found this:

figured it could be a half descent bike for a mate who's looking at taking some tentative steps into biking, now I know its not a santa cruz but what do you think it is?? the fella said that before he had it painted white it was blue and he thinks there was a picture of a parrot on it?!? thats just left me utterly bemused!

front triangle looks like a marin? not sure if the rear triangle matches though???

oh the other option would be this terrifying looking monstrosity!

my eyes! my eyes! my eyes!

Look at the shock – bet it was an el cheapo bike originally.

No. That shock looks like one of those crapola springy bits you get on supermarket specials, and the frame looks like a URT design which reinforces that idea.

That 'dale is a much better bike. Looks gash and is set up badly but at least it's a real bike.

Seatube has mne thinking early Orange FS?.

you can't polish a turd

Orange? Do me a favour.

Al is correct. Orange did produce a similar bike back in the day.

With cacky supermarket style shock on it?

There are a lot more supermarket specials than there are vintage experimental Oranges…

Shock may not be cacky, just old.

Quality of dropouts etc tells me it's not an Apaullo etc.

And I only said "thinking".

I've seen that frame somewhere. I'm trying to delve into the annals of my past to remember.

… thinking … thinking …

[edit]Is it a Massi, circa 1997?[/edit]

I'm over it

That fork does not look like an old proper MTB fork though. And it has V brakes and riser bars so is less likely to be that old.

Not clear if forks have disc mount.

Looks prett cobbled together to me – modern cheap rr mech for instance.

I think its the orange with a steel rear end, cant remember its name. circa 95ish

It's not an Orange UFO if that's what you mean?

EDIT: Dear god, look at that thing

Is it a Baby Robin?

No not the UFO. They did a similar split seatube rear suspension jobby – but the front triangle was the standard shape.

The X2? Guess again.

yeah that one, shite it was

hmm the thick plottens, apparently it used to have a fox shock on it but thats been swapped out for the thing on there now, apparently the shock is "an RS or RL or something?!?". So what about the crack n fail? how much would it be worth?

more photos of the cobbled oddity:

http://media.dogsandpuppies.co.uk/files/instance-02/main_photo/2010/03/10/21/33/27c7ac168be23fee7d8512b1ca352bf8-bike%20photos%20004-480×300.jpg

http://media.dogsandpuppies.co.uk/files/instance-03/main_photo/2010/03/10/22/38/5fc2e80501ba6cbe5974ccceaf0d567b-bike%20photos%20010-480×300.jpg

single big ring?!?

the white perplexer is going for: £130

where as the impressionistic cannondale is: £150

both seem cheap enough for a beginners bike you think?

URT, piece of crap.

here a couple more of the cannondale:

I suppose it's not *that* gopping, anyone ridden one?

that first one looks like an old marin front end with a bodged cheapo rear triangle – deffo steer clear IMO

Do not get the white thing. That looks like an RST fork which could well be nothing more than a spring in a tube… The dale is still a real bike. That shock is definitely a supermarket special job, and will result in a crap ride even if the original bike was any good.

Ridden and old 'Dale like that – – pretty good suspension – if a little bobby in the granny ring. Quite light and improved my confidence bitd.

The 'Dale for £150 is pretty good, as long as the frame's ok, and the forks work.

well I've emailed the c'dale and said I'll take it tomorrow afternoon then.

Yeah, but we still need to know what the other frame is. That's my evening sorted then 🙄

Well that didn't take long – now I'm gonna have to do the ironing 🙁 .

Ballistic Xocet (I always wanted one . . . mainly because it was the only full-sus after-market frame that was remotely affordable for me with 3 young kids . . . available in blue or red iirc).

Another one here, on the Retrobike forum.

HowTF did you find that dirt?

Immense skills of memory!

That retrobike forum is full of right saddos isn't it? 😉