The last mountain bike I bought was a rigid, 7-speed, Mongoose IBOC in 1993. That bike has morphed into a skinny tire commuter [HTML_REMOVED] kid hauler. I'm looking around for a used bike for taking my daughter out on some easy XC trails, and that I could use for XC, climbing workouts, and easy descents.
My budget is $1,000. From browsing various buy/sells, it looks like that'll get me a decent, 4-5 year old, hard tail, or a well used, 8-10 year old, full suspension.
I've got a good handle on drive train components, but I know nothing about suspension or disc brakes. What warning signs should I be looking for to know if a fork, shock or brakes is in need of repairs?
Thanks in advance for any advice.