Hi Florence,

I don't know much about mountain bikes, but I do have some general advice.

The Jamis Dakota AL might be a great bike for you, but you should look at
more than one brand of bike before you buy. I believe that the bike shop on
Thayer only carries that one brand. You should take a trip to Providence
Bicycle shop on Branch Ave. to see other brands for comparison. Prov Bike
does sponsor the BCC, so they may be able to give you a bit of a discount.
You should by no means feel compelled to buy a bike there though. You may
find that the Jamis from Estas? is the best for you. There is also a bike
shop in Seekonk,MA which is not too far.

If you could find someone with knowledge of mountain bikes to go with you
that would be useful. In the pricerange you mention you should be able to
buy a very nice bike. Here is a list of key features in a general order of
significance.

Frame - ***size right!!!***, material - weight and strength
(you might have some thinking to do here with respect to
suspension...front, dual. I don't know much)
Wheels- light weight but durable
Components - again, for that price you should get quality components (not
top shelf but very good). It is easier to upgrade things like saddles,
pedals, tires and handlebars. Harder to upgrade the drivetrain (shifters,
derailleurs, cogs on rear wheel)

I can't overemphasize the importance of finding the right sized frame. This
involves the standover height as well as the distance between the seat and
the handlebars (reach distance). Both of these are critical and very hard
to correct for. I good bike shop will measure you carefully and be
concerned about both of these sizing features.

Hopefully a mountain bike minded individual can lend you some help.

John



----- Original Message -----
From: "Florence Chang" <FlorenceDeArtist@...>
To: <brown-cycling-club@yahoogroups.com>; <mike_tarr@...>
Sent: Monday, December 01, 2003 1:37 PM
Subject: [brown-cycling-club] about the cycling club


Hello,

I just joined your club on line during the Thanksgiving break. I am
interested in mountain bikes,but don't have previous experience them. I
currently don't own one so I went to the bike shop on the thayers street
for recommendation. I asked the store owner for recommendation between price
range $800- $1200 and he suggested the Dakota AL from Jamis Bicycles. Is
there a number I can reach you guys so I can get more informations quicker?

Florence Chang

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