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What forks do you have? How much travel? But I'd agree that upgrading your drivetrain is worth doing. I love my SLX shifters and brakes and rotors - it's like riding new bike compared to the old mechanical disc brakes and clunky shifters I had before. One day I might get around to upgrading the...

Before you buy, try as many different bikes and brands as you can. Even with similar specs, different bikes have different geometries and can feel very different when you ride them. I was able to ride top of the line Specialized Stump Jumper and Cambers back-to-back at one of their test days...

On a $1000 bike? You can't even get Shimano SLX on a $5000 bike these days (at least not from Specialized!) I'd say you'll be lucky to get Shimano Deore in the sub-$1000 price segment. It's all Acera and such. Again - doubt you'll see remote locking front suspension on a sub-$1000 bike...

Also, if you want to compare prices for various brands, Bike Exchange is a good place to start - http://www.bikeexchange.com.au/ Very useful for brands like Specialized who don't publish prices on their website.

So I assume you're looking at a hard-tail rather than dual suspension? You'll need to spend quite a bit more to get a decent dual suspension bike, but a hard tail is fine for the type of riding you've described. How tall are you? I like 29" wheels because they roll over pretty much anything -...