Funny, this is exactly what we ended up doing, kind of. Basically, we had narrowed our choices down to 3 bikes for my son ... Giant Roam I, Trek GF Utopia, and Specialized Crosstrail Sport Disc ... all are hybrids with front suspension that locks out and disc brakes. All 3 makes are the major brand for 3 different stores in our area, so the shop itself and the folks behind the shop were important factors in which bike to buy. Giant is sold by an outdoor gear store where bikes are just a part of the overall product mix. Trek is sold by a new store that only sells bikes. Specialized is sold by one of the oldest, if not the oldest, bike stores in the area.

We had already ridden the Trek bike and yesterday our intention was to start with Specialized, then go to Giant, and finally finish with Trek, our favorite, where we were likely to buy a bike. Well, we never made it to Giant or back to Trek. We test rode both the Crosstrail we were settled on and, at the suggestion of the store owner, we also rode the Hardrock Sport Disc 29er. After hearing how my son was going to use the bike, the store owner felt that the 29er might be a better compromise for him and fit his overall usage better ... we really do have a lot of great single track trails in our area and both my son and his girlfriend want to use them. Anyway, we loved both bikes, though the Crosstrail, because of its tires, was a slightly smoother ride on the paved trails we test rode on. Because we loved the bikes, and especially because the owner of the store (a hardcore rider himself) was more knowledgeable about his product than everyone else we have talked to combined (he has carried many brands, including Trek, since opening in 1972 and finally settled in on Specialized several years ago), and because my son was anxious to end the shopping and get to riding, we bought him the 29er, his personal favorite ... matt black and a great looking bike.

Question ... my son is is 5'-11" with short legs ... he had about 1", maybe 2", of clearance from the top tube while straddling the bike with both feet on the ground and spread shoulder width apart ... he test rode a 19 ... the next size down is a 17.5 ... the store owner felt that he would be happier with the 19 because of the other geometry of the bike and the fact that he wasn't going to do any serious or dangerous offroading or downhill and wasn't likely to come off the bike hard very often or at all. Good decision or not? 17.5 a better choice?

As for my new bike, I'm still trying to figure out what to do. I have a Bridgestone MB-3 that I bought in about 1995 that has never been used and is at our small local bike shop now getting a tune-up. I'm thinking about using it as a "townie" to get around on paved areas in our small town and getting a true mountain bike for use on trails ... maybe a 29er for me, too, espeically if my son ends up really liking his.

Thanks in advance for your input.