Conference noted::bicycle

    	Try Dick Naults on Bridge Street in Manchester
    or Goodales on Main Street in Nashua and Sunshine
    Sports on Route 101A in Amherst.  There the top
    shops in the Nashua/Manchester area.  If your
    coming up 93 try Butchkas in Salem.
    
    					Jerry

	Jim, you took the words right out of my - keyboard, I was going
	to add an almost identical note this morning! I'm also looking 
	to purchace an ATB in the near future and would like to do my
	shopping (and future service) in the southern NH / NE Mass area.
	(I live in Lowell)

	From looking at previous notes, I had narrowed my choices down
	to Goodale's in Nashua and Category I in Tyngsboro.

	re -.1) I was under the impression that Sunshine Sports was a
	hardsell operation to be avoided (?)

	Does anyone have some *recent* experience with these shops, or
	others the general area?

		Thanks for a great conference,

			Russ

>	Does anyone have some *recent* experience with these shops, or
>	others the general area?

I just bought a mountain bike a month or so ago.  I visited Sunshine in Nashua
and Naults in Manchester.  I didn't think Sunshine was a high pressure place to
be avoided.  The salesman that waited on me tried to answer my questions and
let me test ride as many bikes as I wanted as long as I wanted.  My only
complaint about the place was that the salesman was not too terribly
knowledgeable.  Who knows if you get a different salesperson.

I ended up buying my bike at Naults.  The salespeople were nice, knowledgeable,
and very helpful.  I rode just about every mountain bike in my size that the
shop had ready.  Everyone in the shop was very patient.  They even stayed late
to give the bike a tune up before I took it home.  I'll go back to this shop
again.

Hope that helps,

-scott

    Re .-1

    Sunshine Sports have 2 stores in the Nashua area: One on Daniel
    Webster Highway in So. Nashua, the other on Amherst St (101A West).

    I bought my RockHopper from the Amherst St. store after trying most 
    of the local dealers (see 623.1). As Scott experienced, they were
    helpful, but maybe not so knowledgeable on ATBs as, say, Naults or
    Butchikas. So far, I have had very good service from Sunshine Sports
    and cant complain; certainly no hardsell tactics.

    I dont remember having seen any Mongeese (sorry!) in the shops I 
    looked in. Pity, 'cos I'd like to get my hands on some John Tomac
    gear.

    Happy sHopping!

        d:){=| Dave.

This answer really is not what you were asking, but I wanted to mention 
it because you said "$$$ are important". I spent some time looking at 
mountain bikes in the Worcester area. I discovered a couple of interesting 
things.

Whitco Toy and Bike Company in Spencer. They carry Mongoose and 
Diamondback. Great prices, lousy service in terms of sales. He was not 
too excited about letting me ride the bikes. But like I said he had 
great prices.


The other thing I discovered was Giant bikes. The only dealer that 
carries them is Oneil's in Worcester. They (Giant) make the frames for 
Specialized. A Giant AT740 is a Specialized Rockhopper. Completely 
identical except for a couple of very minor differences in components, 
like the headset and seat etc. Specialized was not necessarily better 
in these choices. The only difference I could find was for a 100 bucks 
more you can buy a Rockhopper with a flashy paint job.

Let us know what you get,

JC

    Thanks for all the info,  I have a lot of leg work to do.
    On bike #1 (we are looking at getting one for me and one for
    my wife), I think we have found the place.  There is a shop in
    lawerence that carried the Raleigh "The Pointe" .  This seems to
    be a very good bike for the price he wants (18 speed, click shift,
    shimmano derailures).  I saw the bike yesterday at Eastern in worcester
    for $340 (the guy was trying to tell my that they never had sales because
    there prices are always so good).  Anyway, they had it at this place
    (I will get the name later) on sale for $280.   For bike #2 (for
    me) I thought I would give this one a good ride and see if it works
    out.  It will be a little small, but I will be able to get a feel
    for the components.  Also, I am planning on giving some of these
    N.H. stores a call.
    
    Does anyone out there have a experience with Raleigh bikes or "the
    pointe" in particular ?
    
    Jim
    
    

    re:-.1 Well, if we are talking ATBs, the Shimano Deore or
    Deore XT deraillers only cost about $50, and they are top of the
    line. If you are really worried about component quality, buy the
    bike that is $50 less and upgrade to the Deore components. Frankly,
    I have never heard of the X3040 or the X4050, but the difference
    is probably not $50 worth.
    
    

    re: .5
    
    Giant is a Korean company that makes frames for many of the big
    name bike companies.  I know they make Scwinn frames and others.
    In fact, most frames (except for the more exotic or expensive types)
    are made by a small handful of factories in Korea.
    
    Giant has just started to sell bikes in America under their own
    name.  Anyone know of any other stores that sell Giants?
    

    
    I purchased a Giant mountain bike at the Bike Barn on Maple Street
    in Manchester NH. They have a good selection of ATBs including
    Mongoose, Peugeot, and Shogun.
    
    The service there is great, and they have a good sized parking lot
    to try out the bikes on. As far as the money goes, the Giant is
    a good deal. I think this is their first year selling their own
    bikes, and their prices are definitely lower than the competition.
    
    -Pete
    

    Does anyone know where I might find a distributor of Giant ATB frames?
    I'd like a Rockhopper or Sierra frame set, but I dont know of a
    Giant distributor....any information would be appreciated.
    

    
    I bought my Giant at740 at Bike barn in Manchester NH.
    Don't know the phone....
    
    Stew