Low end mountain bikes.....

[DirtDiva]

So would the low end Trek be sufficient? I saw this one:

http://bikecatalog.bikeworld.com/atb.php?id=83

That would be an excelent starter mtb - well and truly able to take you on a pootle along some fire roads and family trails, but also capable of taking you onto more challenging terrain should you find yourself getting really keen on mountain biking. You would also be able to easily upgrade bits on a bike like this, should you wish/need to in the future.

It's already been mentioned that full suspension bikes in your price range will be rubbish. The other thing to stay away from on cheaper bikes is disc brakes. They're fabulous things, but likely to be crappy, unreliable, disappointing ones on an lower pricepoint bike - much better to go with a bike with v-brakes unless you decide you want to spend more. You can always upgrade later.

Of other brands mentioned here, Giant and Specialized both have a reputaion for speccing their bikes well at any given pricepoint, so could be well worth looking into. You've chosen the perfect time of year to go bike shopping. All the 2007 are hitting the shops and the 2006 models are going on sale.