Shorts Even For Mountain Biking

It’s fine with Joseph, who rides his mountain bike about four times a week. "I think a lot of people are more in tune with the outdoors and fitness," he said. "Bicycling itself is a very popular sport."

"They're more comfortable than Mountain Bike Shorts," DeBor said. "These guys are just getting back into riding. Many of the riders grew up riding cruisers, a bike where you sit straight up. And then, maybe when they were in college, they rode a 10-speed. Well, with a mountain bike, you're sitting straight up, not bent over holding the Mountain Bike Shorts. Their comfort alone is appealing."

But their susceptibility to accidents is not, and when bikers hit the road, the road hits back. Redman said the thought of injury has to be put aside while riding mountain bikes. "You're not winning," he said, "unless you have confirmed convictions and you ride with reckless abandon."

WHEN a self-described group of ''Marin County maniacs and lazy backpackers'' modified some old balloon-tired bikes and began attacking the trails north of San Francisco, no one knew they were starting the hottest two-wheeled trend since the 10-speed. Mountain bikes account for 21 percent of bicycle sales, and are expected to account for up to 40 percent, according to Bicycle Dealer Showcase, a trade publication.

Never mind that, like the popular jeeps and four-wheel-drive trucks, most mountain bikes never see any off-road use; riders and industry experts agree they have put fun back into bicycling. The upright seating, fat tires and easy gearing all make mountain bikes less intimidating than the traditional racing bike, if less fast. Manufacturers say they're more user-friendly.

''I am in the position of marketing an International Harvester and calling it a Ferrari,'' said Gary Fisher, president of Fisher Mountain Bikes, who added that his bikes are an easy sell because they are easy to ride. But the additional demand for strength in frames and components in mountain bikes ''has pushed the whole industry to change,'' he said.

The most visible change is the proliferation of so-called city bikes or all-terrain bikes, which share the mountain bike's upright position and wide-range gearing but not its knobby tires or specialized frame geometry. They are typically less expensive - below $300 compared with $450 to $2,000 for a serious mountain bike - and often produced in Taiwan, rather than Japan or the United States.

Mountain Biking