$769
35.5 pounds
3.5-inch rear wheel travel
KHS, (618) 393-2955
Maxi test: July 2006

Highlights: There's a lot of bike here for under $800. The coil suspension is easy to adjust, and the semi-active linkage pedals extremely well. The Rapidfire triggers shift the 8-speed Alivio/Truvativ transmission better than most bikes costing over $3000. Many riders would give up 5 beats of their threshold to have shifting as good as on the XC-104. The Winzip disc brakes surprised us. They're some of the best modulating mechanical discs on the market. They even have wavy rotors.

Best quote: "We wish it had an 11-34 eight-speed cassette instead of the 11-30. The bike is a little heavy, and you'll need the lowest gear you can get."

Bottom line: This is a beginner's bike. The first year of riding will be spent honing your skills and discovering what type of mountain biking you want to excel at. You don't need a lightweight climbing bike. That might not even be the type of riding you really want to do. If you like lift riding better, this bike is tough enough to bang down a hill without falling to pieces. It will do whatever you want and help you bloom into the rider you're destined to be.