Buying a mountain bike

Hello Peter, im looking to buy a mountain bike and i was wondering if you knew what kind of bike is good someone that hasn't riden in a while. I'd appreciate your advice thank you.
Steve

I am not an expert, but I will say: It depends on what (or how) you want to ride and how big you are. I have a Specialized Rock Hopper. It is a basic entry level bike for mountain biking good for cross country trail riding. I would imagine that you will be in this category. What do you plan to do: Free style, cross country (i.e. trail riding), down hill, etc. check this link out http://en.wikipedia.o...

Its mainly for trail riding in forests or mountains. I plan on using is every week. I know that I'll have to spend at least $130 on a solid bike.

Dude, you will have to spend at least $500 for a "solid" bike. Anything less then that will be "a" bike. It will look like a mountain bike, but it will fall apart if you do any serious riding. You will get one season out of it, if you are lucky and ride very little. Mountain bikes start at $500 and run as high as $3000 (or more). The Rock Hopper I got was $550, by the time I walked out of the shop with misc. accessories I paid $700. I have the cheapest bike in the group I ride with. With that said, I do not know your economic situation, how often you will ride, or how hard you will ride. I always tell people to start low until you are certain it is a sport you will enjoy and pursue. It is not smarter to have a $1000 bike sitting in the garage. If you buy a bike for $130 and love the sport, next year you will buy a $1000 bike. If you bail on the sport, and many do, you will be out only $130. If you can afford to bail with a $500 investment, then you will find the experience much more enjoyable on a solid bike designed for trail riding (as appose to looking like a bike designed for trail riding).

The price of a bike is directly proportional to the quality of the components: The frame, rims, gears, shocks, shifters, etc. A cheep bike looks the same to a casual observer, but the components are low quality. They can not take the hard abuse of off road riding. They will work at first, but give out after a few serious rides.

I bought my 13-year old son a Diamond Back Peak, on sale for $200 at Sports Authority. This is a low end bike. He does not ride off road. He just rides around the neighborhood and pretends he is a mountain bike rider. None-the-less, his bike can handle an occasional ride at Mianus park ... mostly on the fire roads. It will do him ok. If he decides that he wants to really trail ride I will have to upgrade him to a better bike. But, I will upgrade him only when he is ready for the upgrade (i.e. after he beats the s**t out of his bike trail riding). He will probably out grow it and start chasing girls before then.