Mountain Biek: First Love

Back in 1995 I borrowed my girlfriend’s father’s 1985 Schwinn High Sierra. I began riding it everywhere, to and from our houses, on the bike path, up in the hills and then pretty soon I just started venturing more into the mountains. I eventually wound getting my own mtb. It is a mid 90s Univega Alpina 800s that I still own. The only thing original left is the frame… and maybe the seat post. I have put hundreds of off road miles on that bike. I long ago through away the gripshit shifters and it sports SunRace friction shifters.

I had not seriously ridden it in years and last Wed we took a 17 mile mini epic through the mountains. I miss the dirt dammit. that was fun as hell. So it has me thinking. I was thinking about buying a cross bike (La Cruz) in the new year but I can’t really justify the reason as to why I want one. But what about a new mountain bike, a 29r maybe. Then I can waffle on fork or no fork…

Oh, a couple things about the 90s: Paola Pezzo was a goddess back then and I would run into Tinker Juarez up in the mountains from time to time. Damn, I am getting old. Not as old as Ian (Sorry Ian), but damn…

iro model 19 29er is on sale right now. buy one!

Yves… I feel ur pain.

I had a 1999 Marin Juniper Trail and I loved it soooooooooooooooooo much. It was wrecked in an accident in 2005 (which nearly killed me) but I haven’t been able to find a bike that comes close to the amazingness of that bike.

I fell in love with cycling on my brand new '93 Peugeot Summit 200, taking it out for hours at a time on the cobblestone roads and dirt paths that ran in between Stuttgart and Sindelfingen, in southern Germany. I skipped school so many days, just to go riding. It was eventually stolen out of my garage in Norfolk, VA about 10 years later. At the time I was only using it to get to my job a few blocks away. I see no reason to get a MTB now since my CX accomplishes the same thing while being much faster and lighter. Never had a bike with any sort of suspension and I don’t yet feel the need.

I’m strongly considering a Ti Lynskey 29er frame this winter.

i got into mountain biking around the same time you did, i remember being so stoked in 8th grade for the inaugural olympic mountain bike race. paola pezzo and those gold lame shorts, awsum! i got a 96 gt karakoram new and still have it, i rebuilt it this summer but have yet to ride it.

$150 for the frameset. Goddamn.

Definitely a tempting deal. Goddamn their website is awful these day - anybody know if it’s a suspension corrected fork? I can’t quite tell by looking at it, though it seems it might be.

i’m at the same place right now. feels good man

My first real bike was a '94 GT All Terra with the triple triangle. I’ve had the thing since then. Finally took it out to one of our local MTB trails and busted the right crank arm about five miles in. As much nostalgia as I have for the bike, I’m tired of putting money into it. Time for a replacement.

Do it!

I just need the money. This is what I’m looking at.

That is really nice. I like the old ones with the swooping top tubes.

That looks mad-hot, BC.

The 1995 Schwinn Moab that eventually became the Misfit has been in my possession since I was 13, but just got put back into action this last spring. Now it’s basically the only thing I ride. Don’t take it off road much, but being able to hop curbs, not worry about every pothole, and just have an assload of fun is worth the added weight/rolling resistance. I’m still pretty damn fast on the thing if I do say so myself.

MTB FTW!!!

<3 MTB <3 My Monocog 29er.

So, I have looked at a bunch of 29r, from Bikesdirect to Surly and Salsa, even that IRO. I am not sure I want to piece together another bike. Very unlike me, but the Specialized Rockhopper SL Comp 29r has me all googly eyed.

What! I grew up in Norfolk. What year were you there? I was always getting my bikes stolen when I was younger.

[quote=Elderberry]That looks mad-hot, BC.

The 1995 Schwinn Moab that eventually became the Misfit has been in my possession since I was 13, but just got put back into action this last spring. Now it’s basically the only thing I ride. Don’t take it off road much, but being able to hop curbs, not worry about every pothole, and just have an assload of fun is worth the added weight/rolling resistance. I’m still pretty damn fast on the thing if I do say so myself.

MTB FTW!!![/quote]
this guy gets it.

What! I grew up in Norfolk. What year were you there? I was always getting my bikes stolen when I was younger.[/quote]

Yorktown 96-02
Norfolk (Ghent) 02-04