looking for advice on beefier bike

lochussie
lochussie Posts: 276
edited July 2009 in MTB buying advice
My Orange P7 hardtail is great for stuff like long rides in the mountains and trail centres. I want another bike for: DH (eg Fort Bill), freeride (eg Glentress), Mega Avalanche and shorter/flatter trails (eg GT red).

Not sure which style of bike is best for this riding. Is an air shock 6" (eg nomad, spicy, alpine 160) going to quickly limit me on DH/FR? Is coil 7/8" (eg sx trail) practical for the pedally stuff?

Any ideas? Cheers