The hard-tail mountain bike is the way to go. Compare bikes at the same price points. The best way to compare them is to test ride them. When starting, I like to use Giant as a base for comparison, but that’s just because I have a good relationship with a Giant dealer. You can pick any brand to start with.

It’s all about the test riding. How the bike fits and feels is the important thing, not the name on it, fancy brochures, or marketing hype. Bikes at the same price are very likely to be equivalent values. The best way to stretch your budget is to ask if the dealers have any of last year’s models left over.

Don’t get hung up on parts or components. At your price level, they all work well and reliably. I use parts and components as a tie breaker.

HTH

Head to your local bike shop and check out the section on hard-tails. Below $1000 a hard-tail is your best deal. However some dealers might have a few older full Susp. bikes at a bargain price.

You can find plenty of really nice hardtail mountain bikes in the sub $800 price range. You should plan to stay away from full suspension bikes in this range, though. Reasonable entry level full-suspension bikes are significantly more.

The bike business is very competitive. At any particular price point, you’ll find most bikes are pretty comparably outfitted. Personally, I’d lean toward Shimano and SRAM components. They are tough and readily repaired or replaced as the case may be. At this price range, an air spring shock like a Fox F100 or Rock Shox Recon may just be possible. Also, hydraulic disk brakes may just be possible. Both of these components help give the most comfy ride. Keep in mind, if a shop has a 2007 closeout, you’ll be able to get the best bargain.

Anyhow, with lot of hills to climb, I’d especially focus on lightweight. To this end, you might want to look at offerings from Gary Fisher, Specialized, Trek, Giant and Cannondale.

I suggest you take nice long rides on each machine to be sure it fits right and feels comfortable. Your bike shop may not allow you to ride trails with a new machine, but they won’t object to you taking say an hour long ride. This will easily turn up issues that you won’t notice in a 10 minute spin around the shop’s parking lot.

Hope this helps.

Hello fellow cyclist…

That price range is feasible…
There are a variety of Mountain bikes that are available through my web store and bike shop.

Give my business partner a shout…

Alayah