim for XT/equivalent.
Thanks for the reply Thisdale.
What would you recommend I look at for used bikes? Which years and models should I stay clear of because of quality?