Well, you know, I started out on a hardtail in April (of this year), and with all the kind of riding I was doing, it wasn't working for me. I really needed a women's specific full suspension bike. Also, I was going to Mammoth in the beginning of August, and there was no way I could ride there without full suspension. So I bit the bullet and bought a 2nd bike in July, just 3 months after I bought the hardtail. *Totally worth it*! My technical skill skyrocketed once I bought a women's specific full suspension bike. When I went to Mammoth I had only been riding 4 months and I was already doing intermediate trails. That Myka is worth every dollar I paid for it, and more. It's going to bring me many years of happiness.