In November 1993 I was financially able to buy my first "real" MTB after riding a Huffy Stone Mountain haha. I walked into a bike shop in Hawaii where I was stationed and saw a beautiful black Trek 8000. Picked it up and was amazed at how light it was, even by today's standards. One finger curls. Instant love. The cost was $1000, I had $1200 to my name and I bought it. With tax it broke me but I didn't care. I rode the hell out of it 7 days a week, all over the island, I would sit at home every night tinkering with it, cleaning it, obsessing over it while drinking Corona and listening to Nirvana. Entered 5 races with it, even got 2nd place in the '95 Outrigger Waikiki. Rode it up and down mountains, through pineapple fields, around Kaaena Point, everywhere. It never let me down. By the beginning of '96 I just has to have a newfangled dual suspension bike, so I sold it and bought a Kona Sex Two. As some can relate to, I've always regretted it. Had probably 15 or so bikes since then and never have I felt the same love. About 5 years ago I began searching for another. It had to be original, black, same size. I'm sure I missed a few on ebay but today the Trek God has rewarded me. Needs some work, I plan to strip the bike down and hopefully find a paint shop that can reproduce the decals and bring it back to new. It's not a super rare or sexy model but it's mine. I'm now retired from the Army and back home in Texas but one of these days we will take a trip back to Oahu.
