In this month's Bicycling magazine, there's an article on cheap bikes
as transportation, and the unseen cadre of users that ride these bikes
to work & etc.
The reason Huffies are not appropriate to mountain biking is relatively
simple and inherent in the name of the activity. First, take the word
"mountain." That implies a grade that will put stress on parts as one
attempts to ascend said mountain. Huffy parts are not built to
withstand mountain-induced stress.
They may well be fine for town commuting, sidewalks, park paths, etc.,
but that's not your question.
Second, is that ascension on a bike up a mountain is easier on a
lighter bike, whereas Huffies tend to be quite heavy. Climbing also
stresses parts that might not hold up to your weight and level of
exertion. Finally, if you are descending, then you want the parts to
hold up, endure the bumps, the speed, and stop when you need it to
stop. The quality of parts on these bikes make those propositions
questionable and maybe not worth risking your life on.
I had lunch with a guy who was bragging that he bought his daughter a
$100 bike-shaped-object and didn't have to spend $400 on her bike as I
was encouraging him too. He went on to say that when the front brake
came loose, fell into the wheel, and caused a huge crash at speed,
she was able to use her karate training to avoid serious injury. Good
for her. He couldn't understand why bike shops were hesitant to want
to fix the bso, though.
A Huffy is truly a bicycle, and if it works for you, that's great, go
for it.
But keep in mind it is not built to withstand the torque and strain
that riding in "mountains" whether up or down, will put on the bike.
Add to the fact that they are usually assembled by some know-nothing
kid, with brakes backwards, bar-ends straight up, and so on, and you
have a case of caveat emptor, let the buyer beware.
If I saw you struggling or broken down on the trail, I would stop every
time and offer whatever assistance I could to help you out. Regardless
of what you're riding. I've done it before, had to turn a Huffy into a
singlespeed for a kid.
If you're having fun on your bike, and its taking you where you want to
go, once again, you get my vote, and I say go for it. As you get more
into the sport, you may well want to save up for something safer,
lighter, and built better. In the meantime, just remember,
its always the rider, not the bike.
My 15 cents worth.
CDB
