GuyOnBike
10-01-2008, 09:19 PM
Total newb here. Last bike I owned/rode was a 3-speed cruiser my freshman year of college. That was *cough cough* in the 1980s. A friend got me interesting in mountain biking, and I just bought my first bike, a Marin Bolinas Ridge '08 model. I've been out for one ~3 mile ride and really enjoyed myself, even on a bike that didn't quite fit.
Given that I'm a bit of a gear nut, I uncharacteristically went in to buy having done almost no research. Just a wild hair moment.
In retrospect, I think the first tech who fit me made assumptions about frame size even though he moved across makers (from Haro to Marin). So the first bike I got was really too big for me. Took back the bike to the dealer, voiced my concerns about fit, dealt with a different tech, and this guy spent over an hour letting me test different sized bikes, showing me what to look for, and walking me through the options. He swapped out the bikes, no questions asked, and I feel a lot more comfortable on the new ride. I'm heading out tomorrow for an 8-mile scramble trail (Lock 4).
So anyway... greetings.
.
Given that I'm a bit of a gear nut, I uncharacteristically went in to buy having done almost no research. Just a wild hair moment.
In retrospect, I think the first tech who fit me made assumptions about frame size even though he moved across makers (from Haro to Marin). So the first bike I got was really too big for me. Took back the bike to the dealer, voiced my concerns about fit, dealt with a different tech, and this guy spent over an hour letting me test different sized bikes, showing me what to look for, and walking me through the options. He swapped out the bikes, no questions asked, and I feel a lot more comfortable on the new ride. I'm heading out tomorrow for an 8-mile scramble trail (Lock 4).
So anyway... greetings.
.