Bought a Mountain Bike Today
Actually a used mountain bike. I’m spending a month in Honolulu and had been getting around on the Biki rental bikes which are all over the area. But the rentals are only 3 speeds, and the hills around the city are too steep for the limited gearing. I shopped around for cheap bikes with enough gearing to get me over the hills, and for riding on the grass and sandy trails, and came across what appeared to be a solid bike at a local bike shop.
The bike was a Giant AC-1, a 2002 model or so with the old Marzocchi Shiver fork, Fox air shock, Hayes hydraulic disk brakes, and a mix of XT/XTR components. It was cheap, and after taking it on a 25km ride I found myself enjoying the hell out of it. Hopefully on Monday I’ll be able to ride it out to Hanauma Bay park.
The bike has a good ride, the headset angle is a little steep, but I like how the bike handles. The suspension system was easy to dial in, and its a damn good riding bike. My only issue so far is the rear brake “shuddering.” The rotors have a bit of surface rust which might be the problem.
Anyway, this is the first mountain bike I have owned in this millennium. I’m not sure if I will leave it in Honolulu in my condominium, or take it back to Japan with me, we’ll see how the next couple weeks go.