So I am new to mountain biking and need help choosing my first bike. I wont be riding fast trails or doing any jumps, I will just be riding round the local forests and getting used to riding off road and improving basic skills before I try anything more challenging. I have a budget of £450 so I am looking for a hardtail that will suit what I need, preferably with a good enough frame so that I can just upgrade components in the future.
The bikes I have been looking at are:
Felt Q220 – http://www.rutlandcycling.com/25578/Felt-Q220-2011—Hardtail-Mountain-Bike.html
Cube Aim – http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=57177
Specialized Hardrock Sport Disc – http://www.bikescene.co.uk/Specialized-Hardrock-Sport-Disc-1879-31-0.html
Boardman Mountain Bike Sport – http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_561395_langId_-1_categoryId_165499#dtab
What one out of that list would you recommend or are there any other ones that I should look at? I cant go over my budget as I will need the money for other gear.
Thanks for looking