I always fancied a 1997 ish Marin Quake (the monocoque type with Mount Vision back end) for a spot of wall decoration in my office pending me finding a Mantis Flying-V...
Found one on Farcebook going for £100 and picked it up today. It's actually a bag of scrap, the back end looks seriously out of kilter, and there are some worrying marks in the monocoque.
It'll never ride again, so I've stripped the parts down and will flog them off and now I've got to decide what to do with the frame.
I can take it to my local powder coater and get it blasted. But what finish? Is it going to be possible to retain the shiny finish it has? Will it need clear coat?
Or should I go at it myself with polishing stuff for cars?
Any colour schemes or tips greatly appreciated.
Pic of what I got...
Nothing helpful to add, other than to say I've just moved house and now have a proper bike room. I have this bike's successor, a 1999 Attack Trail which is going on the wall. I've had it from new, last raced in 2012 I think, main pivot wobbles all over the place.
Please post finished pictures so that I get ideas from you
I bought a Quake when they first came out and it was an excellent bike at the time. The silver paint job was like tissue paper though and wore really badly.
Over it's life it had 2 other paint finishes. The first was rattle can gloss black main frame with gloss red swing arm and that was followed by a professional metallic electric blue front and candy apple rear, both with a really high gloss clear coat over the top.
I'll see if I can find any photos later
I've got a silver East Peak frame that was a warranty replacement in 2005 - not had a huge amount of use. Free (for collection, Berkshire) to anyone who wants to do the same! Or it's perfectly usable if you fancy a retro build. I really can't be bothered advertising/selling it properly so this is the stealthiest ad of stealthy ads aimed at people opening a thread mentioning an old Marin.
I've had it from new, last raced in 2012 I think, main pivot wobbles all over the place.
Wasn't there a lifetime warranty on the bearings!!? 🤣
The original colour is just "raw" aluminium. But there are some interesting ones on retrobike in orange (but makes it look like an... Orange) and black.
I'm preferring the original colour, but gulf racing has always appealed...
If its for wall art and the frame is fkd then theres no point in painting/powdercoating it any colour. Strip it (if its painted, nitromors) and get a polishing kit drill bit and some metal polishing compound. Polish it, wang some new stickers on it...
Some betterer pics now it's stripped. Showing some interesting bulges and the asymmetric back end.
So - just polish it myself?
Turns out that I got the colour scheme the wrong way round (in my defence, it was a long time ago)
That would look nice if you can get a high shine on it.
What you've got there is rare as hell. Because it hasn't gone back to Marin for a warranty replacement. You can't strip it, that Dirtyhabit sticker is gold!
Yes, they did have lifetime warranty on the bearings, but the pivot is probably wobbling round in the frame having cracked at all the welds.
Fond memories of mine, but the overriding one is of noise. Anywhere other than fresh loam and it sounded like a skeleton having a w**k in a biscuit tin. Loudest bike ever made.
If you had a sentimental attachement to a specific bike i could understand.
But why would you want that horrendous thing on your wall?
But why would you want that horrendous thing on your wall?
Cos I'm getting bored of staring at a picture of your mum.
🤣
Classic.
Anywhere other than fresh loam and it sounded like a skeleton having a w**k in a biscuit tin.
🤣🤣🤣🤣 Thanks, I've now got to drain Pepsi Max out of my keyboard.
Well, it took a while but....
For the fact fans out there, the bike was 100 quid off Facebook. Sold the bits off it for about 100 quid. Then got the frame blasted by a local company for £60. It's a light blast - gives it a satin look.
I'd be tempted to incorporate a clock into it as it's on the wall anyway. Maybe an LED digital clock in the main 'triangle' recess (or use the rear axle to hold a loo roll 😆 ).
Looks good. Didn't FS MTB's then look like cheap BSO's - i.e. got copied quickly.
I think it needs a silhouette of the main components (wheels fork saddle etc) added to the wall for it to sit over.
If it was my wall, I’d be tempted to burn it into the timber 🙂
Makes me think of a ‘Ghost bike’ just needs a bunch of flowers and some cards zip-tied to it.
Hmm. I'd have left it au natural with the well worn patina, personally....
Wow! Takes me back.
That was the only bike I’ve owned that was better uphill than downhill.
The shock blew, the shock mount failed, the swing arm cracked due to, I assume not being welded all the way round at the joins.
Also the only bike louder than an Orange.
Next office wall project is a Trek Y-bike.
I've picked one up, but not happy with the front "triangle" as yet. Gimme another year and I'll post an update...
(unless anyone has a Y-22 with the carbon finish they want shot of? Front part, entire frame or whole bike - I'm easy)
I’m mulling the idea of taking one or other of the old frames in my Garage turning the rear into a workshop stool and making the headtube/TT/DT junction into a wall mounted light fitting.
But also many other tasks sit ahead of this in priority terms…
Next office wall project is a Trek Y-bike.
The Y-bike was the first bike that I genuinely lusted after. Pro-flex was very cool, Mountain Cycle San Andreas was bad ass, but the Y-bike was just beautiful and CARBON WTF! I was a student and just getting into mountain biking then so I had zero prospect of owning own, and zero clue of how it would ride.
