38. BIKES I CURRENTLY KNOW - THE MONGOOSE.

The requirement to remove another persons crap (by which I DO NOT mean ‘assorted paraphernalia') from my landing notwithstanding, there was a element of satisfaction to be gained from the theft of my first mountain bike (see here). That being – I would now get to buy another mountain bike.

It’s one of the great unspoken ‘perks’ of having your personal space invaded by some self entitled, disrespectful arse, that you get to replace the stuff the aforementioned arse makes off with. Of course this in no way makes up for the feeling of having your personal space invaded, particularly when stuff is nicked that cannot be replaced through normal means on account of personal attachment (said the guy who lost his wedding ring at football training).

It also helps if you are insured. I’m no fan of the insurance industry. Well apart from them employing my wife for many years....and therefore helping us buy a house and raise our child...and um, paying for the repairing of my car in a speedy and professional manner every time a kangaroo decides to end its life on my car’s front grill....apart from all that - I’m no fan of the insurance industry.

But I can see how they might get a bit jaded by some of the more creative claims they get in a society that often seems to consider it their right to be compensated for the theft of their 17 dodgy compact discs and the shitty player that went with them, with a multi-thousand dollar shopping spree paid for by their insurance company.

Not me though. I am of course above that kind of moral decrepitude. The fact that I have not been insured for any of the 3 times I have been ripped off has of course NOTHING to do with my standpoint here.

Lacking an insurance policy from which to extract the cash for a new bike, I was afforded the time to have a good look around before making my decision. As the ‘internet’ in 1996 was something housed in a 15 acre warehouse kept under heavy guard by the US Military, this meant lots of visits to lots of local bike shops, the consuming of more than a few magazines and finally a decision substantially made on the basis of colour, price point (expensive enough to convince myself I was getting ‘quality’ with one eye on my not massively bulging wallet) and the fact that I always wanted a Mongoose BMX when I was a kid and I had the cash now so fuck it – I’m getting a Mongoose.

1996 Mongoose Hilltopper (with some alterations - details to follow)

This Mongoose to be precise...

Next: More Mongoose...