I'm only 5'5" and shrinking. But I am considering a hardtail 29er to see what the fuss is about. I can get a good price on Giant, Specialized and Trek(Fischer) from my LBS contacts. The Fischer bikes seem to be highly regarded and come pretty short. Of those three manufacturers who's 29er will handle the best. Oh test rides are likely to be impossible as there are very few test bikes in the small size to be ridden and the two I have seen in the shops are full suspension bikes.