Living in East Halls, it's no wonder I wanted a mountain bicycle. As I trudged through Lot 80 on the dreaded journey to the center of the campus, I stared enviously at the bikers who flew past me, heads raised high, legs furiously pedalling on their way to classes. That was definitely the life.

Or so I thought. I finally got a mountain bike sophomore year, and it proved to be one of the biggest mistakes I've made in my life.

Wait, before all the mountain bike enthusiasts decide to run me off the road for this column, let me just say that I have the greatest admiration and respect for anyone who can handle a mountain bike. Unfortunately, I think that sometimes people get too caught up in the rugged, outdoorsy Mr. Mountain Bike persona that bike ownership carries with it without realizing the responsibility that goes along with owning that bike. I feel it is my job to let people know there is a lot more to mountain bikes than may meet the eye.

So, before you actually sink your life savings into a mountain bike, here are a few things you might want to take into consideration.

1. Do you know how to ride a mountain bike? As I found out, a mountain bike ain't no ten speed. Yes, this may be fairly obvious to the casual observer, but climb on one and it's even more apparent. There are a lot more gears that do a lot more things.

Having had only a mere three-speed Schwinn Breeze in my early days, I was quite unprepared for the concept of gear changing. Unfortunately, my lack of technical gear-change knowlege did not stop me from randomly switching gears whenever the spirit moved me. This explains why the chain flew off my bike on an uphill climb from College Avenue and I ended up walking my bike all the way back to East Halls with the chain (not to mention my ego) dragging along the sidewalk. Not a fun excursion.

Yes, I should have listened to the guy who sold me the bike, but I was so anxious to go bike Mt. Nittany that every piece of advice he gave me traveled right out of my brain the second I left the store.

2. Do you have someplace to keep a bike? This is not a simple question of finding a bike rack. A ridiculously large number of bikes are stolen yearly from this campus. This means that you can't just pedal somewhere to drop something off and leave your bike outside while you run in. Chances are, by the time you run back out, someone else will have taken the opportunity to test drive your great new bike and you'll have to walk yourself all the way to the police to report the theft.

And, even if you lock your bike up, beware of those dastardly seat thieves. Yes, seats and tires are hot commodities here in State College. I guess if a bike thief's attempts to steal your bike are foiled, they can get back at you by leaving you seatless or tireless. It is a huge buzzkill to arrive at your bike anticipating a leisurely ride home and discover, once again, that you have to hoof it back to police services to report yet another theft.

3. Do you know where you can ride in State College and on campus? This issue comes up almost every semester when an innocent biker is cited by State College or University police for the huge crime of riding the wrong way up a one-way street or something equally as heinous. Whether or not your agree with the laws, they still apply to you, and you will have quite a nice fine to pay if you decide to be a biker rebel.

In addition to learning where you can ride in a legal sense, there's also the matter of where you can ride physically. For example, picture yourself leaving Pattee, skipping down the stairs to your bike, unlocking it and heading for Willard. You'll be about 30 seconds into this trip when you realize there is one minor detail you are overlooking -- THE STEPS! You've forgotten that little set of steps in the middle of the sidewalk. At this point, you can either bail out, quickly veer off into the grass, or shut your eyes and get ready for a bumpy ride.

Now, of course, there are many more skilled people than myself out there who can navigate things like steps and great gaping holes that appear out of nowhere with the greatest of ease. But for those of you who are not so sure of yourself, I highly recommend becoming familiar with your route before riding it. This will prevent you from destroying yourself, your bike and every ounce of self pride you have with one wrong turn.

4. Is walking really that bad after all? OK, I'll admit, I wish I was coordinated and organized enough to own and operate a mountain bike. I still wish I could breeze to class, the wind in my hair, looking down on all the masses trudging to class. Unfortunately, while looking down on those walkers, I'd probably run smack into a tree or a parked car and break my neck, so I elected to give up the glamour of biking for the safety of walking.