Bought new mountain bikes for me and my wife 2 months ago. Scott bikes with 29" wheels, disc brakes, mine got 27 gears, hers 30; mine's regular aluminium, hers is a lighter version. Pics below under NSFW tags. What I'm wondering is how come her brakes work so much better. Her front brake is significantly bigger than the rear, or my front (my front brake is as big as my and her rear). Both her front and rear breaks are immensely "sharp" with me on the bike, mines are great but feel much inferior. Both are hydraulic Shimano breaks.
Other than that I'm very satisfied with our bikes. I've already got 900 km from random biking with and without our son.
Oh, and a heavy drug user here. Still very fit from my track and field days. Although I'm starting to adapt the stereotypical cyclist's body shape with enormous leg muscles and average arm muscles. OK, my arms are still fine, but if I continue like this, I'll start looking pretty funny. Sort of like bodybuilders who skip leg days, only the opposite.