just as i mentioned...

before. i receive a mag. with the infamous 'buyer's guide' in it. the problem here is that the buyer's guide readers more like seventy pages of advertisement. not a 'hey, we think this stuff is cool.' but rather 'hey, we're a company. here's some money. could we buy a page in your mag?' so if you want to 'see' a bunch of stuff, and really not know anything about it. then pick up the mag. nothing giving you the consumer an argument why you should or should not pick it up. i thought that is what buyer's guides were supposed to do. give you an item. let's say a bike for instance. and say, 'hey, this bike is coming out this year. maybe you should check it out. it has x, y, and z. and we think x, y, and z are great.' it is if i would walk into a room that you were in. show you an object, and walk out.

buyer guides are there to help you as the consumer. to show you what is out there. to show you the pro's and con's of something. not just present the object to you. here it is. o.k. thanks. so the burden of consumption is on you (as it should always be) to do the research. in some sense find the research for a product that you are interested in buying. compare. contrast. decide.

however in this mag...they do have 'dream bikes'; four out of the five are full suspension. the other: is a cross bike.

so you may say: 'hamad, why then do you keep reading these mags?' to that i answer: this particular mag. gives exposure to the little guy. let's you know that there are more frame companies out there. they give support. i like that. for instance...in this issue they put the spotlight on carl the snarl. the owner and operator of vicious. great stuff. i love this company. great bikes. great philosophy. i've owned two. down to one. and waiting for another. keep it up carl.

remember: the trail is only as wide as your tire.