The pony-tailed baby-boomer and I were practically friends by now--he had adjusted my handlebars three times; seat, four. Straddling the front wheel, he had held the bike upright while inspecting my position and posture and lecturing me on "butt comfort," shoulder and wrist torque, fatique, and leg position. Finally, everything felt so good, I couldn’t hold back, but as I took off, Mac ran alongside me explaining, "I forgot to tell you about these new brakes . . . " The giant mountain comfort bike ($309) is a fantastic choice with incredible "sportscar" handling and exactly what I needed, but I hesitated, feeling guilty--I already had a decent mountain bike I bought secondhand and ride only a little. Mac asked, "What’s your comfort worth?" He has helped people get what they need for a long time, and I started to realize what a good sales staff is worth--I’d ride more with these guys to fit me perfectly with exactlly what I need. Mac got me thinking straight, and I saw the younger salesmen busily involved, too, with customers age 6 to 65.

Whitetail handles other bike brands--Diamond Back, GT, Kona, and Serrotta--in racing, mountain, and touring styles, and they are the largest Schwinn dealer in the state. They have Heritage and Wilderness Systems kayaks and canoes for sale and rent, as well as in-line skates for adults and children. There is a good inventory of shoes by New Balance, Saucony, and Brooks. Swimwear and biking apparel were on sale racks on the patio by the trail, and accessories for various outdoor sports are arranged according to departments around the perimeter of the warehouse-type room. Bikes of every size and frame are available for rent, including bicycles-built-for-two and side-by-side surrey with canopy top. Child or pet carriers and trailers are also offered.

So much to choose from, we were more exhausted from sampling the inventory than from the earlier 10-mile ride on our old "clunkers," as we now labeled them. The bar with stools looked like a good place to sit with health drinks and think over the possibilities. Here, we learned more about the specialty cafe menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, made fresh daily, all healthy selections for athletic types. There is also a freezer where we helped ourselves and meals made for the trail.