Korina

Hi Steph. I got the Princess in 2019 for $75; it looked like someone had ridden her hard and put her away wet in the garage, 25 years before. Everything was original, including the lubricants. I put too much money into her, partly because I took her straight to my local bike mechanic (I have a bad habit of flailing and saying "make it go!" rather than doing anything myself) and partly fumbling my way into the right fit for me; I think that's the third handlebar she's had. I'll admit it, it was over $800, but as I say to others, it's a better bike than I can buy new for the price. You can probably do better if you're willing to do some work yourself (and don't need new wheels).

The tires are Maxxis DTHs, which were originally for dirt jumpers, but they've become very popular with old mtb. enthusiasts. They have enough tread to handle some light dirt, but they're not knobby so they work really well on pavement.

The rack means she can carry all my stuff, and the fenders do a wonderful job of keeping my backside, feet, and drive train clean when going through puddles or mud.

The best thing, IMO, is the 26" wheels. I'm 5'4" and they make the bike feel proportional to me. I've ridden bikes with standard size wheels, and I always felt like a chihuahua on stilts. The smaller wheels also mean the mfr. didn't have to get weird with the geometry to get wheels in the small size frame.