What are the limitations of this bike ? The fork will not like serious impacts , e . g . hard rockyrooty descends or big jumpsdrops . It is a basic thing that does the job for a beginner . It will almost certainly be the first item to replace as your skills and needs develop . This is true for almost every entrylevel MTB because tough suspension is very expensive . Other parts , even basic ones , can generally take a lot of abuse . What are some comparable bikes ? Any established manufacturer ' s hardtail in a similar price range will be of similar quality good frame , decent components , but a few of them lowerend . Look around for deals , as you may find much higherend models without breaking the bank especially on old 2016 model year bikes . Nobody pays MSRP for a bike . PedalsAre the clip pedals cage as much of a pain as I think they are ? Should I go ahead and plan to get platforms ? Bigger platforms would be nice , but those are fine with most shoes except the softest sneakers . The cage bites your sole so you won ' t slip , but it won ' t hurt you .