Mountain Biking - Newbies, THIS is why we should listen to others on this forum !!!

Well, Im a dumbass...like most on this forum, they disagree on the purchase of department store bikes, but people still seem to think its ok to ride these bikes ( like i DID) hard. Well, listen up newbies, dont buy a department store bike if you can help it. I did, and it has caused me alot of trouble. Im on my 3rd derailleur in 3 months, and thank god I bought a new pair of handle bars awhile back. Ok...well heres the deal. I had bent my handlebars about 2 months after i purchased the bike. Well ok, i knew they would bend, so I got a new pair of axioms, and there great. I let one of my buddies borrow the bar for a few days because he was in the same situation as me, so i let him try the bars, and show him the great difference. Well I put on my old bars so I could still ride, but wrong move. Get a load of the pics, this happened when I was riding down my damn drivay!!...arrgh....so newbies, listen to some of these guys on the forums, they learn from experience too...

I got the point of the pics after the first one. And, this forum is a good way to learn, but the best way is to make mistakes on your own. I have the bottom of the barrel as far as bikes go, but i ride the hell out of it, and it takes every ounce of abuse my 210 pound body can muster. Ive jumped it off of ledges, stairs, ridden up stairs, and kept up with, and in some cases, passed brand WH*RES on their 2,000 dollar bikes, and mine cost a tenth of that. Its not just the bike, its the rider. I would rather be a good rider on a crappy bike than a crappy rider on a good bike. As soon as i get a good job, im getting a GT Avalance 0.5 and keeping it until i die. I have fallen, wrecked, abused this Trek, and like an immature party $lut, she keeps coming back for more. Ride on, and love life.

I have fallen, wrecked, abused this Trek, and like an immature party $lut, she keeps coming back for more. Ride on, and love life.

I think I like you :D...thats a wicked saying...rude...but wicked...

hhaa...nice one

I think I like you :D...thats a wicked saying...rude...but wicked...

Hey, i never said i wasn't rude...just look at the title.

Poor arrogant bastard..yeah I don't generally read titles...

Haha.. Owned. I've never broken a pair of handlebars in my life.

I got the point of the pics after the first one. And, this forum is a good way to learn, but the best way is to make mistakes on your own. I have the bottom of the barrel as far as bikes go, but i ride the hell out of it, and it takes every ounce of abuse my 210 pound body can muster. Ive jumped it off of ledges, stairs, ridden up stairs, and kept up with, and in some cases, passed brand WH*RES on their 2,000 dollar bikes, and mine cost a tenth of that. Its not just the bike, its the rider. I would rather be a good rider on a crappy bike than a crappy rider on a good bike. As soon as i get a good job, im getting a GT Avalance 0.5 and keeping it until i die. I have fallen, wrecked, abused this Trek, and like an immature party $lut, she keeps coming back for more. Ride on, and love life.

i'd rather be a sh*tty rider on an expensive bike because if i have the money i'm gonna get the best i can get. Deserving it is all a matter of opinion

true that, I've started mountainbiking a week ago and my starting bike is the Brodie Holeshot, $2400cnd

My old bike was bought from a department store... It was pretty cheap too, no suspension or anything. Rode it for about 10 years and took it down every type of path possible. Nothing ever went wrong with it either! The first thing that broke on it was the chain a few months ago, my dad rides it now.

Things must have changed since then :)

I run alu bars, like ones 5MM THICK!
Geez thats scary, glad you were doing the driveway not doing 20+ downhill.
Did I mention 5MM 6061 T6 alu!
Heavier than some, but they are not going to snap like that.
http://www.cyclesourcegroup.com/handlebars.html