Kona Blast 2006 - My New Moutain Bike

Well, a few months ago I got married. Most of the gifts were in the form of gift cards from various places. My groomsmen did hook me up with the best gift card however, a couple hundred bucks to the local bike shop. In the card they hinted that I needed to drop a few pounds and learn how to share only one car. Well,

I finally found a Saturday where the weather was nice and I had time to shop. I was talking with a friend at work who is an avid outdoorsman. He pushed me towards the Kona mountain bike. Kona is a brand I hadn't heard much of (but let's be honest, the last time I owned a bike it was a Hutch, and I don't even know if they still exist). The frames of these mountain bikes are squared off, which gives it some more stability. Anyway, being on somewhat of a budget (the tax man cometh) I looked for one of the best low level entry bikes they had. I ended up looking at the Kona Blast, a nice bike that has some better than average upgrades on it. Most of the parts are Shimano, chain, wheels, shifters, etc. This particular style has front suspension (I don't have the bones for full suspension), which has a Marzocchi fork. From what I was told, it's italian so it must be good. Since I'm on an italian kick, I'll have to agree. I took it for a test ride in the parking lot and ran over a few curbs.

I've never had a bike with shocks on the front, so it will definitely take some getting used to. I also got a helmet, you know, for when I take it off some sweet jumps. I guess I'll have to start riding it to work. I also can't wait till my first wipeout. I'll probably throw the bike off a cliff. Good thing the frame has a lifetime warranty!