When I went shopping for my first mountain bike in September 1992, around $150 stood between the entry level Gary Fisher Tassajara and the next model up, the Aquila, featuring the upgraded Tange frame and Shimano DX thumb shifters and brake levers, but $150 was a lot of money for a college kid back then. When I finally had some disposable income in my mid-30s, I started searching for the Aquila I had to pass up that day and it ended up taking another 20 years to get it. The strangest part of the story is it took moving from Southern California to Western Massachusetts to finally find it in Connecticut on Facebook Marketplace. 

So here it is, my size 18 black 1992 Gary Fisher Aquila with the DX thumb shifters and brake levers put back on along with upgraded DX brakes, XT M730 series cranks and rear derailleur, Vetta Lite saddle, Panaracer Smoke/Dart tires, NOS Onza Porcipaw grips, NOS Shimano M535 pedals, and brand new sealed bearings for the proprietary press fit bottom bracket. Finally.