I just cannot agree that mountain bikes are an atrocity or are somehow responsible for a decline in cycling. In fact, I would argue the exact opposite! I sold a lot of Schwinn Varsities and Raleigh Records and cheap Peugeots to kids who would have been much better off with more rugged, wider geared mountain bikes. If these kids had a better experience with bikes suited to the type of use they were going to give them, they would have had more fun, would have ridden more, and might have come in for better bikes instead of leaving them in the back of the garage as soon as they could get their licenses. I have heard it said that it's the fault of spoiled, overweight, stupid American youth that can't treat a piece of equipment properly, but this argument is about as effective and useful as spitting into the wind.
Steve Barner, who still works with kids in Bolton, Vermont
>It was the US market that allowed the attrocity which are mountain bikes
\r?\n>become accepted as standard fare for beginning cyclists. This has done more
\r?\n>to keep people away from cycling than anything else in my opinion.