Mountain Bike Mania

by Matt Christopher

  The noise in the hall was deafening as five hundred students talked at once. Will yelled to make himself heard. “Julian at Diamond Cycle?”

  “That’s it. See you tomorrow!” Gail yelled back, and climbed the stairs with a wave.

  Well, thought Will, continuing on down the hall. It looked like he was in the mountain biking club. And he didn’t have to try out, either. Best of all, tonight he was going to get his parents to take him to Diamond Cycle and buy him a brand-new, first-class mountain bike!

  4

  Diamond Cycle was not a huge store. But there were bikes hanging everywhere: from the walls and ceilings, from pipes and wires. The place had the feel of a jungle full of bicycle trees, ripe with tire fruit. Will had to wade his way down the aisle, brushing the swinging tires out of his path.

  At the end of the path stood a big wooden counter. Behind the counter stood a college-age guy with a dark brown ponytail. His grease-stained bowling shirt had the name Julian stitched on the pocket.

  “Hi,” Will said, coming up to Julian with his parents right behind him. “I’m Will Matthews, and this is my mom and dad. Um, Gail Chen sent me to you. She said you’d help me pick out a bike and stuff.”

  Julian grinned and nodded. He had a huge gap between his two front teeth, but his smile was so infectious that it made Will and his parents smile, too. “Excellent,” he said. “You came to the right place. Mr. and Mrs. Matthews, nice to meet you, too. You tell me what your budget limit is, and I’ll get you the right bike.”

  “Well,” Will’s dad said, looking down uncomfortably. “I’ll tell you, I couldn’t help notice the prices of some of the bikes as we came in…”

  “Tell you what,” Julian said. “Let me show you the pre-owned bikes first. Most stores don’t have them, but you can save a lot that way. More bike for the money, you know?”

  “Aren’t the new ones better?” Will asked, dismayed.

  “Not necessarily,” Julian said with a shrug. “Sometimes you can pay the same amount for a better quality used bike as you would for a lower-end new bike. And remember, you’ll still need some other stuff to go with it. Luckily you don’t need a new bike to get the most out of mountain biking.”

  Will looked up at him, surprised. “You don’t?”

  “Nah, it’s not about how cool the equipment is,” Julian said. “Some people get into that, but it’s not like you have to. Mountain biking’s da bomb diggity. It’s about going out with a gang of your friends, riding around whatever trails you can find, getting dirty, and having a blast.”

  He took them in back, where there was another, smaller showroom, this one for used, or “preowned,” bikes.

  “We refit and refinish all these before we sell them,” Julian said. “So it’s just like getting a new bike, for about two-thirds the money. And we’re the only store that sells pre-owned bikes. Most places don’t bother, so you’d have to find one at a garage sale or through the want ads.”

  “Whoa, look at this one!” Will said, gravitating to an all-chrome bike with metallic red trim and decals that rested on its kickstand by the far wall.

  “See?” Julian said, grinning again. “Who says you have to spend more money to have more fun? Yeah, I fixed this one up last week. Pretty good paint job, if I say so myself. New brakes and cables, new wheels.”

  “How much is it?” Will’s dad asked.

  Will held his breath when Julian quoted the price. Only when he saw his father nod his head and smile did he let it out.

  Julian wheeled the bike away from the wall and put the kickstand up. “But before we sign on the dotted line, let’s see if it fits. No sense buying a bike that’s too big for you. In fact, it’s dangerous. You can lose contact with the ground, and that would not be good. You need to be able to put a foot down to steady yourself. There, get up on that seat, Will.”

  “It fits fine,” Will said, ready to grab his bike and go. He loved it already. It was perfect. He could see himself on it, flying down the mountain trails at top speed, the sunlight glinting off the chrome.…

  “Mmmm, you’re right,” Julian said. “Okay. You guys want to buy it?”

  Will looked hopefully up at his parents.

  “Son,” his dad said, with a big smile, “ride it safely.”

  “It’s yours, honey,” his mom agreed.

  “Yes!” Will cried triumphantly. “All right! I can’t believe it!” He could hardly wait to get his new — er, pre-owned — bike home. He was going to ride it to school first thing in the morning, and by afternoon, he’d be off on the trail!

  “Yo, Julian! You sold my bike!” The voice came from the doorway. They all turned to see a boy who must have been fourteen but looked seventeen. He wore a black leather jacket, torn jeans, and black army boots. He had two earrings in one of his ears and long black hair brushed back and slicked down. “You said you were gonna fix it up for me!”

  “Ace!” Julian said, stiffening. “Hey, man, I did fix it up for you. Now you don’t have to pay your father back for the damage you did when you took it without his permission.”

  “I just borrowed it!” Ace corrected him. “I was trying it out to see if it ran right.”

  “Yeah, right,” Julian said, rolling his eyes. “Be glad I saved your bacon this time, and don’t do it again.”

  Ace looked away and blinked, as though he was just noticing that there were other people in the room. “Hey, don’t you go to Hopgood Middle?” he asked Will.

  Will nodded. “Sixth grade. I’m Will Matthews. These are my parents.”

  “Hi,” Ace mumbled, then turned back to Will. “Nice to meet you. Enjoy the bike.” He gave Will a nod, shot Julian an angry look, and walked back out of the room.

  “Whoa,” Will breathed. “Now I see what Gail meant about him.”

  “He’s some piece of work, all right,” Julian said. “Tell you the truth, I don’t think his dad wants him riding the new bikes. Ace rides them kind of hard. Don’t get me wrong — he’s a great biker. He does stuff on a bike nobody else around here can do.”

  “Not even you?” Will asked.

  “Me? Nah, I’m not that good. I’m more into fixing them up, you know? Getting them in perfect running condition.” Julian wiped his hands with a greasy rag, then motioned for them all to gather around him.

  “Okay, now I’m going to give you your first lesson in mountain bikery. This” — he pointed solemnly at the bike — “is a mountain bike. It’s different from a regular bike because it goes anywhere. Look at these big, fat tires. Good traction, good padding, takes a pounding. Look at this frame. Strong but lightweight, for when you need to carry it. Shock absorbers to keep you from feeling the pain.

  “These are the derailleurs. They help shift the gears. The idea of shifting is so you can keep a steady pace. That way you don’t tire out. So you want to find the most comfortable gear for flat riding and then adjust from there.”

  He went on to show Will and his parents how to shift gears with his thumbs as he rode. Then he taught them how to brake. Twenty minutes had gone by when Mr. Diamond came in, scowling.

  “Julian,” he said. “There are four customers out there waiting for help. I don’t mean to rush you, but…” He gestured frantically, gave Will and his parents a little smile, and ducked back out.

  “I’d better wrap this up,” Julian said, not seeming too worried or the least bit hurried.

  “If you need to help someone else, go ahead,” Will’s mom offered.

  “Yes, you’ve been more than kind to take so much time with Will — and with us. I feel like I got an education!”

  “Me, too,” Will’s mom agreed.

  Julian grinned. “Well, Gail sent him. So I had to treat him right.” He gave Will fist fives and ruffled his hair. “Look, man, you already wear glasses, and that’s actually an advantage here, since you won’t need goggles.”

  “Cool!” Will said, smiling. “I’m not used to thinking of them as a plus.”

  “Yeah, and I assume you�
��ve already got a helmet, yes?”

  “Yes,” Will said.

  “Good.”

  “What about biking clothes?” Will asked.

  “Will, we’re already spending enough for today,” his father counseled.

  “But I’m gonna look like a dork on this great new bike with my regular clothes!”

  “You’re wrong about that one,” Julian said, shaking his head. “Mountain biking’s not about what you wear. It’s about how you ride. Don’t worry, not all the kids in the club at Hopgood wear cycling gear.”

  “They don’t?” Will didn’t quite believe this. Anytime he’d watched bikers on TV, they’d been wearing skintight, shiny outfits, and so had the bikers who’d nearly run him and Danny down.

  “Nope. Gail doesn’t, for one, and she’s the club president. Look, forget about it for now. Trust me. On the other hand, you are gonna want knee and elbow pads, and good gloves, too. Trust me on this one, folks. He needs protective gloves.”

  “We’ll pick them out while you ring us up,” Will’s dad said as they went back into the main showroom. “And thanks again, Julian. You’ve been great.”

  “Yes, indeed,” Will’s mom agreed.

  “Thanks, Julian,” Will said.

  “Hey, come on in anytime for some free pointers,” Julian said. “Don’t worry — Mr. Diamond won’t fire me for being slow. He knows I’m good at what I do.”

  He gave Will a wink and a big, gap-toothed grin.

  The hours flew by until two-thirty the following afternoon. Will went and got his bike from the rack by the school athletic field. It was easy to spot — the shiniest, coolest-looking one, as far as he was concerned.

  He walked it over to the gym doors, and there was Gail Chen, waiting with two other girls for the rest of the club to show up.

  “Hi!” She waved, motioning him to hurry over. “This is Will, everybody. He’s our newest member. Will, this is Juliette Travis, and this is Candy McGeachie.”

  “Hi,” Juliette said, nodding to Will. She was already sitting on her bike, her blond hair tied back, and her helmet tilted back on her head, unfastened for now. Neither she nor Gail were wearing biking outfits, just jeans tied up at the ankles and old sneakers.

  “Hiya, Will,” Candy said with a wave and a grin. “We know each other from French class,” she explained to Gail and Juliette. “Isn’t Mrs. Dumont fun?”

  Will was a little surprised at her friendliness. Candy and her twin brother Mitch were really popular kids. Everyone always wanted to sit with them at lunch. Come to think of it, Juliette was head cheerleader, and her boyfriend was the quarterback of the school’s football team. This was much more of an “in-crowd” than Will was used to hanging out with. When Will had heard they were in the bike club, he wasn’t sure what to expect. But Candy was making him feel like one of them already, and he relaxed.

  “I like when Mrs. Dumont goes like this.” He pursed his lips, like he was a fish, the way Mrs. Dumont did when she was teaching them how to pronounce certain French words. Candy giggled, and Gail and Juliette joined her.

  “Where’s Mitch?” Will asked Candy.

  “Mitch? He’s probably hanging out with Ace, as usual,” Juliette said.

  “Mitch, like, worships Ace,” Gail said with a sigh.

  “So does Candy,” Juliette added.

  “I do not!” Candy said, blushing and giving Juliette an elbow. But Will could see from the way they all giggled that it must be true.

  Just then, Mitch and Ace, along with another boy, came down the path, walking their bikes. Ace was wearing dark blue and silver biking gear from head to toe. His leather jacket was slung over both shoulders. He looked totally cool, and confidence oozed from his every pore.

  The other two boys’ outfits didn’t suit them quite so well, but they still strutted as if they were on top of the world. One was a very tall boy with a buzz cut, and the other, with blond hair down to his shoulders, was Candy’s twin brother Mitch.

  “It’s the three stooges,” Juliette quipped, her eyes twinkling. “About time, you guys.”

  “Hey, we had to get changed, right?” Ace said.

  “Right,” the tall boy agreed. “Gotta look good out there. All new outfits for the new season.”

  “Steve Barrad, this is Will Matthews,” Gail introduced them. “And Ace Diamond. Mitch you already know. Will’s the newest member of our club, everyone, so help him get used to everything, okay?”

  “Sure thing,” Steve said, giving Will a nod and a smile.

  “Hey!” Ace said, suddenly recognizing Will. “You’re the kid who bought my bike!”

  “Well, technically, it wasn’t exactly your bike….” Will fumbled, suddenly feeling a little panicky.

  “Ha, ha! Hey, just kidding,” Ace said, grinning and throwing an arm around Will’s shoulder. “No hard feelings. I’ll get over it. In fact, check out the replacement!” He showed off his new bike — a gleaming green “Mean Machine,” as the decal read. It was a hot bike, all right. “Right off my dad’s rack. I’m testing this baby out for him. Oh, yeah — and welcome to the club, Will.” He showed Will a complicated handshake. “That’s how we do it, okay?”

  “Sure,” Will said, happy Ace wasn’t still sore about the bike.

  “And if you need any help on the trail, I’m there — anytime, all the time.”

  “Thanks, Ace.”

  “Okay,” Gail said. “Now that everyone’s here and acquainted, let me go over our schedule for the week. Today we’re going out to Shepard Lake Trail —”

  “Aw, come on,” Ace interrupted her. “Forget that — it’s too easy. Flat as a pancake. Why can’t we do some hills?”

  Gail shot him a look. “We have a beginner with us today,” she said pointedly. “So I thought we’d start him off easy, till he’s used to his new bike and understands how we do things.”

  Ace clicked his tongue and shook his head, but he didn’t argue any further.

  Gail ignored him and continued. “Then on Friday, we’ll do the ski trails on Slide Mountain.”

  “Yeah, that’s more like it!” Ace commented, satisfied.

  Will could barely contain his excitement. He was glad they were starting slow. But a large part of him, like Ace, couldn’t wait to barrel down a steep slope with the wind in his face and his bike in full flight.

  “Well, let’s get going,” Ace said. “I can at least get some speed practice.”

  “You’d better not,” Gail warned him. “You know Shepard Lake Trail is full of hikers and horses.” Ace didn’t reply, so she turned to the rest of the club. “Okay, bike check,” Gail said, and they all dismounted to begin looking over their bikes.

  “This is a routine we do every time before we go out,” Gail explained to Will. “We have a safety checklist: skewers must be tight, quick release levers pointed to the rear, so they don’t snag on anything. Tires pumped up, brakes working properly. Helmets fitted snugly. Kit on board… who’s going to carry the kit today?” she asked, hoisting a small day pack.

  “What’s in the kit?” Will asked.

  “First aid,” Gail told him. “Along with tools, spare inner tubes in case one of us gets a flat, loose change in case we need to make an emergency phone call. Stuff like that.”

  “I didn’t know you had to be that prepared,” Will said.

  “Well, not so much for today,” she explained. “But when we go farther from town, like to Slide Mountain or the reservation, it could be crucial.” She gave the kit to Mitch, who had raised his hand, volunteering to carry it. Then she looked up at the sky. “Last minute check of the weather… looks good… and we’re ready to go!”

  She threw a leg over the bike and hauled off across the athletic field, heading for the road that led to Shepard Lake. Ace turned his bike around to follow her. “I don’t know why she always has to lead,” he grumbled. “It’s like having a scoutmaster watching over you.”

  “Yeah,” Mitch said, nodding. And Steve seemed to agree as well, although
he didn’t say anything. They all took off, one after the other, following Gail. Juliette and Candy came after, and Will brought up the rear.

  “Don’t worry,” Juliette called out to Will over her shoulder. “If you fall too far behind, we’ll stop until you catch up!”

  Will waved to signal that he’d heard. Soon, he fell into a comfortable rhythm behind the other bikers. As they rode, through the heart of town and out into the hills, he began getting used to his new bike. Remembering Julian’s advice, he practiced shifting gears and braking.

  Soon they came to the dirt road that wound around the lake. The road snaked in and out, following the curves of the land. The leaves were falling all around them as they rode. The sun, low in the sky, glinted through the trees at them. Will squinted into the brightness and felt a rush of warmth and happiness flow through him.

  This was it. He had found the answer to all of his after-school problems! Nothing could ruin his happiness now!

  5

  The next twenty-four hours flew by the way the scenery had on Shepard Lake Trail. Today Will had eaten lunch with Candy and Mitch. He could sense other kids wondering how he’d managed to get so tight with them so quickly.

  The same thing had happened a couple of times when he’d passed Ace Diamond in the hall and the older boy had given him the special handshake. Every eye in the hall had been on Will then, and he liked it. He felt like one of the really popular kids for the first time in his life. It was a heady, wonderful feeling.

  After school, Will made his way across the street to the town library. He figured he could get onto a mountain biking Web site or chat room on the Internet, or maybe look at some books about it.

  But as he came into the big reading area, with its old wooden tables lined up one after the other, he saw Danny sitting there, doing his homework.

  They hadn’t talked all week. Since last Saturday, Will had just been too busy with his newfound hobby.