Saracen Conquest, Nepal 1987. Not the fanciest bike ever but I think I had some of the best times with it and my pals
Scotland, 1988
RSP
I had a couple of the cromo RSP/M-Trax bikes and rated them well.
The first was nicked (I actually saw the scrote taking it but pursuit was fruitless) and the second (after upgrading everything to XT) sold to an STWer IIRC. It sort of served as an all-purpose bike and I used/modded it for bike-packing before I’d even heard of bike packing and for ‘gravel’ before it even heard of ‘gravel’
I later ‘downgraded’ to another 90s Raleigh (an ‘Apex’ - made from Reynolds K2) which actually carried stuff better but wasn’t anywhere near as fast as the M-Trax when unloaded.
Weirdly, looking back if I had to choose from either of the Raleighs again I’d now go for the Apex, even (especially) with that dusky pink pearlescent finish! Sadly didn’t keep any pictures either before or after I’d Frankennmonstered it. Of course I threw the Flexstem straight in the bin.
Just found a pic of my last full susser which is going back some years:
Back in the day when you could still (sort of) race downhill on the bike you rode for XC the next day 🙂
I remember doing a National Champs at Nannerch in about 1998 with the DH on Saturday, XC on the Sunday. The DHers who weren't racing XC the next day got absolutely hammered, the "crossover riders" spent their Saturday night changing from flat pedals to SPDs and putting lighter tyres on. That was basically all that was needed back then! 😉
About 1996
1993/4
The Hub at Glentress just after it opened, around 2000? we flew from stanstead to edinburgh & Tracey came & picked us up from the airport in the van
Her & Emma were very keen for us to spread the word about how good the trails at GT were
https://flic.kr/p/2ns6FJP
1999? at the lodges near CYB, MuniMula fire xc pros, avid V brakes, , planet X flames saddle, bomber Z3
https://flic.kr/p/2nsbWoY
My Beloved Bear DL at Mabie in 2003?
https://flic.kr/p/2ns6M2h
2004ish Spain, somewhere, my Bear DL now with LT rockers and 120mm Fox
https://flic.kr/p/2nsbWze
