On May 25, my grand prize for winning the Taco Showdown at the Hyde Away was a Pabst Blue Ribbon Beach Cruiser bike. Seeing as it has no brakes and only one gear, it’s not meant for the mountains in Vermont. So a couple of weeks ago I started the search for a reasonably- priced mountain bike. A couple on Craigs List looked interesting but I never got any call backs. Stark Mountain Bikes didn’t have anything used, and their new bikes were WAY WAY out of my price range. Onion River Sports had a couple that looked good. But then I went to Green Mountain Bikes in Rochester. Right from the moment I got there, I had a feeling I’d be walking away owning a bike. The staff there was great… one of the employees was picking out bikes, finding the right size, and letting me give them a test ride around their property. I tried one that was brand new and out of my price range. So I asked about used bikes, and they pulled out a Kona Shred for $500. Just to be certain, I tried a bike that was a little smaller to give more “crotch room” but it felt too small under me. So I tried the Kona again… a hard tail in really good shape. And best part about it, they said they would give me a trade for the PBR Beach Cruiser that I won at the Hyde Away’s Taco Showdown back in May. I put a down payment, and today (Sunday 6/20) went back down to pick it up and pay off the rest. They gave me ~ $100 for the cruiser, which knocked my price down to $400. SWEET!!!
So I’m going to ride it around this week, around the base area of Lincoln Peak and to/from work. And next week, I’m going to try downhill riding off the Super Bravo lift. My next goal is to get a helmet and some pads for protection. I’m pretty excited about my latest acquisition and am looking forward to adventures on the roads and downhill at Sugarbush.
For more information on mountain biking at Sugarbush, visit www.sugarbush.com (open daily, June 25 through Sept 6)
Looking for a bike? Check out Green Mountain Bikes in Rochester
www.greenmountainbikes.com
