Wheel
Continued from preceding page
1/2-1G E Mops
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of our brand name stores at 517-624-4846.
Taal AN
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56 STYLE
properly and that's going to be serviced.
You'll get more use out of it than the
$150 toy-store bike."
And with a flexible budget, you can
take advantage of the highly competi-
tive bicycle market to get an even high-
er quality bike, the experts say. How?
Just spend a little more money.
"By spending between $30 and $50
more than you originally budgeted, you
get a lot more bike for your money," Mr.
Riege advises. "You jump to a clear-cut
new category of bike, with better com-
ponents and frame quality."
Last question: How do you sift
through the wide variety of bike styles?
Actually, it's easier than you think. For
men and women buying their first bike,
the experts say there are really only
three types of bikes to consider.
The mountain bike. A California phe-
nomenon introduced a decade ago,
mountain bikes (also called all-terrain
bikes or ATBs) started a bicycle boom
that is continuing into the nineties.
What's the big deal? Simply put, riding
a mountain bike makes you feel like a
kid again.
But gorgeous, they're not. Sporting a
chunky frame, knobby tires, upright han-
dlebars and motorcycle-style brake
levers, mountain bikes are designed for
rugged use on dirt roads and forest
trails.
Yet in spite of the hoopla — mountain
bikes currently outsell all other bike
styles — they're not perfect. While most
cyclists instantly fall in love with the
mountain bike's stable, comfortable
ride, they are heavy when compared to
racing bikes — an important point if you
rarely ride off-road.
The racing bike. If your fantasy is
winning the Tour de France, this is the
bike for you — even if you never plan to
actually compete. Light, fast and con-
sidered the most elegant of bicycles, the
classic racing bike (or road bike) is what
most people picture when they think of
bicycles.
But the racing bike's popularity has
waned in recent years. Given a choice,
most recreational cyclists prefer the up-
right riding style and stable feel of the
mountain bike.
The hybrid bike. The latest trend, hy-
brid bikes are a cross between moun-
tain bikes and racing bikes. From a
distance, a hybrid bike (also called the