87 it was a Falken something, it was blue and very crap. But it gave me the bug so it was followed by a couple of Claud Buttlers, Marins and Specialized. 1st full bouncer though was a Giant ATX990, i loved that bike.

87/88 Dawes Jackal. It was ace.

1985 Muddyfox

1990 Spesh Rockhopper like the one pictured but in green.

First proper mtb was a ’93 Kona Hahanna (in blue) bought in ’94.

Fond memories…followed its progress to a friend’s wife who used it for a while. Then some bastard nicked it off her. I often wonder where it is now. 🙁

Raleigh mirage 1990, 23″ frame, 300 lx parts, and apparently “shimano total integration” £300.

Snapped at least two frames. Sti shifters lasted 3 months.

Jus had the exact same model come through the shop for a service… A weighty 33pound beast. Good memories, but happy to ride what I ride now.

1996. Orange P7 with LX.

Here it is last year on a 15th Anniversary ride…

15th Anniversary Ride by simondbarnes, on Flickr

I may have it wrong due to it being so long ago, but I think it was 85/86 when I was eleven years old I had a yellow Dawes ‘Wildcat’ atb (not mtb!) with hard plastic grips and Sachs gearing. Possibly had 700c wheels rather than 26inch. Did my cycling proficiency test on that.

Once the atb/mtb bug bit I moved on to a black Saracen Traverse Hydrotech around 1990. Really loved that bike. Although at the time of saving up for it I really wanted the Conquest with elevated chainstay that was pictured on the Saracen poster on my bedroom wall. Currently on the look out for a similar bike in the shape of an Alpinestar al-mega or ti-mega.

Around ’93 while at Uni.

I did ride a road bike but hit the side of a car at a rather high speed after it turned across me. Bike written off and I decided the crap state of the roads warranted a mountain bike.

Bought a Giant Escaper, joined the MTB club, started racing and have been hooked ever since.

Upgraded with fluro yellow Girvin Flexstem and fluro pink Onza bar ends.

It’s still in the garage and is now the pub bike.

http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/251668/

can’t post picture its not minebut….

mine was a townsend Hedgehopper… can’t remember when it was though probably about ’90

My first MTB was this

A Marin Bear Valley that I bought in 93. This was my main bike until 98. I still use this bike regularly as a commuter, with Scwalbe Marathon road tyres. (picture shows it set up after I changed the tyres for a snow ride that never happened)

Love this bike.

1985 I think. Muddy Fox Courier. It was the first batch with riser bars. If any one knows that this was a diffent year then please let me know…

Spesh Hardrock in teal, 1987, a bit like this one here.
Note the weird rear brake mount on this era Hardrock, underneath the chain stay. . . got completely clogged with mud.

1986, yellow powdercoated Saracen Tufftrax with U brake and Biopace chainrings. A year later I bought the cheapest Cannondale and proceeded to upgrade it with a fat aluminium fork, hub brake, flexstem and Scott AT4 bars. No photos unfortunately.

A Peugeot (cant remeber what model) in 1988, after two years of riding around the sand quarries of Doncaster I upgraded to a Diamond Back Ascent, never looked back since. Many interests have come and gone, but MTB’ing has always been number 1 🙂

1988 Dawes Wildcat 😯
Christ,I wish I had gone with the masses and bought a Muddy Fox 🙄

Coming from the world of moto X ,it was a huge eye opener.
All Terrain Bicycle ,my AR*E 🙂

Edit … What a beauty 😆

One of these around 1998

1984/5 Specialized Rockhopper in red from Williamsons in Stockbridge. Came equipped with non indexed thumbies & weird bars that joined into a quill steerer via a welded up triangular brace 8) That bike went on some amazing rides with regulars from Williamsons shop. I’ve still got photo’s somewhere….I’ll dig them out.

Thats the one Fasthaggis. Yeah, wish I was aware of Muddy Fox back then too!

first mtb was a Kona Hahanna in 92 i think, turquoise? with black forks, 200gs group set i seem to remember which meant plastic brakes, soon swapped to DX and SS5 brake levers.

I had a couple of MTB shaped bikes in the late eighties / early nineties but the bike I class as my first mountain bike would be a British Eagle ZFX two. Reynolds tubing, Tange forks finished in a lovely British racing green.

I’ve still got my 2nd mountain bike, a 1994 Univega 5.3. Currently it’s single speed, use it for commuting to work.

UP until a couple of years ago I was still riding it a Claud Butler from around 92 I think. It lasted bloody well. Just awaiting me to have some time to rebuild and re spray it.

November 86. A Cannondale SM600 that took two years to save for. It’s hanging up in the garage after a full restoration.

Feeling old a sore today then realised that I’ve been biking for ages. It all started back in 1986- A yellow specialized rockhopper which lasted 1 week before a full refund. Then a diamondback ascent ex 1986. Still love biking

98. I had a hybrid before that would now be considered a mountain bike, so 93.

1993 Giant Storm Breaker. Did thousands of miles on that frame. Utter sh*te is was too. Now lives life in honourable retirement on the turbo trainer.

1991. A Townsend Equalizer in black to neon-pink fade, 15 falcon gears and terribly wonky steel rims.

1991..a halfords carrera, black with yellow cable outers in 22″. a boat anchor if ever there was one!