Forum menu
90's Zaskar; it won World Cups in multiple disciplines, a mate rides and loves the one that he bought 14 years ago with paperound money and because I always aspired to have one because the 98 Backwoods was as close as I could afford at the time.
SC Chameleon, the last one before they went eccentric.
Yeti DH8 which belonged to a friend and felt amazing when I rode it down Cwmcarn in 2006/2007, especially so for something so old; I couldnt get my DH9 to ever feel close to it.
YO Eddy!
Klein Attitude..
or
Giant Anthem..
(Oh, I appear to own both of these!)
02 enduro and orange 5!
Whyte 19 I reckon.
No other bike has made me feel as capable or competent.
Or early Zaskar/Cindercone. High performance for the masses!
Pace RC100
SC Bullit
Orange Patriot
These 2 bikes added lots of fun to biking when it was getting a bit stale.
Much as I'd love to say a Yo Eddy or Klein attitude - being realistic it has to be the Kona/Turner Burner or the Mountain Cycles mentioned above... these bikes set the mould for modern MTBs.
Original stumpy was a mass-produced blatant rip-off of Tom Ritchey's design at the time.
Although the bike I'd most like to own has to be a Merlin Newsboy 
[img] 
[/img]
Surely it's got to be the one that got the world started down this trail - the 82 Stumpy. Otherwise it's got to be the latest, greatest bike for whatever particular riding you're doing right now (which, I conceed might even be an Orange 5 for some people).
Zaskar got to be . All polished and lovely, that was my original bike porn .A mate still has one and it still does everything even if its 10yrs old and I still stare at it gooey eyed when he's not watching
No no order!!
Gt Zaskar always wanted one as a teenager but could never afford it but seemed to be a do it all bike of the time!
Orange five its just a brill bike might not be pretty but like Wanye Rooney it gets the job done!
I would love a s-works stumpy fsr, again harks back to me getting into riding always wanted one but got my Ibis instead, still lust afer them though!!
proper Stumpy (without all that springy nonsense)
Explosif
Cinder Cone
santacruz super 8
spec sx trail
dialled bikes holeshot
RM Blizzard - it's been around as long as I've been mountain biking and still delivers the most fun per mile of any bike Ive had.
Honourable mention to the first Enduros, my first full-suss and it was just right in every area.
It would have to be either the Stumpjumper or the Explosif. For the obvious reasons!
bumhands, yes i am serious.
[img] http://tinypic.com/r/es6aud/6 [/img]
/p>
Sorry, can't upload pic at mo http://tinypic.com/r/es6aud/6
Ibis Bow-ti is what I mean. Mine will pass the 40000 mile mark this year.
Without doubt
[img] 
[/img]
I'd go for the original Joe Murray Cinder Cone with project 2 forks.
The first Mtb with the right geometry that lured me from my BMX.
My original had flecked paint graphics.
Klein Adroit - light years ahead of its time.
Early Proflex - yes elastomer suspension was rubbish but was a trail blazer for mainstream FS.
+1 for any of those early Konas. The current crop just don't compare.
almost certainly the san andreas, shop by me had one in second hand and almost every week (in 94') I would go in and lust over it - looked like something from a different planet at the time!
also:
specialized stumpjumper
marin bear valley
santa cruz superlight
My vote for a bike I've owned though has to go to the Marin MV - full sus that worked for the masses.
Seconded, I've still got my 97 frame.
Spooky Metal Head
Specialized SX Trail
Litespeed Kitsuma
2005/2006 specialized enduro. There has never been a bike before or since that rides as good as it IMO
I'd suggest a late Klein Adroit too- if you saw one without previous knowledge of Kleins, you would assume it was some radical new bike (well, maybe apart from the brakes)
Klein was also ahead of the game with the Adept- an early 29er
I'm not much of a fan of FS bikes but Santa Cruz's Superlight should be up there- a simple design that got it mostly right first time, and has only needed a few evolutionary tweaks since.
Early 90s Diamond Back Ascent SE. Fully rigid, whippy steel frame that was obsolutely fantastic. Closely followed by the first generation SC blur (great bike to ride, pain in t'ar5e to maintain).
5
Cant believe no one has mentioned the Orange P7. Dominated early to mid 90's race series'
Intense M1 - THE downhill bike, it was an absolute revelation when it was released
GT Zaskar - Set the standard for most of the hardtails that ride at the moment
MountainCycle San Andreas - So far ahead of its time people just didn't get it.
Titus Switchblade
Apollo FS.26 S [must be the S version]
Barracuda Tonga
Montana Mowhawk
Crell - MemberWoppit, do you mean one of the "new" FUNKs or the originals?
Original, I suppose - hire bike in Greece, 1992.
yeti arc deserves a mention
Marin FRS (Mount Vision, Rift Zone) '97 - '98. One of the first full sussers to get it right. Pivot position was spot on, could be built light and lasted for ages. Had mine for about 9 years, and with better forks (several Pace) and an excellent Cane Creak AD10 rear shock (plus other upgrades along the way)it was still a fantastic and light trail bike when I sold it.
The first one...
from my early years gotta be marin bear valley. Gt zasker. Kona cinder cone. And now id think id be pushed to find better than my 5spot.
2006 Enduro.
early konas,cindercone steel,nice classic geometry.
gt Lts.
before the enduro was born,giant xtc full susser was the most efficient and reliable susser going
orange 5 [not sorry]
Heckler, for my money. Ancient design, still riding well. Or my Bonty Race.
whyte preston
Joe Murray Kona 853 Explosive - still miss it
On-One 356 Ti
Cotic Soda