Chosing the new bike

I love undertaking these huge internet projects especially when work is a little slow and the timing is just right for some serious virtual window shopping.

Since I have now decided that I deserve a new bike for the upcoming "racing" season then there have been a few decisions to make:

Firstly hardtail or full suspension?
Well as the riding in Denmark is far from extreme and I am planning to use this bike as a race bike then a hardtail is the obvious choice. This is also made more clear by the fact that the used full suspension bike that I acquired last year is fine for more rough stuff

Secondly 26" or 29" wheels
Easy - 29" is the way forward and getting increasingly popular for endurance racing.

Thora Herdly what should the frame be made of?

Gary Fisher Superfly (Carbon Fibre)

Tough one here, ideally I would like Titanium, but it seems that the cheapest Ti frame I can get will be about £1000 for the frame alone so that is more or less out of the window. Steel is too heavy and there is only one carbon frame available which is a little pricy although not completely ruled out (yet). That leaves Aluminium or alloys thereof - namely Scandium. (are you asleep yet?)

Fourthly build it up myself or buy it complete?

Niner Bikes Air 9 only available as a Frame and import from the US

Again not easy as you generally get better value buying a complete bike, but lose out on the choice of parts and in this case, many of the manufacturers of 29" bikes only sell frames so the choice of frames is also compromised.

Finally where when and how should I get it?
This is more complex than it seems as there are no 29" bikes for sale in Denmark so it will have to come from the US or the UK and some companies will not sell online. As I will not be in the UK until after the 12 hour race in May I will have to get it to Denmark either by mail (expensive) or with G&G in March but Ideally I want it in April (financial reasons this time). So there are still some unanswered questions here.

Before anyone bothers to write or even think that I don't need a new bike, forget it, I know I don't need a bike, I want one and it's between me, MK and the bank manager whether or not I can have one. (Do I sound defensive?)