As short, sweet, and entertaining as I can be at the moment: I’ve been telling people here and there for about 6 months that I really wanna go mtbiking, finally (and kinda scarily) someone took me up on it about a month and half ago. I roll up with my "vintage" Trek 820 and I hear some laughs, some snickers, some comments about it being the kind of bike you put on your wall, not take on the trail. Its all I got, and I didn’t get this far to chicken out now. So off I go, following the boys with suspension and fancy shifters and gloves and shin guards. My instructions to them was simply no broken bones, everything else- fair game. First time out- AWESOME! And my bike stayed solid (quite surprisingly I now realize). Second time out- different trail, WHOA! I was all over the place, felt like I just took my training wheels off, feet touching down everywhere. My grip shifter was on the fritz, my handlebar grips came off entirely, I’d already tucked and rolled once, and I’m trying desperately not to get left behind, all the while trying not to roll down the 30 ft drop off the side of the trail. I’m hanging in there, but just barely… and then I’m headed down a steep downhill (one that already had me thinking twice about walking it) and I’m 3/4 of the way down, nearly ready to celebrate on making it, and my rear brake lets loose. I am ass over tea kettle before I can even manage to get out the word ****! My riding buddy gave me bonus points for my form. My rear brake cable- completely frayed/snapped. So now I’m down to front breaks for the rest of the ride. Entertaining? You betchya