Project Hardrock SS is no longer...

My wife and I just moved a few months ago from Tulsa to Washington DC.  Well, the Hardrock was in pretty bad shape so I took everything part and was going to try again after the move.  Just have the movers take the frame.  Should be easy enough, right?  Well, it's lost (but I think stolen).

That was my first bike (first real bike) ever.  I miss it more than I ever thought possible.  I even showered naked with it!  I should probably explain that.  In college, when my bike would get muddy, I would take it into the shower.  It was the easiest way, then after washing the bike I would wash myself.  Really, nothing weird going on here.

Look, I know it is the lowest model Specialized you can buy, and it wasn't even in the best of conditions, but it was my first bike.  It's what made me fall in love with mountain biking.  And it was going to be a kick a trick commuter.  But now it's nothing more than a memory...

Let's have a moment of silence.

Maybe the Specialized Angel can bring my Suzy back to me (Suzy is what I named my bike).  

[photo by kwc]

Dues

A few years ago I went on a ride with a bunch of guys to Arkansas to ride the Womble Trail.

One guy brought a walmart bike. He bought it a few days before, then used some sander or something to take all the graphics off so it was just like brushed metal, kinda cool looking actually.

Then he threw on some clipless pedals, just some spd's he borrowed from a friend and he had his bike!

He then out biked guys on bikes like the trek liquid or something. I was very impressed! That was also my first big mountain bike trip and I was riding my 2003 Specialized Hardrock with flat pedals, and even that surprised a ton of people when I beat them back to camp!

So yeah, whenever I get some friends turned on to mountain biking, I urge them to start low, if you are serious, then a bike that costs 350-400 will get you through, and if you decide you don't like it, at least you didn't spend 2 grand!

That's also how I justify buying my latest bike. Last May, I bought a 2006 Specialized Epic. It was a year old, but brand new from my LBS. $1500 when it was listed as $2200. So I got it.

I also got it because I feel I've earned my right in a way. I've paid my dues. Sure I may be a little portly around the midsection and all, but you (well probably not you) would be surprised at how I outride guys who have much more "muscle" than me.

But that's a little off topic.

Look, get a cheap bike only $3-400 will work. Take it to your trails, if you don't like it, at least you have a nice bike you can use forever because those bikes are pretty solidly made.

What bike did you start on?