Irulan,

Let's see. I just looked at the bike. It has a Rock Shox Judy XC fork. it has Shimano Deore LX components. I don't know the weight....... it's heavy to lift it up to a roof rack compared to other bikes I've lifted. The wheels are Bontrager. Can't tell what kind anymore. The frame fits me well, I think. That's the part I like. I feel comfortable on it as far as the size goes. I can climb okay on it, but climbing is my strength. Technical stuff is a lot more difficult for me, but I think that's a lack of skill more than anything else. I'd like to blame the bike, but realistically, can't do so.

When you say a new fork made an incredible difference in the ride of your husband's bike, how did it change the ride? Did it handle better? Take bumps, roots, rocks better? What exactly did it improve?

Budgetwise, it's hard to say. I can get a very decent discount from my bike dealer as long as I get a Trek. So good it makes it almost silly for me to look at anything else. I suppose I'd be looking at something in at least the $1000 range.

What do you think of dual-suspension vs. hard-tail? What's the disadvantages of a dualie? I have a couple friends who went that way this year and their riding improved almost overnight. They rave about the bikes and love the suspension. They say they can ride almost anything with it.

Lots of questions, I know. But I seriously would like to improve my off-road skills and do a few races next year. Any help or advice from experienced riders is appreciated very much!