the birm*

never say never!
if you know me, then you'll know that i abuse the phrase "we'll see what happens" quite a bit. yet when the forks on my merida (which i must say is still running great and, as far as i know, the forks are still in one piece) gave way, i vowed NEVER to buy suntour forks again.
evidently, when you're on a budget and looking for a bike, you have 2 options: get a good-but-well-ridden-by-someone-else second hand bike, or a not-so-good-but-at-least-it's-new one. having looked and looked and looked for ages i came to 3 conclusions: 1) the second-hand market is not worth it unless you're talking higher end bikes and 2) most/all brands are now using suntour forks on their cheaper models and 3) even if i spent a bit more and got more reputable brand shocks, they would be bottom-of-the-line ones and may not perform any better than suntour anyway.
it was only after seeing a specialized for a great price at a store in BDO (where i live) that i investigated the suntour company. and yes, it does seem that they 1) have picked up their game 2) have bought out many other major parts manufacturers and 3) actually have some good products these days.
blablabla, the point is that since i'm no longer racing and on a tight budget, i bit the bullet and bought a hardrock for just a bit more than i sold my great-but-too-small avalanche. i've taken it out for a spin (up, down, road, dirt, mud, rocks, forest, grass, hills...) and it rides really nice (like any new bike should). as for the long(er) run... we'll see what happens!