The downside to al this high-tech is that it is all high-maintenance.

I went with the Luddite approach for my current bike. It's an Otis Guy Softride build, the one with the beam and handlebar suspension. Quite odd to look at, but fits my (lazy) maintenance needs and my (no longer overly aggressive) riding style nicely. It has a steel frame with mostly XT, and the whole thing is under 24 lbs (and that includes my toolkit). I spend most of my time riding in the DC area and the mountains of NC. But never in the snow - I'm sure I'd break my neck!

I've been wondering about light, full suspension bikes for my next one, but all those complex linkages seem so, well, complicated that I just haven't gotten the urge to start spending the money. My bike's about 9 years old, and needs almost nothing but new tubes, tires, brake pads and a bit of lube here and there. I did upgrade my drivetrain and brakes a couple years ago - they were getting a bit sloppy.

-jk