| I guess that, with the development of the | | | | length in these communities, from brake |
| Internet from a middling bunch of computers | | | | levers to bike trails. And of course, with |
| on a network to a full-blown phenomenon of | | | | the spurt of the e-commerce trend, it cannot |
| millions and millions of PCs and Macs all | | | | be avoided that shops catering to the |
| connected throughout the world, you can find | | | | specialized needs of mountain bikers have |
| anything you want online with just a | | | | sprouted online as well. |
| smattering of keywords and Google (or Yahoo!, | | | | |
| or MSN, or AOL, whichever you prefer.) I have | | | | But is this a bad thing we're talking about? |
| been a Netizen for almost 6 years now; | | | | Personally, I think not. The emergence of |
| certainly not as old and experienced as the | | | | e-commerce has brought along with it an |
| other veterans of the World Wide Web, maybe, | | | | unsurpassed convenience and availability of |
| but enough to have observed and experienced | | | | products and services that your local bike |
| several of the significant developments and | | | | shop will be hard-pressed to match. Unless, |
| changes that the cyber world has gone | | | | of course, your local bike shop has |
| through. | | | | established an online presence as well. |
| | | | Enthusiasts and shoppers are greatly |
| So why was I surprised when I found out that | | | | benefiting from the wide array of products |
| the sport of mountain biking has found a new | | | | that are readily available from virtually |
| home on the Internet? And not just a sport, | | | | anywhere in the world, via the Internet. |
| but an entire, growing community and culture | | | | Whether you just want to find the best price |
| of pedaling enthusiasts that spans the globe. | | | | for that crankset you need, or you're looking |
| Going back to my self-imposed question, why | | | | for the ultimate mountain bike package, going |
| was I surprised to see this? Probably because | | | | online can be the best way to go. |
| in my privately-held and biased opinion, I've | | | | |
| always thought that freewheeling mountain | | | | You don't have to be a technical wizard to |
| bikers who spend their time going up and down | | | | enjoy online shopping for your bike gear. |
| hills riding their two-wheeled pedal machines | | | | Most mountain bike websites, or cycling in |
| wouldn't have the time nor the inclination to | | | | general, usually feature helpful hints and |
| build a place on the Web. | | | | tips to guide the less-than-expert shoppers |
| | | | make the most out of their website. Are you |
| How wrong I was. Mountain biking is certainly | | | | looking for a particular product? Or perhaps |
| getting more and more exposure on the | | | | you just want to see all available products |
| Internet, and well-deserved exposure, I might | | | | from your favorite manufacturer? Online |
| add. As I said, I have discovered that there | | | | stores usually allow you to search for any |
| is already a booming population of | | | | item you want using keywords. You can also |
| closely-knit communities of mountain bikers | | | | find what you need by browsing the organized |
| in cyberspace. You can practically find | | | | categories of items. Everything is arranged |
| hundreds of websites, blogs, and forums | | | | and laid out to enable shoppers to find and |
| dedicated to the sport. A wide array of | | | | buy products faster and easier. |
| topics are being discussed and presented at | | | | |