Is It Worth Upgrading a Vintage Mountain Bike? The Teal Steel Finale! 

26inch ain't dead ....

Saving anything from a landfill does everyone a favour

Man, I just did this. Bought a 91 Rockhopper to be my grocery getter. New chain, seat, grips, and I was loving it. Then a week later I saw the identical bike on sale for $60...bought it and now I bought wheels, cassette, rear derailleur, shifter, nw chain ring, pedals, and grips. Turning it into a 1x10. I blame the pandemic on my spending.

I think vintage MTB's are the best value for commuters, street and mild trail. Converting them into a 1X drive train is a good choice as long as your okay with a freewheel gear limitation. Cantilever brakes are given bad press but considering the maintenance, they are far better than discs (unless you are doing actual MTB). I think you can buy a vintage MTB for under 100$ and put 300$ into it, giving you a customized ride equivalent to a 1000$ bike.

I have 2003 Kona cinder cone, converted to 1x10 full race face crank set, stem and handle bars. The most fun I’ve had on a bike.

I think it was worth it because you made it your own, and you can't find that in a store. Besides it's a really cool lookin bike, nice job, and congrats.

Teal Steel is like Cobra Kyle dating a much, much older woman. She teaches Kyle things he's never seen, and tries new things he's never heard (will it hurt?) but in the end, can't commit to her, but he does answer her very late night texts.

Most of the gnarliest trails around me were built 30 years ago, and whenever I approach a feature that intimidates me, I find it fascinating to think about the guys that built it and rode it on rigid bikes with steep head angles, skinny tires, narrow bars, and all that crazy stuff. Here I am sweating it on a $7k bike, haha! It can be inspiring and dehumanizing at the same time 😆

Also just want to add that I've converted 26" wheels to tubeless using gorilla tape and been running them for about 3 years without any problems. I run them at between 25 and 35 psi and they are great.

I can't believe this but I literally just started this exact same project... same bike... same year... same colour! I was looking on facebook marketplace for an 80s MTB to restore and ride to mix things up from my Devinci Troy and holy crap when I saw the hardrock I knew it was perfect! Can't believe someone else beat me to this exact project (and put it on RU-vid!). So far I've stripped everything and just finished regreasing the wheel bearings. Hyped to get everything back together with all new cables and everything and shred!

As someone who has a teal steel that my dad bought back in the 80s its an awesome bike

omg that is me saying nice bike man it was downtown austin somewhere

I just found last night out for garbage, a 91 rocky mountain equipe. The green and yellow scheme. All it was missing was wheels, pedals and a seat. Post isnt seized. Im in the process of cleaning it up right now. Brakes work. Post adjusts smoothly, steers smooth. Save from a landfill.

Vintage mountain bikes are so much better than ultra-expensive modern mountain bikes. Not better in actual performance, but better in every other way like looks, simplicity, nostalgia etc. I absolutely love vintage mountain bikes from the 80's and 90's. I grew up in Ontario Canada, a child in the 80's and teen in the 90's. I have so many wonderful biking/mountain biking memories with my friends. We all had & rode these mountain bikes from that era. We loved our bikes and all the good times we had. We rode urban probably even much more than we rode trails. Some of the very best times of my life was riding around with my friends. It didn't matter where went or what we did, all that mattered was we were together, happy & free and loved our bikes. Sometimes we went camping in the summers with all our gear carried on our bikes. I'm 40 now and almost in tears writing this, nostalgic tears of joy. And old mountain bikes from this era played a big role in our happiness. Norco, Raleigh, GT, Diamondback, BRC, Yokota, CCM, Ozark Trail etc...

What a great build! I just got into these older mountain bike builds. I tried getting into old school BMX, but the prices are absolutely insane! These are more reasonable and more comfortable for a simple ride the older I get.

I have restored and upgraded around 7 vintage mtb from the late 80s early 90s. Chromoly steel is only used on the nicest steel bikes today and can range between 700-1,500 for frame alone. So if you have the means and know how to restore and convert to a 1x10 with modern hub I highly suggest. The quality in the frames just isn’t there today unless you dig deep into your wallet! Ride on

i am restoring a 1998 scott timber here in Brazil, it is an incredible experience to discover how good the bikes were already.

Great video and interesting series. I have a 1995 Hardrock that I ride almost every day. I appreciate its simplicity and versatility. Definitely a jack of most trades and master of none. Just like you, I got mine for $100 and then dropped $200 into maintenance. Am I upset? No. I am not a serious mountain biker looking to do gnarly drops or rock gardens. I just wanted a high quality bike for about what I would have paid at Wal-Mart. Rest assured that the lessons that you learned on Teal Steel inspired me to keep mine 98% stock, while getting the most joy out of riding it possible. I appreciate the shout out for Old Shovel, he does fantastic builds on vintage bikes. Thanks for the effort that you put into producing this video series!

Kinda funny that YT suggested this video to me considering Cobra Kyle hasn't posted in over a year. I had been watching numerous vintage bike builds lately because I recently built up my 1998 Barracuda XC URT frame into a softtail gravel bike. 1 x7 drivetrain, friction thumbshifter, Carver steel fork (suspension correct), Paul Components Cross Stop 3's front and rear, and a bunch of Amazon purchased parts. It rides so well as a 26" wheeled gravel bike, I am planning on riding the Katy Trail in Missouri next year on it, complete with front and rear racks.

I recently built a "vintage" mtb it's only from 1997 but still very similar, the main difference is that is has a cassette and a 1 1/8 head tube so that helps a lot. Was totally worth the few hundred I spent on it in my opinion, it makes me appreciate my modem bike way more haha :p

I like new bikes, but I have a soft spot in my heart for the bikes that started the whole trend. I just got done restoring a late 90’s Specialized Hardrock fs, and I love it. I will be doing a cheap video on it soon if anyone is interested in watching it. Mine was inches away from being scrapped, and I just didn’t have the heart to see it happen.

The Teal Steel songs are pretty great! I've witnessed this thing in action, its slightly scary but still pretty cool. I'd think someone would love to be seen riding this so they'll be asked "Hey, isn't that Cobra Kyle's Teal Steel?!" They'll have a trail talking point for years to come...and a sore taint!

I was really into riding, maintaining and modifying bikes in my high school years (some years ago). I got more into cars through university and hadn't had a bike for a while. I found the prices of new bikes these days to be very high and that deterred me from getting back into the hobby. I decided to buy an older bike and fix it up to ride for a while just to see if I could commit to the hobby again. I got a 98 Kona Hahanna and made some modern upgrades (using all used parts). All in I spent $300 CAD on the bike and it rides quite nicely. I agree, for hard mountain biking I may as well just ride a road bike but for basic riding it rocks and it re-ignited my passion for the sport! So in my opinion... totally worth it!! Although, I will be getting a modern bike again soon.

My first bike was a 1995 auto bike I upgraded it with 8x3 drive train and vbreaks and I love it. It can climb things you wouldn’t think it can and is a great all rounder bike.

I've gone a bit higher end with several top spec Titanium 90/00s MTB builds, with upgrades to top spec 00s components (e.g., 10x XTR). They are both fun and can actually compete with modern XC bikes. Necessary upgrades are a dropper seat-post and a high spec fork (which means finding a MTB frame with a 1-1/8 steerer), ideally adjustable like a 2010 Fox Talas -- with that you can hit moderate jumps with the slacker geometry, but then drop down to the steeper head tube angles for blitzing the climbs. With the fork upgrade you can also run a front disc, which is really all you need in terms of better stopping -- high-spec 26" disc wheels can be bought cheaply on Ebay. As for tires, if you get the right frame you have some great options -- My 1999 Moots YBB runs 2.5" x 26", and my 2000 Mongoose Titanium Pro fits 2.3" x 27.5" wheels, so plenty of traction and speed.

Yeeeehaaa, in my MTB Collection i've got 6 Classic MTB's and all are pure fun😎👍 I got also Roadbikes, Crossbikes and one Trekkingbike. Ride your bikes with fun, it does no matter what kind of bike✌.🤩👍 Best Wishes and Big support from germany

Restorations aren’t about recouping the money spent. It’s the love of the sport. I still have my old Rocky Mountain hammer. Love the bike. It’s not as nice as my crosstrail, but I’ve upgraded it, replaced parts and don’t think about the money. I’ve beat on it and it just asks for more. Great video.

Nice vid. I went actual legit mountain biking for the first time td with my brother. I was riding an early 90s specialized hard rocker zero suspension, (the bike is a few years older than I am), my bro was on a much newer (only 2-3 years old) aluminum hard tail mountain bike. Obviously my brother is a bit more skilled than I am (he’d been out 15 or so times), I can’t help think that the hardware we were on made a bit of a difference. It was definitely noticeable seeing him go down many of the considerably rocky/stumpy/rooted slopes with relative ease while he mostly was sitting down, while I struggled to maintain my grip of the handlebars as they would shake so violently. Obv I’m a total noob too, but still. Regardless, it was hella fun. Looking forward to going out again

Fantastic! The teal is great! Just found a 91' Panasonic mc4500. Steel is real!

I purchased a Diamond Back Ascent for $50, put on a new chain, new pedals, a total blast to ride around town and on low key trails. I have been considering making some upgrades similar to teal steel but in the end i enjoy the rigid frame, janky ride and a slightly out of true front wheel that takes me back to my childhood. Thanks for the video and giving life to an oldie.

Worth buying one hell yes! Upgrades can get spendy sometimes though. I would say just buy a chain tires and lots of cables it takes a couple tries

My trail bike is a 50s Schwinn Cruiser on 26" balloon tires with a 2 speed manual Bendix coaster brake hub. It's so inappropriate for the stuff I ride that whenever I ride friends' full suspension disc brake jobbies it's like I suddenly sprouted wings. 10/10, would recommend. Definitely wear a helmet though, braking distance is about a quarter mile going down loose dirt hills, and when the terrain is too rocky, it's impossible to position the pedals to brake while also dodging and hopping rocks. Having said that, this build is rad! Currently working on converting a 40s Norman to 2 speed Bendix (duplicate to other hub, love that thing but modding it to negate the brake function) with a double chainring and TWO sets of rim brakes! Riding some nonsense like that Schwinn has me convinced that 1.) Brakes 2.) Low gearing, and 3.) Tires with grip are the only real essentials. Otherwise it's just a matter of practicing and being damned careful! Won't be taking either off more than a 3-foot drop though... Good trick to save money is to just buy cheap unusable bikes for parts-- everything I have is salvaged from about 6 different rusty and obsolete trash bikes that probably cost about $50 altogether Keep it up! Love to see other folks doing this!

Older MTB's like this make excellent 'campervan bikes' (or 'RV bikes' for our American cousins!) 1. They're cheap. In they get damaged or stolen, it's not as catastrophic. Arguably much less likely to be targeted by thieves. 2. They are very easy to fix whilst on vacation. No suspension or hydraulics, just a (easily stored!) basic tool and puncture-repair kit. 3. 26 inch wheels are easier to store in a locker. They're smaller! 4. To some degree, they are disposable. Use them for the season then donate them to a thrift-store, and use the freed-up locker space for other vacation goodies such as gifts or momentos.

I have two old vintage Diamondback Axis TR with beautiful riding True Temper TT-LITE steel tubing that I upgraded to a gravel bike, 1x11 Microshift Advent X. It is an amazing riding bike even on off trails with 2.4" Maxxis Ikon tires tubeless. The frame bare is under 4lbs and complete is 22lbs. One has a titanium Kona Project two fork and the other a carbon fork. I just recently bought a NOS Dirt Research Kenai made with Columbus EL-OS steel and the frame weighs only 3.5 lbs so it should be very comfortable.

I love the looks and simplicity of this bike! I'd use it for bikepacking. :))

I have an old Cannondale Hardtail mountain bike. I've been wanting turn this bike in to a full blown commuter with drop or bull bars. Seeing this project is inspiring.

Vintage bikes as a whole have a cool factor - interesting to see one in good shape or refurbished and upgraded. There's no cool factor in a low budget bike that the first thing you want to or have to do is upgrade the low quality parts. You'll end up spending more anyway.

Straight up, detailed, unbiased and entertaining talk about 🤘🏻

I'm a professional and passionate mtb builder / restorer and it is simply a matter of fact that old-school machines are far superior both in design and build quality. Modernising a 90s frame always results in a complete monster of a bike

Just grabbed a 1990 iron horse they are starting to get more expensive a lot of people here in Maryland are wanting the retro look and to do exactly what you just did awesome video 👏

My pops got an old bike one of the first bikes with rock shock forks I love that bike been in the family for years still rides smooth 👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽

The added dialog made this video worth of a like and comment for me.

I know the illness from personal experience. I dusted off my 1988 mtb and began riding it in 2020. Had so much fun I now own eight old mtbs ranging from a 1988 Schwinn to my newest mtb from 1993. I do have three newer bikes that I ride regularly but the old classics are a blast. If you are waiting for a bike I’d strongly recommend picking up one of these to tied you over until the new bikes are back in stock.

Great video, thank you! I was debating about my 1987 Diamond Back Ascent EX that I started back riding on city park trails last year. I was laughing at how much fun I was having on trails and then an older rider rode right by me with a new mountain bike with suspension and I was like, dang....

Still racing 26" , top end 90s stuff. A laugh thrashing around the woods getting the better of modern bikes , but raced in the 90s so can cope with minimal suspension. Still on 3x but might go 1x . The canti brakes are adequate in dry conditions... just. Good vid, buy a higher end vintage bike and tune it up, really rewarding.

Those old bikes are not great for bouncy trails. But they are excellent commuter or gravel bikes. The 4130 frame/forks are nearly indestructible compared to 6061 Aluminium or Carbon Frames. I have a 96 GT Outpost that i work on and ride around town. I will probably never sell it.

I think what you did with this bike is incredible. I ride a 1998 giant Yukon and while it might not be much on paper, it has a lot of sentimental value to me and I'd love to give it some new life with some modern components if I had the funds.

i started riding a couple of years ago on a vintage steel bike like that one. it did ok at first as i rode more i needed more. It did give me an opportunity to learn maintenance and such.

Teal steal tugging at my heart here. Born again 90's rider recently purchased a 97 GT Outpost for $75. New rear wheel, freewheel, New tires, new pedals, grips, handlebar ends, new chain, and the prize find, a barely used like new '96 original GT Supersoft saddle. Give or take around $200 plus the $75 I started with makes it worth to me. As long as you can keep the budget within reason these bikes are workhorses and a lot of fun. Teal steel a little over budget but a super cool ride.

Love the comments. I recently bought a 1986 diamondback ascent, the chrome one. Same one I had as a kid. I paid about $350 for it. Too much? Possibly, but I had one for sale last year I wanted to look at, but after the seller and I agreed on a time the next day, he texted me back a few hours later and told me it sold. He wanted $315. Now all I want is a light trail/bike path bike to drop the 40lbs that snuck up on me after hitting 50. 😩

My '92 Giant Rincon was my dad's first "mountain bike" and I've repainted it twice in the last 7 years, upgraded everything on it except the frame and fork, and it serves at least once or twice a week as my commuter bike. Mavic wheels (rim brake of course, and tubeless compatible) and a shimano xt m8000 drivetrain. Overkill maybe, but it is super reliable and still fun and gets me to and from work in the saddle.

Totally agree! I’m in the process of getting a 95 Trek 950 back on the trail! Strong work!

Dude!! I have a late 90’s rockhopper. What amazes me is that it is so much lighter than entry level mountain bikes like my daughter’s trek marlin. Yeah very connected feeling to the trail but also yeah, nut buster.

I just got a 1994 Specialized Rockhopper Sport in violet purple, mint condition! Only paid $75, and it's going under the knife for all the same stuff, worth it!!!

I used to grab bikes from bike shops that people donated and I'd ride freight trains and take my 1991 Marin mountain bike or Nishiki I Liberated from Boulder Colorado bike rack.

In the 90s early 2000s 20ft drops are quite common for the serious MTB and the chromoly ones survive not so much the aluminum frames. How can it be done? How do you ride Red Bull trails now? With insanity and skill!

Thanks man. Spent $100 on upgrade parts for my 93' M400 Cannondale (tires, bars, seat, suspension post, grips) plus the $150 on a tune up. Hopefully my skill level will be up there when I upgrade to a full suspension after this beast. A lot of sentimental value though.

I put a 10 speed 11/38t flywheel and zee derailleur with a 1 up rad cage just for fun. It actually worked well. I had the derailleur already and the freewheel was $40. Might be worth looking into if you already have a 10 speed group set.

I love fixing up old downhill Enduro mountain bikes you can find them for a steel. Besides I don't have $6,000 to throw at a new downhill mountain bike

I have one of similar vintage; great for road and light trails. yes, not easy to go up hills on them. plus I'm restoring my "heavier" 70s 10-speed.

My first adult bike I bought myself was Specialized Hard Rock, it could be a sister bike to Teal Steel. I have kept it in working order, and about two years ago I went through a similar restoration process. I have a newer bike, but the Hard Rock is now my main bike. The brakes are the main weak point, but I went for 3x7, and that bike handles everything I throw at it.

Love the video, very entertaining! I'm half-way down the rabbit hole too, fixing up an old 1999 Specialized Hardrock. Great learning tool, easy to spend "just another $30" and find yourself out hundreds. Would do a new bike, but they're all sold out! Rim brakes = sketch

i got the best chuckle when you were riding down the dirt stairs, we have all be there where your entire body becomes a spring, ride that bucking teal steal baby!!!

Your video is rad! I just bought my Teal Steel last week, a 1987 Hardrock. It has different decals than your’s and came with the matching teal handlebar stem. It is the cleanest vintage mountain bike I’ve ever seen in person. It’s at my LBS for a tune to sort out a little problem with the shifting but it’s mechanically sound overall. I’m keeping it stock since everything works. Can’t wait to sport my aloha dad shirt, cargoes and wayfarers this weekend on it!

I've put over 500.00 into my 88/89 Stumpy . Worth every penny !!

Crawl, walk, run. Get a full rigid for your first bike. Push the limits and upgrade when you get the skills.

I resto-modded a 97 Mongoose Rockadile (pre-Walmart). Cues drive train, Salsa cockpit with TransX external dropper. Nothing is original anymore. The only old components are the Marzocchi EXR Pro fork, XT V brakes and Salsa Delgado rims. No longer a trail terror as I have newer bikes for that, but I ride it daily around the neighborhood and urban group rides. Get a lot compliments on it. Don't ask what the cost was to upgrade. I rationalize with myself that its not about the cost of the build but the journey. ha ha.

I bought an old rockhopper and the chain dropped while going hard. My foot slipped off the pedals and i jammed my leg into the big chainring. So much for my confidence being killed with old gear. Everything was adjusted properly. I think with a modern mtb this wouldnt have happened, unless the derailliour is adjusted like complete crap. I think old bikes are good enough for easy flowy trails, gravel and crusing. But i took it a bit too serious and immediately hurt myself haha. It probably needs a new chain, chainring, derailliour and shifters to make it stop slipping and coming off in hard terrain. I learned my lesson. I also own a vintage roadbike but it seems to handle abuse better. Smoother roads also make for less rattling haha. I never experienced a dropped chain on a roadbike.

I started riding again @55 about 5 years ago. I bought a Kawahara Impulse MTB and the parts to fix it from a local dealer. I enjoyed the bike for a few years. I still have the bike but it needs so many parts that I am having a bit of trouble justifying the expense, and as I have other bikes now? Well you know. It is so easy to carried away with a build. You can modernize an old bike. A shock fork with hydraulic brakes will do wonders, but it is still an old bike. I have a serious new MTB now. For some rides it takes everything that bike has. Going back to V-brakes for a steep hill, not me. For casual riding, any bike will work. However, if you want to do extreme riding, it's best to acquire suitable equipment.

The new color scheme makes it perfect for cruising along boulevards in Miami Beach. :)

Awesome Video Cobra! A lot of great information here! Teal Steel really is a beautiful classic!

Hey Kyle, I did the exact same project, for the same reasons and my steel rig, just sat there too! Now, I can't even sell it, I'd loose too much money.

I found an old mountain bike by a dumpster nearby. Going to upgrade it over the next few months😎.

I love vintage Mtn. Bikes! I have to many & always end up with too much money into them.

Luckily, the Diamondback Topanga I saved from a dumpster has only cost me like $300. But yeah, tools and crap to work on a bike, I’m not gonna even count. I’m afraid to! Definitely agree with how different a bike is now with all its suspension. I definitely learned a lot. Local bike shop was impressed when I brought it in for a tune (I’m in a hurry for a trip)

Hey, thank you for the video. All that I have are old vintage steel mountain bikes. And I love your honesty. I think I’ve had a hard time putting into words the pros and cons the way you have done. Thank you for the perspective. I will send my friends your way if they ask me if they should build up a vintage mountain bicycle.

thanks for the video. I am personally working on a Giant Iguana from 1994 i just LOVE that mid 90's geometry .

bout to buy a 95 hardrock in great shape for 125

Awesome build, if you intend on keeping the bike for you to keep for a long time I say spend as much as you want. But your right, you’ll never see that money back at resale so keep it and give it to your kids.

Haha from what I've found my recent purchase is a 1991 Giant Butte. I considered a fork upgrade... until I watched this video. Think I'll just ride it til I'm bored going through the neighborhood. I think I spent too much. Haha

First off I need a Classic Cobra t-shirt. Secondly, this was really fun to watch! Interesting to see you put it through its paces. Looks like it's best used as super fun and capable ride if you're trying to get from point a to b, and want to get a little rowdy on the way. Still, I can't help but want to see what it can handle. Maybe we take this thing down the big rock garden at Spider Mountain when it opens back up?

I love Teal Steel and Commando Bear. My favorite bikes that you have. Glad you really enjoyed yourself with these builds. I also love The Teal Steel song! It’s bad ass!

Vintage bikes are like vintage muscle cars: they look good and they can still compete

I have the old miyata trail runner. Love the simpsons bike seat.

Mission Trail? McAllister Park? That can only mean San Antonio, TX. My old stomping grounds countless hours and miles spent at Mac and OP and Salado... not to mention Flat Rock... very cool to see.

26” wheels and flat pedals is the main and best thing on a Simple MTB rider

My and my pocket learned the the hard way it's not usually worth to restore old mountain bikes... And if you do, never, EVER leave any of the old parts. I have this old, ruined and rusty Montana Downhill bike. I'll skip the unnecessary details on how it got neglected over the years. Everything on it was either worn, rusty or broken or something in between of these 3. Well, the only intact thing, minus the jockey wheels was the rear SIS Shimano derailleur. One day I decided to restore it. It was supposed to be a cheap project, but it turned out EVERYTHING, but the frame and that derailleur was shot. I took it apart and... Yeah, well... I spend a lot of money. For the amount of money I spent on that restoration I could've easily bought a decent used bike in much much MUCH better condition. Well, at least it looks kinda cool.

I see you've got a u-brake under that chain stay, but those old cantilever brakes on slightly newer vintage bikes are great. More than good enough.

This was a great video. In the same boat and this video is like having a good friend giving me advice ...

That you still have the original parts, gives me a little comfort, at least. The pink parts are full fresh, though.

Teal Steal looks rad! I've been on a vintage Specialized RockHopper FSR for 2 years ( about when I took MTB up ). Just last week I got a modern ride. I am with you, thought about upgrading it to its limits but it won't come close to a modern bike. It's is fun though but still sketchy.

Good balanced review. These were actually very good all-purpose go-anywhere bikes and I think they're coming back into style. I think you should get some bar-ends though for full period effect.

It's Teal it's Steel!!! Love that little song but wish I could get it out of my head now!! Great video...

To keep your build Cheap get a donor bike from a thrift store Bikes from this era can be had from 15-45 dollars. I got a bike with perfect Araya rims like this one and a good functioning Suntour group set. That way there is money for new modern handlebars and stem, grips and stuff.

Just bought a '88 Takara MTB, this bike is so much lighter than these newer bikes and much cheaper to fix.

Nice build. I wanted to make a beach cruiser into a klunker. Put disc brakes, and stripped off all extras. It was a fat bike and a lot fun on sidewalks, but geo and weight was all wrong in so many ways. It got donated to a guy that collects cruisers. Nothing like paying and some sweat to learn

Really enjoyed the trip down memory lane (great video 👍), but as I bought one of those new while in high school (to cross train for motocross where I raced, gasp, a 2 stroke 😳), it made me feel old 🤣 I'm just getting into buying and refurbishing "vintage" bikes (for fun, not for flipping). Nice rebuild on this one 😁✌

Ive built a fair number of mtb steel bikes for the bike shop I work at, they sell fast haha.

Tubeless conversion is possible on any bike, and makes any bike soooo much better 😀

The problem is that building and transforming retro bikes is that it's very addictive. I'm now building my 21st bike 😳 90s bikes are much easier to upgrade and the v-brakes on one of my bikes are more powerful than my disc brakes. Normally my bike builds cost less than 150 quid. And I love being able to build something personally customised for my needs.