You are the biggest dude I have ever seen on a bike, and that's not a bad thing!

What that means is you need to not be concerned, EVER, about the weight of the components or the weight of the bike you are riding. Instead, you need to focus on one thing and one thing only - durability. I was telling a few mechanics at a LBS about the time you snapped the rear wheel at GRB last month. One of them went right in about how you needed a Stan's Crest - which happens to be one of the lightest rims in Stan's lineup. That was possibly the most ridiculous thing I ever heard out of the mouth of someone who should know so much better. You should be riding a P35, Salsa Gordo, or at the very least a Stan's Flow EX or something of similar durability and reliability - if you wanna stay on the trail and not hanging out at the LBS, of course.

From there, ask yourself - do I want to be a racer or a recreationer? (<--- is that even a word?) or, maybe you want to do both!

Your answer there should lead you down the path you are destined for.

I will give you my own personal experiences.....I am most recently a fattie owner. The fat bike has brought me back full circle to what riding a bike, to me, is all about - fun and adventure. I have owned: 3 full suspension 26ers, 2 full suspension 29ers, a singlespeed 29er, and a hardtail 29er. Which was the most fun? Well, they have ALL been a blast to ride and own. I'm not sure if it would be fair to say that the latest of the bunch - a 29er fully and a 29er hardtail - are my favorites, because the memories of riding them are freshest in my mind but maybe more of a function of really finding out what I want out of my bikes and the way that I like to ride them...

The Pugsley will take you on adventures you'd never imagine you'd be embarking on with a "regular" bicycle. Of course, "a 29er" or any other bike could be ridden in the same areas we ride our fatties, but at what cost - are the tires, components, frames, etc durable enough to take that kind of beating? Are you having as much fun as the fattie riders or are you working too hard because your tires aren't wide enough to give the same float as the fattie riders? There are all things that I kinda shrugged off pre-fattie. Now, they're luxuries I will no longer wish to be without.

Coming all the way back, I would strongly urge you to go with the Pugsley. I would expect you will have more fun than you can ever remember having on a bicycle. Moreover, I am certain a few other FORC'n fatty riders will speak up as well to back this up. Don't build the Pugs to be light - build it to be STRONG. Build it to be DURABLE. Lastly, build it to be RELIABLE so when you're on an adventure, you know you won't be broken, beat, and scarred, limping back to the car.

Also, keep in mind - a strong and durable hardtail 29er doesn't have to break the bank. Pick up the Pugs and save your pennies and pick one up again if you're so inclined. I've seen some great hardtail 29ers to be had for ~$1000.

That's my thoughts on the matter...I'm excited for your bike-searching journey!