Tom's right about the light aluminum alloys, I had an old Royce Union MB and it was a good bike, then i picked up a Raleigh M50 and the light frame makes a world of difference. (It was like going from 40+lbs to 24lbs)<br>I wasn't looking for a $4k high end ride, but the M50 had pretty good hardware and front suspension. I'm not doing much downhill in Louisiana so the hardtail was my best choice. Of course I may make a few mods to the hardware before I head off for the cross country ride.<br><br>Hope that helps.<br><br>David