I just took a stroll up Mill Street and looked in the window of the LBS.

There on sale was an all brand new mountain bike with the following spec:

A carbon fibre frame, with alloy lugs and alloy rear triangle (I’m sure I’ve seen pics of these – they were quite prized many years ago) V-brake only – non-suspension geometry.

Alloy tapered fork, threaded steerer, V brake only

120mm quill stem

Wolber Tubular 1.9 MTB tyres on Wolber tubular rims

Deore Octalink chainset

LX gold finish rear mech

A special deal price of £600.

I don’t know what to think about this. Some poor sap is going to go in there asking for a great mountain bike for blasting over Cannock Chase. He is going to go away pleased as punch, having been given professional advice from Stafford’s oldest bike shop, and is going to end up riding a total joke bike. What’s going to happen the first time one of his (15 year old at least) tyres pops?

How old is all this kit? 80’s 90’s?

That XT sharkfin chainstay protector is still sitting in the window, tempting me to spend £4.95 as well.

I’d love to go and see what else he’s got up in the attic. Every now and then he digs out one of his non-suspension corrected alloy V-brake frames and builds it up with a 100mm RST or Ballistic fork. I think Scruff saw a Carlton road bike from the 1970s (brand new though) with 36/40 spoke wheels and nutted hubs a few weeks ago that he really coveted

What brand was it? Perhaps something like this?

GT Lts by ten_sim, on Flickr

OMG ! how did we manage back in the day ?

Cannock Chase,like the rest of the countryside, has got a whole lot more rad and tech’ since that bike was made, and obviously you won’t be able even consider riding it off road.
Grass is grassier
Rocks are harder
Mud is muddier
Hills are steeper
Them old bikes just simply won’t do.

Was it being sold as brand new and the latest thing?

I’m sure it wasn’t, it’s classic retro and was being sold as such, good luck to them 😉

I take it you’ve been to Henry Burtons, classic shop, i had a 531 frame from there in the 80s.

Henry Burton’s museum of cycling. I might just go in and ask to buy that shark fin one day just to see if it’s really for sale!

No, as far as they’re concerned it’s not retro it’s cutting edge. It’s a rigid hardtail but that GT has similarities.

Yes of course it’s rideable, and it’s the sort of thing we would have loved using 15 to 20 years ago. But things move on.

When the person who buys it finds out from his mates exactly what he’s bought (and he’ll have to wait a long time for them to stop laughing and be able to speak properly) he’ll feel like a cheated fool.