It’s doesn’t matter what others are riding, make sure what you get is comfy for you! Otherwise you’re in for a world of pain 😈
The second thing is reliability; get a standard geometry Aluminium frame nothing fancy. Also make sure there are no weak points in the spec, look for getting something with a full LX group set and a 100mm air spring fork. The rest of the finishing kit should be basic but workmanlike. Merlin cycles do some good custom builds for your budget – Clicky[/url]
After that it’s down to the organic blob sitting on it. Start getting the miles in and good luck. 😀