Entry level mountain bike recommendations please!?

If you have £400 to spend, you can get a nice Specialized Hardrock for that money. They are excellent quality bikes with good components, not really what you could call entry level. Take a look at the link, by the way I don't work there, I just have a specialized myself

A trek 4300 disc would be a good starter level MTB. Dont buy to cheap ie Halfords!! you will have problems otherwise.

The more expensive the drive-train, the less it will jam with mud. Outside of that, you may want to make sure it has a good strong frame and wheels if you plan to ride it hard. You could probably get a bike you're happy with for half that amount. Save the rest for upgrades later as you learn what your riding style is and where that money would be best spent. One last note: Lots of people where I ride have bikes that cost more than my car. There's no better feeling than smoking people like that on a bike that cost less than their crankset.

Generally, the "avoid Halfords" advice is good, but this time, wrong. Have a good look at the Carrera MTB range. They've won some awards in What MTB. Ignore the badge and compare the spec. The frames are made by Merida (same as GT etc) and they have known components. Well worth serious consideration, just don't have the Halfords staff assemble the bike. Really, just don't.

get any giant trek or specialzied on ebay carlos www.bikingthings.com

http://chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=19756 This is a very good bike for the price or look on this page it is god for a bike in this price range http://chainreactioncycles.com/Categories.aspx?CategoryID=163&CurrentPageIndex=0&SortExpression=PRICE_ASC

I have a Specialized Hardrock from the early 90's that is still my favorite mountain bike. I upgraded the brakes and bottom bracket and it rides better than my much newer Gary Fisher. Trek, Specialized, and Gary Fisher are going to be very similar in that price range. They will be somewhat heavy, but durable. Get one without the suspension fork. The ones in that price range aren't that great anyway, and it will save you some weight and money. You can always upgrade the fork later if you want. They usually come with Altus or Acera drivetrains, which are low-end but hold up well if you keep them clean and adjusted properly. That is something else than can be upgraded later, but most people won't need to.