Colorado Sets The Pace

Promoters of the Mountain Bike Holidays often characterize it as ''user friendly.'' The drop handlebars, skinny tires, and light frame of the racing bike are replaced by upright handlebars to allow for a more comfortable seating position and greater stability; knobby, wide tires, for shock absorption and traction; and a more sturdy frame, for durability.

The bikes are extremely low-geared for ease in climbing hills during Mountain Bike Holidays and generally come equipped with 15 to 18 gears. ''I see these bikes as the basic bike for the average consumer of the future,'' says Bill Wilkinson, executive director of the Bicycling Promotion Organization.

Industry statistics suggest this could be the trend. Sales have roughly doubled every year when about 200,000 mountain bikes were sold. 2.6 million bikes were sold. Many of the mountain bikes being bought throughout the country today are purchased exclusively for street use.

In fact, it is estimated that as many as 80 percent of mountain bikes may never be used on off-road terrain. Current estimates indicate that about half of all bikes bought for street use are mountain bikes.

The use of mountain bikes as street bikes makes sense, Fisher says. They require less maintenance, and their thick tires and sturdy frame give significant advantages in tackling the potholes, bumps, cracks, and curbs of city streets. Many people are finding these bikes the perfect commuting vehicle in the city.

Peter Loescher, a management consultant, commutes on his mountain bike 15 miles back and forth from his suburban home to his Boston office every weekday. ''There is no comparison between my old bike and the mountain bike I have now,'' Mr. Loescher insists. ''I can go through curbs, hit potholes ... and not have to deal with a flat.''

Mountain biking appeals to a broad cross section of people. The bike accommodates serious bicyclers as well as the casual or occasional rider. ''This sport has no stereotype,'' says Mr. Ross. ''It's a good way to peel off some stress after a long, hard day,'' says Gagnon. ''You get past the mortgage and the workweek and really enjoy the outdoors.''

Decades ago, masochists must have gotten into cycling in a big way. That would explain why the 10-speed became the most common type of bicycle for nearly a quarter century. Only a masochist could enjoy perching on a 10-speed's narrow, hard seat, painfully hunched over on its calf-level handlebars, securely anchored to its pedals by vice-tight leather straps while balancing on its outrageously expensive, 1-inch-wide wheels that collapse in every unseen pothole.

Mountain Biking