| I guess that, with the development of the | | | | length in these communities, from bashguards |
| Internet from a bunch of computers strung | | | | to bike trails. And of course, with the |
| along a small network to a worldwide network | | | | spurt of the e-commerce trend, it cannot be |
| of millions and millions of PCs and Macs, | | | | avoided that shops catering to the |
| people can just about find anything online | | | | specialized needs of mountain bikers have |
| with just a smattering of keywords and | | | | sprouted online as well. |
| Google. I have been a Netizen for almost 6 | | | | |
| years now; enough to have observed and | | | | But is this bad? I don't think so. The |
| experienced several of the significant | | | | emergence of e-commerce has brought along |
| developments and changes that the Internet | | | | with it an unsurpassed convenience and |
| has gone through. | | | | availability of products and services that |
| | | | your local bike shop cannot match. Mountain |
| So why was I surprised when I discovered that | | | | bikers are benefiting from the extensive |
| mountain biking has its own place on the | | | | range of products that are available from the |
| Internet? And not just a sport, but an | | | | Internet. Whether you're just looking for |
| entire, growing community and culture of | | | | the cheapest price you can get for that disc |
| pedaling enthusiasts that spans the globe. | | | | brake you need, or you're looking for a cross |
| Going back to my self-imposed question, why | | | | country frame for your ultimate mountain |
| was I surprised to see this? Probably | | | | bike, shopping on the Web can be the best way |
| because in my privately-held and biased | | | | to go. |
| opinion, I've never expected mountain bikers | | | | |
| to be Net-savvy enough to build a website, | | | | You don't have to be a technical wizard to |
| let alone a full-grown network of like-minded | | | | enjoy online shopping for your bike gear. |
| individuals. | | | | These sites usually feature helpful hints and |
| | | | tips to guide even greenhorns make the most |
| How wrong I was. Mountain biking is | | | | out of their website. Are you looking for a |
| definitely getting more and more exposure on | | | | particular product for your specialized |
| the Internet, and well-deserved exposure, I | | | | mountain bike? Or perhaps you just want to |
| might add. As I said, I have discovered that | | | | see all available products from your favorite |
| there is already a booming population of | | | | manufacturer? Online stores like LA Mountain |
| closely-knit communities of mountain bikers | | | | Bikes help you to search for any item you |
| in cyberspace. You can practically find | | | | want using keywords. You can also shop by |
| hundreds of websites, blogs, and forums | | | | using the categorized menu. Everything is |
| dedicated to the sport. A wide array of | | | | arranged and laid out to enable shoppers to |
| topics are being discussed and presented at | | | | find and buy products faster and easier. |