Opinions on this KHS please?

It should be fine for you. The Hayes mech brakes are a pain and the rear shocks on them are suspect, but other than that you are golden. Ride the hell out of it and replace the parts that die of course. $1K for that bike is a fine price. Have fun.

K.

I'm also considering KHS, but at a lower price point - probably a 1000 or 2000. I've rented a fairly new 1000 and ridden some decent trails with it - Hueston Woods, Ohio. I'm not an expert, by any means, and am looking to get back into biking. I used to race BMX and have done a little road riding. The 1000 seemed pretty agile, despite its weight of almost 30 lbs. I really liked the disc brakes, and the fork was pretty effective. The rear derailleur worked fine; never had to use the front on the terrain that I was on. The stumpjumper seemed a bit more nimble, and I preferred its more aggressive riding position. I'm having a hard time finding opinions about this bike relative to others that I'm considering - Kona Cinder Cone and GF TAssajara. KHS doesn't seem that popular around here.