What lenses to buy on a budget

Most mtb/action sports guys run a telephoto lens. The "faster" the lens you can buy, the better in most cases. By faster I'm referring to the aperture range - the lower the "f" number is the faster a lens is.

For your camera, and because you're on a budget, I recommend that you check out this one.

70-200 is the money maker lens for mtb ... f2.8 is wishlist for most - but most dont need it - the f4 works as well, if not better some times. its lighter, less expensive.
just remember on a T1i there is a crop of 1.6 on the sensor so a 70-200 is actually a 116-300 which is fine and actually gives you a bit of extra reach without getting a 300.
just remember you will also need a wide lens to mix up your shots - the 18-55 can achieve good results if used properly.
cheers
g

i posted this response in the general photo talk thread and echos what gary said:

good luck and have fun!

70-200 f4
for my entire photo career, my telephoto zoom lens has been a used a canon 70-200 f4L lens...aka the small one. i got it for $470. it was all i could afford when i started building my quiver and i've never needed or wanted to upgrade to the 2.8. why? because it's light, small, fast and does what i need it to do.
i don't really make my living off of photography anymore, but i was able to stay afloat with this lens (and others), even though it wasn't the biggest/most expensive. does that mean you shouldn't get a 2.8? not necessarily, but you don't HAVE to have the most expensive gear to get the job done. do you research, decide what kind of lens you need (wide/long/zoom) and buy what you can afford to get your photography off the ground.