If You Had $2,500 to Spend, Would You Buy a Hardtail or a FS Bike?

Twenty five hundred dollars is a lot of money but let's face it, that amount of cash doesn't go as far as we would like, especially when it comes to buying a new mountain bike.
Brown County Bike Shop. Photo: Danielle Wolter Nolan.

Twenty five hundred dollars is a lot of money but let’s face it, that amount of cash doesn’t go as far as we would like, especially when it comes to buying a new mountain bike. Full suspension is really nice to have, but at this price point tradeoffs and compromises will need to be made when it comes to factors like component quality, features, weight, and durability.