new MTB

Kevin had been bugging me for months to get a mountain bike...aka MTB. he took me to a bike demo at Rosaryville State Park in October...i hopped on a $4000...yes that's 3 zeroes...Gary Fisher full suspension, full carbon frame BEAST...and...i only wrecked it once...good thing i didn't know how much it costs before we went riding.

eventually we put a new chain on my Raleigh M80...circa 1996...and tuned her up. we did a couple rides at Fairland Park...which is nice considering how close it is to both of us. on one of our rides...i tried his Jamis Dragon Exile 29er...and immediately decided that i needed a new MTB.

i visited a couple local bike shops...LBSs...and poked around the website for Bike's Direct...which has no name frames paired with name brand components for unbeatable prices. the only problem is that i would have had to partially assemble the bike and there's virtually no customer service from what i hear. unfortunately, Bike's Direct tainted my value evaluations at all the LBS's.

i had already been prepping (future) Dr. J that i was going to buy a new MTB...and the money had been saved...her only condition was that we are to have no more than 3 bikes in our storage room...her schwinn, my Raleigh, and my Felt F80 road bike already put us at the limit...she didn't care if i threw the Raleigh away, but no more than THREE bikes.



so we now have 4 bikes...OOPS! two weeks ago i found this sweet little monster on sale for 50% off...40% down on the retirement fund but 50% off on the bike...i think i'm getting ahead here! it's a 2007 Jamis Dakota Elite...way more machine than i deserve...but i just couldn't pass it up.

i think Kevin's disease has spread to me somewhat...but i'm pretty sure it's not terminal..........yet