PDKL45

If you are outside of the USA, look at a Merida. You should be able to buy a Merida Big Nine 15 or a Big Seven 15 for about US $500, or even a Big Seven/Nine 20. A Big Seven or Big Nine 300/500 would be $750 to $900 I'd say, so a bit out of your budget, but really decent bikes.

Maelochs

Cool.

Understand that if you buy a cheap bike based on looks, it will be unlikely to be a great bike to actually ride, and probably won't last real long. However .... if you don't really test the bike, (ride it hard enough to stress the parts) then you could conceivably enjoy riding a cheap bike for a long time.

BikesDirect is still probably your best source, since you don't seem to know a ton about suspension, and buying used suspension is a real risk.

BikesDirect has some decent enough F/S bikes at $600-$900.
https://www.bikesdirect.com/products...ds2729-x24.htm
https://bikesdirect.com/products/gra...tain-bikes.htm

For the kind of riding you describe either of these should work.

alcjphil

You might like the look, but you might not like the ride compared to a non suspended bike on the types of surfaces you describe. My full suspension $3000 mountain bike is a pig to ride on any smooth surface

KerryIrons

This absolutely sums it up. The difference in quality between that used mid-scale bike for $600 and a new one for $600 will be immediately obvious.

rsbob 

To complicate things further, based on your criteria - I would look for a gravel bike. Wonderful on roads and non-technical trails. A dual suspension mountain bike is heavy and pushing one of those around on the streets is zero fun. You might like the burly look but you won’t appreciate what a drag they are on light trails and pavement. When the mountain bike craze first started, every couple ran out to Walmart or wherever and picked one up. They rode them a few times and then permanently garaged them, because when not used for their intended purpose - steep, technical, rocky, drops and fording creeks, they are just a drag.

Unless you plan to go full tilt into mountain biking - and not plan on street riding, to reconsider and find a nice used gravel bike.

bboy314

anushn@live.com approximately where are you located? And is full suspension an absolute requirement for you? I’d suggest a hybrid or hardtail mountain bike for your use.

Eric F 

Apparently, the look of a low-budget FS is the biggest part of the decision.

squirtdad

I would disagree, in that "I like the look" and getting that look at the stated $600 New pricepoint will result in subpar riding and maintenance experience.

If person makes an informed decision and buys for the look, knowing that this will be subpar, based on information provided, that decision can be respected, but should not be advised as ok with the justification of "i like the look"

$600 can get you a new ok hardtail, and if you shop sales you can get often get $1000 bike for 600 or so

here are examples from Rei (which as it is national, is a good base for comparison)

hard tail
https://www.rei.com/c/hardtail-mount...sort=min-price

full suspension
https://www.rei.com/c/full-suspensio...sort=min-price

PeteHski

Just say no to new $600 full sus mountain bikes!

They are heavy, with very low quality shocks and other components. A budget hardtail or fully rigid bike will be far more capable both on and off trail. Maintenance will also be much easier.

I know there is a whole generation casually riding around blissfully unaware of all this on their Walmart full suspension bikes, but they are a terrible choice for the more well informed. The only positive thing you can say is that riding something is better than nothing at all.

Buying used gives more options, but $600 still doesn’t buy you a quality full suspension mtb and there’s a very good chance that the shocks will need a full service. Again a used hardtail would get you a better bike at this price point.

Kai Winters

Big Box purchase...if you don't like it, oh well.
Considering you ride 'maybe' a couple of times a week I doubt you will notice...

CrimsonEclipse

The downside is that you have to be on FB.

Arrowana

That sucks. Since you already know what a full-suspension bike feels like and you want another, I'd go ahead and get one. The two bikes Maelochs linked to should work fine for what you want to use them for. The suspension on them might not be great for mountain biking, but should hold up fine for what you will use it for, and it is much lower maintenance than the air suspension that would come on a fancier bike. The Gravity has a nicer drivetrain and will be a more upright ride, the Motobecane has better wheels, a nicer frame with replaceable pivot bearings, and will feel a bit more stretched out like a proper mountain bike.

If you grab one of them and decide later on you want to make the bike a bit faster, higher quality tires with a less aggressive tread will help, and should be an easy swap. Swapping to a crankset with oval chainrings can greatly reduce the amount of unnecessary flexing the frame does while riding it, letting you go faster with the same amount of effort.

XxHaimBondxX

Well, it's not the worst of it, you don't even want to know what's going on Snapchat or Insta.

XxHaimBondxX

looks like stolen bikes are the least of your worries.

Desert Ryder

I'll recommend FB Marketplace also.
If your not a hardcore rider and don't need the latest and greatest then deals can be found on older mid-high end FS bikes there.
These older bike can be beaters or in very nice maintained condition and are being sold due to upgrading to a new bike.
I didn't need a full suspension bike but I couldn't turn down a clean KHS XC 504R for $25. Old but more than enough for my riding style and trails.....the deals are out there.

slow rollin

used. You can probably make a vintage ridgid mtb do whatever you want. If you really want a full suspension bike look for a name brand, post 2005 or so, and something with fox or rockshox suspension. Older then 2005 and most people say the full suspension bikes were not the best. Most of my mtb's are 2009-2016 or so and gret for anything I do.
For 600 you can get a pretty damn good hardtail, a cream of the crop vintage ridgid mtb, or an older full suspension bike that might have problems.

prj71

I wouldn't buy a FS bike older than 2015. There have been to many great updates since then.

PeteHski

This is true. I remember going from a high-end 2004 FS bike to an equivalent 2015 bike and was blown away by all the improvements. Later on moving to a 2019 bike was not such a big deal.

But with only a $600 budget I wouldn’t touch any FS bike and especially not for the OPs very casual use case. It just doesn’t make any sense.