The Bike That Really Got Me Into Mountian Biking

I can't believe that I don't have a picture of this bike! This was the only mountain bike that I owned from 1993-98, yet apparently it managed to dodge the camera all of that time. I have one picture where it appears in the background, but otherwise it's not to be seen. Apparently I never rode with a camera during those years - I guess maybe the lack of digital cameras was the reason for this.

In the summer of '93 I bought the bike from a shop in Washington, DC. I forget the shop's name now (maybe Big Wheel Bikes), but they were located just off of the C&O Canal in Georgetown. I test rode a lower-end KHS, as they did not stock the "Pro," and decide that I wanted the higher-end model which included a mix of components ranging from DX to XTR - the XTR 8-speed components were the selling point. The frame was available in either gray or the blue/pink KHS team colors. I opted for gray. The bike was ordered, and I was prepared to wait several weeks for it to come in - nearly two months later it arrived.

What interested me most about the KHS was it's component mix. The "Pro" was the lowest priced bike in '93 to come with XTR shifters. I originally planned to buy a GT, but for about $100-$150 less than a full-XT equipped GT I could get the KHS. Besides test riding the KHS, I tried a Marin Pine Mountain, a Diamond Back, and the GT. I really liked the KHS, and the XTR sold me. While the "Pro" was not the top-of-the-line KHS, it was one of their better bikes, and shared the same frame as their highest-end "Team" model.

This was a great bike to me and I have a lot of memories associated with it. I rode it in DC, moved with me across the US to California, then to North Dakota, and finally back to California. After a year of riding it I "upgraded" the stock rigid fork to a Manitou 3 suspension fork. In '98 I decided to buy a new bike when I found a Bontrager on final clearance in Palo Alto, CA. The KHS became my spare bike to lend to friends. In 2002 I parted ways with the bike after nearly 10 years of ownership. But I still have the original fork.

-el