Yaaay! You're getting a mtn bike!

I bought (er... got for my birthday?) a rockhopper last april, and I love it. (i also ride a bianchi eros on the road )

the only thing i'd complain about are the cables... the bike store i bought it from (and actually, every other bike-store- built rockhopper i've seen) runs them along the downtube (rather than the toptube) and they tend to get gunked up if you ride a lot of mud and you end up with cable tension issues. that's pretty easily fixed, though....

my mom just bought a fischer cake and they run the cables along the top-- cleaner looking and better shifting.

other than that, the fork that comes stock on the 'hopper is great for a spring-fork (rather than air compression... don't know the actual technical term) and unless you have a bad back, it's about all you'll need for the mtn biking around SE MI (and Up North )

*GASP* when you get your bike you have to do iceman!!!!! it's supposed to be tons of fun, but register early (the race is in Nov, but registration often closes in Feb) www.iceman.com

oh, regarding K2 and Kona, I've heard great things about those bikes both... one of the guys on my team (one of the only two that I'd trust to touch my bike) rides a K2 (and does pretty well...), and the other guy i'd trust to touch my bike commutes on a Kona SS.

but i do <heart> my rockhopper

have fun and good luck!!!