Any assistance would be welcome
My i suggest an electric full suspension with + tyres.
If i may elaborate…The electric motor will make any uphills flat. The suspension at both ends will make the roughest of trails feel baby bum smooth and the + tyres will give you so much grip (and 74% of the grins associated with proper fat tyres) that you will never have to leave the saddle no matter how slippery the ground looks. Basically, in the years you’ve been away mountain bike equipment has evolved to the point that it’s hardly worth riding any more as the challenge has been removed.
If you persist in this silly notion that mtbing is as good as you remember you’ll need a few more things to keep you bang! on trend. Top of the list is a skillz lesson course. Jabba is the guy to see – he’s like magic man and transforms people who can’t even ride a bike into people who can ride a bike a tiny little bit. But the real magic is how he makes them think they are a riding god and are able to offer riding advice to others. It’s probably the second greatest magic trick ever.
You’ll also require a bike fit, three dozen ‘test’ rides*, a six pack of enduro and a couple of stravas. A useless folding spade for ‘trailbuilding’ – while not essential like the stuff above – is very useful for filling in any bumps in the trail that your suspension can’t cope with.
None of this essential stuff comes for free so if budget is a consideration then i’d suggest riding the bike you didn’t sell and ignore the bike press and websites like this one.
* A pros/cons spreadsheet for each of the bikes you test will help you decide which of the 36 bikes you tested makes mountain biking the easiest is best for you.