Fall weather is finally here for my second true year of mountain biking! Woke up to a brisk 60 degrees and shredded 6 miles this morning with a coworker, it felt great as opposed to being a sweaty fuck 1/4 mile in and gassing out shortly after. I bought this bike last year and what a game changer it has been after riding on a regular basis. It's helped me lose a bit of weight - currently 6'3 220lbs - get outside and have fun in the woods and I've noticed remarkable changes in my cardio.
HOWEVER, despite the riding being great and all I'm really starting to notice opportunities with my current bike. This is a barebone stock Specialized Rockhopper I bought from a local bike shop, and while initially I loved it for the value I'm struggling with what upgrades to do to it, or if it's a better route to just buy a better bike all together? This morning when downshifting I noticed it would occasionally drop 2 gears as opposed to 1. There's also an audible "clicking" for lack of better term on my chain when there is a lot of tension on it, almost like the damn thing is going to snap. One of the loops off of this trail was also pretty damp and I was struggling with my shoes sliding off the pedals.
FOH biking pros what are your thoughts? Is it worth investing money into various upgrades, or should I start looking at a better bike all together? I like the hardtail but see the value in a dual-suspension setup. Any insight is greatly appreciated!