Specialized Mountain Bikes

Specialized Mountain Bikes -  My Specialized Mountain Bike!

I am so in love with Specialized Mountain Bikes that I just could not resist in writing an article about it so I can tell all of you, my friends how great a bike it has been for me! I hope that if your in the market for a mountain bike the information that I provide here will at least motivate you to test ride a Specialized Mountain Bike!

Specialized By Luck Not Choice

I didn't get into riding Specialized Mountain Bikes by choice it was actually more by coincidence and a little luck! I was living in the southern Midwest of the United States and I was due to move to the west coast. Biking on the west coast is very popular and in some cities are very bike friendly by providing you with your own bike lanes. So it was suggested to me that I buy a bicycle before I moved so I'd be set. I thought it was a great idea so the next morning I made a trip to my local bike shop. This bike shop was cool it was called "Bob's Bike Shop" and was actually ran by an older gentleman named... you guessed it! Bob!

The Fitting Of The Frame

So I walk in and Bob approaches me and already has me sized up. He says to me "Looking for a bike ain'tcha?" I reply "yes" and we start talking about what type of bike would be a good fit. I knew I didn't want to bend over when I rode, but I needed something that I could ride around town. At the same time I also needed something that I could take off road if I chose to do so. It seemed, with all my needs on the table a mountain bike was going to be the obvious choice. So now we had the type of bike I was wanting Bob started assisting me with the proper size of bike frame for my height which, I don't have very much off. After "trying on" several bikes, the only bike that he had that would work for as short as I am was a Specialized Hotrock Mountain Bike with 21 gears! A nice tidbit for you short guys or gals like me who are 5'6 or under. When you go and get fitted for a bike and get home your going to read your manual eventually. Your manual is going to say there has to be space between your groin and the top bar on the frame. However, if you are short like me you aren't going to have any space, so don't freak out it's just how things are. Just be sure before you leave the bike shop you have been fitted for the proper size!

The Test Ride

So with the proper size frame I went out and rode it around the parking lot. Now it's hard to test the downhill and uphill performance of a mountain bike on flat pavement but you can check out some things. For one you should test out how comfortable the bike is to ride. Does it feel like a natural extension of your body when you ride it? Is the seat comfortable when you sit down? Are you able to switch gears easily and naturally? Overall you should be looking at the basic functionality of the bike during the test drive and how it pertains to you. Basic function of a bike are pedels, gears, handle bars and seating. If all of those check out then you can move forward on your potential purchase.

The Purchase

After the test ride Bob asked me what I thought and I told him I like it (which I really did) but, there were a few things we would have address for me to be willing to complete the deal. Since I was the only person in the store during the whole time I had been there so far I could tell Bob was in the mood to cut a deal if he could move a bike out the door before I left. First thing I had to address with the seat. It had a racing seat that felt like a rock when you sat on it. He swapped it out for a more cushy seat of course, I had to pay for it but he gave it to me at  30% discount plus my "trade in" of my racing seat. Here I was trading in parts before I even bought the bike. Bob also was doing the up-sale on a tool that I could use to loosen and tighten any nut or bolt on the entire bike but he was going to give me a "deal" on that one too. In the end I walked out with my bike, a tool, helmet and some spare tubes. He knocked about $50 bucks off the bike price and the accessories ran me about $25 so I figured I was at least $25 ahead right? :) Whatever the case was I was on my way home with another one of the world famous Specialized Mountain Bikes! Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I also got a free water bottle with "Bob's Bike Shop" on it! What a BONUS!

The Conclusion

It's been about 3 years since I had my purchase with Bob happen and I can't be more happier. Since I'm not a professional mountain biker to me my bike has been great! It rides easy and fast on road and off. It hasn't given me any problems. It has been very resistant to rust and after 3 years the paint on the frame is still not faded and overall looks great! Since I've owned my bike I came to find out that Specialized is a popular and nice brand of bike from others and, I can't disagree with them at all. If your looking for a bike you can ride around town and also take camping with you in the mountains I highly suggest you give Specialized Mountain Bikes a test ride. You'll find out your getting a lot of quality for your dollar.

If you are looking for more in depth material on Mountain Biking I highly suggest you check out Blair Thorne's "How To Master Mountain Biking" product. If you have any unanswered questions regarding the sport of Mountain Biking Blair does a wonderful job covering all grounds.

Thanks for checking out my rant on Specialized Mountain Bikes and I hope to see you out on the bike trails soon!

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