This was my third bike. OK, technically it was my fourth, but I only kept the third for a month. A 1999 Schwinn S10 Carbon fiber full suspension XC trail bike with "sweet spot" technology, Judy SL forks, and a sweetass Shimano XT and XTR drivetrain. I think the cranks were LX - I probably should have upgraded those back then. Still the smoothest shifing bike I have ever had. I logged a lot of miles on this one.

But compared to the new bike, well, I might as well have been riding a beach cruiser.

As every bike I have bought has essentially cost a grand more than the previous version, I think I'm stopping now. The guy in the store said I keep raising my expectations (this is true). He also said that with a ten year interval between the last two purchases, it equates to only a ten percent per year inflation rate, but I think he's full of shit. When mountain bikes get as expensive as a Honda, things are getting a bit out of hand.

The trails aren't any different.

But then again, my body is. So maybe it's a good investment after all.