Bob's Baby Blue Bike

Bob Downey, all around swell guy, likes to own really awesome bikes. He's got a stable of Trek road bikes that is probably only outdone by the likes of mister "7" himself, Lance Armstrong. Well, old Bob decided he wanted to mix it up on the dirt and ordered up a Yeti Arc through the shop. This bike frame might be responsible for more XC wins than any other. It certainly set the bar for what a fast, cross-country hardtail should feel and handle like. I remember drooling over the pages of Colorado Cyclist in the early-mid Nineties, longing for one of these frames. Well, I never got one, but I did get to build up Bob's. I only got to ride it up and down the Cycle Work's back alley, but it felt awesome. Funny thing though, where my 22-year-old self would've LOVED to own this frame, my 32-year-old self found it a bit stiff and harsh. Is it an awesome bike? Heck, yeah! Is it still my dream bike? Nope, 'cuz Mary bars would just look funny on it and my back hurts just lookin' at those swoopy-stays. My tastes have changed from Porsche performance to Cadillac cush.