Two Bikes, one that changed my life and the other that changed bikes there after.
In 5th grade I had a red no-name bmx bike, which i rode to school everyday. One fateful afternoon, I was pulled out of class by my parent because my brother was just sent to rehab for the first time. We forgot my bike. When we came back to get it (the next day) it was completely destroyed by vandals. My dad didn't think twice about letting me pick out a brand new neon green schwinn predator. Man I wish I still had that bike as it represents the day that was the beginning of what would shape my non-bike life.
The bike that changed my bike life came after getting bike jacked in baltimore. As I said in spence's insurance thread I got a check two weeks later, which happen to be right before Xmas. A day or two later, my friends and I piled into the car and made our way to Action Wheels in bethlehem, pa. If this place wasn't magical enough, seeing your favorite ECD or area riders working in there made it even better. Anyways I bought a Standard Trailboss in cream and black and built up a sweet ride. While the bottom bracket was much higher than my Homeless Mack, in a day our two I was used to it and I became a manualing machine. I learned so much on that bike and rode some fun trails and like all bikes, they are just there for you and you only.