Hey there Jeremy.
I have a Diamonback X-Link that i got for christmas two years ago.
I too am new to the sport. My Diamondback works out great for me.
I think i paid $500 for mine. Being on the lower pay scale my bike is a little heavy but the componets work great.
I tried some of my friends bikes that cost three times as much and feel that i have the better deal. I keep up with them and i'm comfortable on my bike. It's just so hard to see someone spill on a bike that cost $2,000:eek:
I would stick with a full suspension. Its such a nice ride.
You can tune the rear shock if you get too much bounce.
Hope this helps a bit