[Volones]

I'm going to disagree with everyone else so far. I think suspension would be a good investment for you. My reasoning is there are no dirt trails (or doubletrack) that I've ever seen that is smooth enough to not have your riding experience improved by adding suspension. Even if it's only front suspension, you'll be happy you have it.

Schwinn (post '99 or '01 or around that time) went bankrupt and was sold to a couple of different companies, coming to rest with the maker of Pacific bikes. Now, I understand your desires for this bike, and do think that a modern Schwinn will most likely serve you well, please be careful when you make your purchase! Fit is very important, as is the quality of the "build", so if you have someone that knows bikes that can go with you when you buy, that would be perfect. Also make sure everything is adjusted correctly, and I mean EVERYTHING! Department stores are notorious for not putting bikes together correctly.

My recommendations are:
Front suspension (best names are RockShox, Marzocchi, Answer. RST is acceptable for your use)
Suspension seatpost - get this from a bike shop, quality rises with price (to a point)
Frame - a well fitting solidly built frame can always be upgraded with better components, but an ill fitting frame will always be uncomfortable.

Please don't think that I'm talking down to you when I mention "your use" or such, I am not implying in any way that you are less of a cyclist than anyone else. My reasoning is that when bikes are built for more extreme/experienced riders, the prices to up really fast, and for all intents and purposes, you don't need 8" of plush travel on a full suspension bike unless your 2 mile trip to your fishin' hole has 5ft drops that you'll be riding over at 30+mph. Truth be told, department store bikes have improved by leaps and bounds in the last few years, and you should be able to get a year of riding out of one with no problem, in fact I expect if you like riding, you'll upgrade to a more expensive bike before your Schwinn wears out.

Vol
(for full disclosure, I'm riding a Schwinn Mesa GSX mountain bike now with a RockShox SID fork, and love it!)