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