Buy a second hand bike
At that price you'll end up with crap bought new whereas there are a lot of good bikes for around that money on tardme - I ride a 10 year old Marin every day and it goes brilliantly because I have kept on top of the maintenance. Things to consider;
Buy a known brand - Giant, GT, Marin, Trek, Kona or Bauer are all good bikes, and you need an 18 inch fram for your height.
Ignore full suspension. Front is all you need for 99% of recreational mountain biking and 100% of commuting and rear suspension draws pedal energy, so they're harder to ride.
Check the components (gears and brakes). You should be looking for Deore or LX comps as a minumum, and check their condition. If they're badly chipped and marked and if they don't show signs of regular cleaning and lubing, walk away. The cables and chain are a giveaway - if they're clean, adjusted and work well it says a lot about the previous owner, and check the condition of fasteners. The bike should feel tight and crisp to ride with no slop in gears, brakes, pedals etc.
I have V brakes and weigh 120 kg and the bike stops fine from any speed, so don't be afraid of rim brakes. If the bike has rim brakes, look at the wear on the rim because that will tell you how much it's worked.
Don't blame me, I voted Green.
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