In the $400-$500 dollar range you should be able to find a more than capable mountain bike. Certainly not top of the line, but more than adequate for most casual riders. Keep an eye out for end of the model year sales or other discounting. Just steer clear of the $50 Walmart specials and you should do alright. I also second the recomendation for Giant. When I bought my last bike I really liked their models and pricing; though I ended up getting a bike off the internet instead for about the same price with a little better components.
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