sharp@yale.ARPA (Oliver Sharp) (05/01/85)
Hello everyone - I have been riding for some time, although I haven't brought my bike to school. Living in Northern Cal, I am a little underwhelmed by conditions here in New Haven :-) I have an old but serviceable 10-speed which has its quirks but has served me very well for many years. I am considering getting a new bike this summer while I am working near Seattle. The conditions there look wonderful and there are many scenic trips of reasonable length. I stop in at bicycle shops every so often to see what's new and I have seen the sudden proliferation of mountain bikes. The idea of a tough bicycle that can withstand harsh conditions and which can go to all sorts of remote areas is very appealing. I enjoy riding fast under the right conditions (read safe) and would like not to worry about hitting a pothole and destroying my wheel/tube/tire/etc. I also like to hike and have no intention of riding in places where a bicycle would be a nuisance or a danger. The prices of these bikes seem to run in the 400-600 range for a nice model. Since replacing my current bike would be a semi-major occasion at any price, I would very much like to hear from people out there: 1. If I shouldn't under any circumstances get a mountain bike. This is likely to be taken with a grain of salt; I know there are purists out there who abhor them. Reasons would be nice, flames are not really appropriate. 2. How much I should spend. Keep in mind that I am not a fanatical rider but might go on tours of up to, say, 150 miles. I don't mind doing some maintenance but I don't want to fuss with the bike all the time either. 3. What brands are good. I am under the impression that the original type of mountain bike, widely available, is the StumpJumper. Are these incredibly good? Better than others? etc. Thanks in advance to everyone who replies. I will thank everyone individually and summarize responses, but final exams are looming so please don't be offended if this takes a little while. PLEASE DON'T (!!!!) followup to this message unless you have some reason to think everyone wants to hear your comment. Looking forward to any responses, Oliver Sharp ....!yale!sharp "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it."