F2R

Hello, I'm new to cycling. I currently have a FX3 hybrid and am looking to expand into mountain bikes. I primarily want to ride around fire roads and hiking trails in my area. However, I would also like the ability to ride rougher terrain in the future. I will be riding solo so weight is not a huge concern for that reason I would like to ride a full suspension bike. I found an add for a Rocky Mountain Switch Ltd in my area for $350. The bike was handmade by a small company in Canada so I haven't found much information on it. The information I found states that the bike retailed for $2400. The forks do not seem to be stock. They were upgraded with manitou dorado forks. The latest model of those forks goes for $1200. The bike also has new tires and a dropper post. Is this a good purchase? I'm aware a lot of the tech is likely to be outdated but I have a tight budget at the moment. I'm mainly worried about not being able to buy compatible parts if something breaks or ending up with a money pit. I was also unable to find reviews on the bike so I'm not sure of its road worthiness. I attached a link of the bike specs below. As a new user I'm unable to link to outside sites so I put a space between before the .com
bicyclebluebook .com/value-guide/product/91932/

Eric F 

The Rocky Mountain Switch Ltd is a mid-2000s full-suspension bike. This was the fairly early days of full-suspension development, and things have improved a lot. It also has 26" wheels, which are nearly obsolete (current standards are 29" or 27.5"). New 26" tires can still be found, but variety and availability will continue to fade. Replacement drivetrain parts will likely be mostly what you can find on the used market (eBay, etc.). Some things can be updated to newer models, but pretty quickly, you will be spending more than what you paid for the bike. Can you ride it? Yes (assuming it's mechanically sound). Is it worth it? Maybe...maybe not. It's very possible that you might end up spending more than the purchase price to get it into reliable condition.

All that said, I took my old 1999 hardtail XC race bike, and stripped it down to a singlespeed. It's been a blast, and I ride it almost everywhere I would ride a new bike. However, I'm not new to riding, and my skills are pretty solid.

F2R

Yea it doesn't seem like the best fit for a new rider. Sounds like I might get a little over my head with that bike! I'll probably stick with my hybrid for now. It should handle packed dirt decently with 38mm knobbies. I'll try making the jump down the road into a newer used hardtail. Thanks for the advice!