Mountain bikes with 500 TTT?

[SadieKate]

I'd also consistently read that it was better in most respects to learn on an HT. I guess I'll find out.

You won't hear that from me.

Yes, people who learn on hard tails may learn finesse and some techniques better, but they may also learn fear. FS has a larger margin of error which means you get away with more, but depending on age, ailments, general mindset, etc., FS can be the way to go.

If I had started out with FS, I'd be a far better rider today. My knees and hips are happier with FS. My brain is happier with FS. I ride more obstacles with FS.

But no matter what, you have to get a decent front fork. Bad hands need a nice soft smooth action and you need to be able to dial in the rebound so you don't ricochet off obstacles and learn fear.