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My old man has just told me he still has my old 1992 Marin Bear Valley in his shed and asked if i want it. Of course i said yes for the sentimental value but other than that is it worth making a wee project out of it? Single speed / fully rigid or convert to hardtail? It'll have almost all original parts still.
I've got a hybrid commuter and a FS already so might fill a wee space in the collection...
[url= http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/3587411/ ]Original catalogue[/url]
One more year and it counts as "retro" and you can put it on here: [url= http://www.retrobike.co.uk ]where old giffers buy and sell stuff[/url]
I got my Bear Valley SE stolen from last day at Uni in 93, still gutted*. Needs to be a single speed rigid flyer.
*it was actually my now wife, then girlfriend, who got it stolen for me, came back to our house bikeless with the police as she was worried what I might do to her!
Get it back to working condition as is and take it round some of your easier trails (see how easy it kicks the arse of your bigger bikes on the climbs) Keep it and have a laugh with your mates especially when you kill them climbing and then mince down the trails.
As a previous owner of a 92 Bear Valley SE (and a pine mountain, and a Indian Fire Trail) i'd keep it, brilliant bike although mine was a size too big but i still loved it.
Here it is set up in road training mode, with obligatory Oakley and Powerbar stickers
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And my 94 Marin Indian Fire Trail, in off road and road guise as i used to do a lot of road miles on it, i always wanted a Doug Bradbury Manitou so i got some stickers made up for my Indian Fire Trail and pretended 😉
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I've still got my Indian Fire Trail frame built up as lightweight SS road bike, only 16lbs of ugly. 😀
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As above, get it back and do something with it. Full original spec resto would be my choice but anything would be good.
Whatever you do, don't get rid. It's yours and no other replacement further down the line will be the same. I know after tying to replace my original Orange Clockwork having sold it 10 years ago. 😥
Cheers for the input folks - picked it up on Saturday. Going to get it back to as close as original as i can and have a bit of fun on it.
I'd go with a "good working condition" restoration. It's a bike so it's all good, but I wouldn't chuck money at it.
I bought a Marin Muirwoods in 1992, then replaced it with an Orange P7 in 1997.
I had the Muirwoods powder coated a few years ago and built it up as a single speed a few years ago. It was rubbish and I just hated it. Stripped the parts, sold them on ebay and binned the gas pipe frame.
Had every intention of rebuilding my P7, but then thought it's old, do I really want another bike lying about that I know I'll never use so I sold it on eBay. Also sold the fully rebuilt pace rc35 forks I'd had restored for it.
On reflection I made the right decision.