TREK 2009 6000 vs TREK 2010 8000?

[McRad]

these sites mean nothing to me haha

2009 6000
http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/2009/archive/6000

2010 8000
http://www.trekbikes.com/ca/en/bikes/2010/archive/8000

im starting to ride. obviously im new to this, im going to be riding on trails and constant up and down on sandy desert hills in Joshua Tree, Ca to get to climbing and rappelling spots. id like the lighter 8000 but from what ive found out, its more for racing on trails and i am going to be riding it hard and dont know if the lighter parts with stand up against the rugged and rocky terrain. id choose the 6000 but i cant find any reliable sites that will tell me what the bike is suited for. thus i came here, any advice would be great. also money is not the issue.

[Flounder]

For starters, it's worth pointing out that those bikes are effectively the same thing. Anything the 8000 can do, the 6000 can do just as well. The 8000 does have nicer parts spec, but that won't translate to a more durable or faster bike. Doesn't make it less durable either. Sounds odd, but sometimes "nicer" is just that. Also, in the spectrum of Trek hard tails, the entry point starts around $500 and rockets all the way to near ten grand. So, these two bikes occupy pretty similar space on that spectrum. Only a few hundred dollars separates them. However, this assumes both bikes are in equal condition. If these are used bikes, it doesn't matter which is the better bike. You want the one in the best mechanical condition. Buying used is often less about the bikes and more about the condition of the bikes.

[McRad]

that makes more sense than choosing over price or color. thanks a lot