Past bikes - bike #6

Diamond Back Apex: Pretty much your basic 1993 entry-level mountain bike. With funny bull-like curved bars (think bar-ends but with a nice bend). I was a freshman in college and of course I had a new shiny credit card. So I bought my roommate and me brand new mountain bikes. Whooop!

I bought them at North Division Bikes. From Michael. He doesn't remember.

Historical note: there was a bike shop on 2nd and Lincoln called, I think "Bike Works," with a funny looking Bridgestone called an XO-1 as I was hunting for a bike. It was expensive and weird. But I did buy Jobst Brandt's wheel book there, which was mostly beyond me.

Anyway the Apex was my bike all through college. My main memory of this bike was the daily ritual when I got home from school at about 2pm. I'd fire up. Pound a beer or two. Then attempt the straight-down way off the bluff from Brownes Addition to the creek below. About twice a week I'd ride the river trail out to Bowl and Pitcher. Then waiting tables or cooking at about 5PM. Then beers/homework, then bed. Great schedule.

Me. 1994?
On the mighty Apex.
Quite possibly the poorest quality picture I've ever put on this blog.

After college, this bike went with me to Portland, where I lived with friends for about 6 months. Then when we all moved to Seattle, this bike took up a non-insignificant portion of our "living room" in our shared 1 bedroom apartment on Capital Hill. When I eventually moved back to Spokane, this bike came with me and was promptly ripped off from the backyard of a friend's house.

Most memorable wreck: charging around the corner on the rocky/shale-infested/sharp-basalt section of the west approach to the B&P bridge. As I came around the corner, barely in control, a little kid emerged. As much as I wanted to mow him down, my better instincts sent me off the trail: bouncing off the pointy rocks down the side of the hill. I hurt everywhere and I dented the chain stay verily. So I was a bit annoyed when the dad gave me the stink eye as he picked up his son and marched away. That section happens to be a "no bike zone" now. Sorry?