[Closed] who has the oldest mountain bike (and still rides it offroad.)

1985 Saracen Conquest - comes out a couple of times a year.

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going out for a spin tomorrow on my 94 pine mountain.

ive got a 94ish khs alite which still gets ridden about a dozen times a year

I've sold my 93/94 Trek 970 (the only year when the 970 was the top end model, but only happened for 1 year as they dropped the 990 that year for some reason then brought it back the next year) to my brother-in-law, he rides it a couple of times a month in the local forest to him. Still using the original 1991 Deore DX crankset and the 1996 Mavic outer 52-tooth ring! Has Quadra 21r's on it...still looks a very nice looking bike...kind of wish I'd never sold it to him.

I took my '89 Rockhopper off road last year ... and thought 'never again!' 😯

I had a 2001 Rockhopper which was my only bike until it got nicked in August. That went off road, on road and anywhere else I need to ride it. Off road's easier now with the replacement, granted.

Still occasionally ride my old '90 Cannondale M700 rigid. It's so hard compared to the newer stuff but makes an interesting change sometimes! Saw it at a bike shop in 1990 at Newquay and just "had to get one", metallic green/black fade.

my only MTB is based on a '98 zaskar. Well upgraded but it's still going strong and used several times a week.

Zangolin, Retrobike needs that....!

1986 Raleigh Maveric ATB, mostly used for pub/shop/school runs, still totally original.

Bit of a monster, but it get used 😉

Time to trot out the vernerable ~1989 Pine Mountain, still used....occasionally:

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The bike I ride the most often is a '94 DBR Axis; albeit with a disc brake and singlespeed.

Just sold my '91 Alpinestars cro-mega DX. Got a road bike thats '80s.

My '96 Humuhumu still gets ridden offroad regularly.

I don't really have a classic yet, but my 01 Stumpjumper is currently my only bike so gets used all the time for 'normal' rides with mates, riding on the road with slicks on, doing races/24hr events etc.

Will be a shame to hang it up in a few weeks when my new one arrives, but there's a small scratch on the rear shock piston & the shock needs servicing too, so the expense of getting that repaired & serviced means it'll probably be hung up for good & the bits swapped over to a hardtail.

1985 Saracen Conquest - comes out a couple of times a year.

that's lovely!

1992 Trek Singletrack 970 - comes out occasionally.

I did this years dusk till dawn on a 94 Kona, no problem really.

my 1988 Marin Team Marin is my current favourite if needing a geared bike.

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QuickQuestion - could you post a pic please? Just wondering if it's the same as mine. What colour is it?

zangolin & rowley - class bikes.

Wish I'd never sold my 1990 Marin Muirwoods - the yellowest thing I've ever owned....

Rowley, what's the spec on that Team Marin please. Looks niiiice 🙂 Did they do it in Tange Prestige? I was a bit miffed when I bought my Pine Mountain as they'd sold out of the previous years model which was Prestige rather than dull standard cro mo.

Thanks yes it is tange prestige full XT, i bought it relatively recently from a guy on retrobike as always loved that years Marins as my dad had the Pine Mountain from that year. It really is a great bike and completely original as far as i can tell.

boblo isn't yours a 1988 as it looks the same as my dads?

My summer race bike is a 95 DBR Axis TT. Rebuilt from the frame up a couple of years ago, but still rides like new. 80mm forks & V brakes can be a bit of a handful after the modern FS.
See the ti goodness thread for pics.

I still ride the very occasional off road ride (usually with my six year old boy) on my 1991 Orange Aluminium O. I still can't quite beleive that I used to ride all over the peaks on it rigid.

that's beacuse you were a hard northern git before surrey softened you tony 😉

Ha Ha leggy blonde found out!

Going for a ride in the snow of the North Downs today? I am (last vestiages of "hard northern git") Or now you are a magazine superstar is it all beneath you?

I'll probably head to shirley hills after work with a few of my fans

rowley - Member
boblo isn't yours a 1988 as it looks the same as my dads?

It could be the '88 model. I bought it new in March '89 and it was current then. I really wanted the previous years metalic lilac Tange Prestige one a chum had but it was sold the day before I went in to pick my bike up. Bough it at Phil Corley Cycles in Milton Keynes and they gave me a nice discount to make up for my disapointment 🙂

I think our bikes have the same spec: Deore (which was the XT of it's day), RM20's, Specialized Ground Controls etc. They both had a peculiar velvety covered gel saddle, looks like your's had been changed as well. Used to soak up loads of moisture...

I have a 88 Chas Robers White Spider, take it out one or twice a year gets mainly used on the turbo though these days.

Hardly the vintage of posts above, the 1st 'decent' bike I bought from own wages in '96; grip-shift marvel -

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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/robgarrioch/sets/72157622674046708/ ](photostream)[/url]

No idea what make, bought from the short-lived Mountain Magic shop in Edinburghs Grassmarket. Used mainly for adverse weather road-riding now, hence replaced crankset + v-brakes. Occasionally bung on some xc tyres for smoother trail-riding when I'm feeling nostalgic!

I had a Sarascen conquest in green - that picture brings back memories 🙂

my dad has a raleigh something or other that was new in 91, so quite old i suppose.

rowley thats a fantastic looking bike really cool and retro, how does it ride coz tange prestige was a top tubeset around that time!

boblo really nice looking retro bike how is it to ride then!

zangolin - Premier Member
1985 Saracen Conquest - comes out a couple of times a year.

and still with the original forks - you rock. After a while it seemed you only ever saw them with the chrome replacements. Now if only you had a set of 'Groondies' on it as well..

I used to ride my 93 Dynatech MT4 every weekend, and hard, maybes too hard.

It didnt like Snowdon

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My 1990 Carrera's still in bits in the garage, it's just got its new paint and it's waiting to get logo'd up but once it's done it'll be put back into service offroad... Looking foward to it even though it's crap 🙂

Wish I'd never sold my 1990 Marin Muirwoods - the yellowest thing I've ever owned....

Ah, now that would've been the Bolinas Ridge you had, not the Muirwoods... How do I know this? Cos I had a 1990 Muirwoods, which was that dull "Zolatone Grey" as they called it, with Neon Green forks/stem/stickers on it. The Bolinas Ridge was I seem to remember the only one in the range that was a solid colour, Neon Yellow at that!

Sorry, best just take my anorak off before I get outed as a geek! 😉

My father still rides around the by ways in the Chilterns on his 89 Tufftrax...78 years of age and still at it...he sent me a picture last week taken in the snow on top of Coombe Hill...wait for it , he rode his fixed wheel Higgins ultralite trike through the snow....he should know better 🙄

My 89 Scott Boulder with Ritchey Megabites .... often with blackburn rack in use as bike for the train when I go to meetings in London Bristol or Cardiff.
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still got my "original" first real mountain bike a Spesh Rockhopper in coral - sweet probably around 1988 -1989 vintage

Cut down bars, massive seatpost, still has ground controls, built it up from bits from my Muddy Fox courier (all white) as I bent the forks on it coming down the front of the Blorenge mountain - nutter days!!

Ol'man wouldn't buy me a new bike so bought a frame with paper round money and made my own - start of self build addictoin me thinks.

Will have to clean it up and service it and give it a blast

2001 DMR Trailstar. I still ride it, but the headtube weld is cracked so its getting replaced soon 🙁

97 Kona Munimula (thats aluminum backwards dont'ya know!) - my everyday xc hack

manwells - Member
boblo really nice looking retro bike how is it to ride then!

Thankyou. It's a bit stretched and a bit tough on the wrists when you start to 'get on with it'. Oviously the brakes are crap compared to modern discs and anyone with an ounce of mechanical sympathy winces as the rims grind away merrily in Peak grit. I still use it for Trailquest events and off road touring...

Someone mentioned a Saracen Tuff Trax above. That was my first MTB in 1986/1987 Bright yellow with that horrible chainstay U brake that carved its way through tyre walls as the pads wore down... The choice of the day was a Muddy Fox Courier or a Saracen Tuff Trax. My chum had a Courier hence I went for the Saracen.

BTW, all these people who keep saying 'My Dad's got....' or 'my Grandad's got...' can they pack it in please I'm starting to feel like a fossil 🙂

The Tuff Trax around 1987. Mastiles lane in the Dales. SPD wellies were de rigueur 🙂

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boblo, i was having a senior moment, we do have '89 models. i was thinking about the '88 Palisades i had for a while.

My 1990 Palisades is still going strong as well. Its where it all started for me. Gotta love neon.

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Another 94 Pine Mountain here. Original frame, saddle and seatpost left I think. And purple bottle cage of course 🙂

Marin's were SO cool back in the day. 8)

I have a 92 Kona Kilaueu which I'm just off to ride in the snow again 🙂

My 95 Kilauea is still doing sterling service as a commuter, baby seat bike and occassional mtb

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Well looks like we've got enough victims to organise an 'early Marin's' only day out... Just as an option for anyone excluded from the singles only love in going on at the mo 🙂

[i]Ah, now that would've been the Bolinas Ridge you had, not the Muirwoods[/i]

Nah, defo a Muirwoods.

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Bright yellow, Shimano 200 GS (steel n' plastic, with thumbshifters.. when everybody else got STI!). There may have been some overlap between '89-90 models - I can't remember (got it for Christmas, a very looooooong time ago).

And check out the frame pads.... 8)

fantastic looking bike clubber is that the original paint colour and was the frame columbus nivachrome? are those forks pace by any chance around 95 as well maybe?

clubber i think life was better when mountain bikes all looked like that.

I still have and still ride my 1884 (yep, 1984 - I still have the signed by the builders ticket too) Wicked Fat Chance.

And I still rate it as the best bike I've ever owned.

regularly ride my 1999 Sunn bike for local xc. Still loving it. Only bars, frame and seatpost are now original though. Everything else has been replaced. It now sports disks all round thanks to Chas Roberts. 🙂

johnb spends most of the winter riding his venerable roberts dogs bolox. i can't tell you how old it is because time had yet to be invented when it was made. knottie has loads of pictures of it, so hopefully he'll see this thread and post one up.

[i]Gotta love neon.[/i]

Ha - indeed. I remember seeing the Muirwoods being tested in [i]MBUK[/i], ridden by Steve Worland - who was wearing appropriately garish leggings to match. There was also an [i]MBUK[/i] feature with some guy parachuting out of a plane with one. I remember being rather miffed that all the 1990 Marins from the Palisades upwards came with the fancy zolatone finish... but not mine. IIRC, the Muirwoods changed colour (atleast in the UK market) in [url= http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/gallery2.php?g2_itemId=12556 ]1991[/url] - and then the Bolinas Ridge adopted the all-over fearsome yellow... although there was some degree of factory variation. But I'd no sooner forget the name of my first mountain bike than I would the name of my first girlfriend! 😀 😳

Bludy wish I hadn't sold it (years ago) - it was a thing of formative importance.

[i]1984 Wicked Fat Chance[/i]

Nice.

Ridden most days, either as off road commuter (when I don't take the CX bike) or as a tow bike for taking the kids to nursery in the trailer.

93 (i think) Lava Dome, my first proper mountain bike

Photo taken today

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Still have my 89 Stumpjumper, (did have an 84 Stumpy and an 86 Rockhopper before that. It is mostly used on the road and byways now, like the other amazing what we did on them and what we do on our current ones.

My Kilauea above has been repainted twice actually. It was pearlescent White when new but I had it painted dark blue when I had the hope mechanical rear disc mount welded on around 97. Re-repainted a couple of years back to the sky blue shown.

The tubing is tange prestige. Reasonably light but not particularly springy. It broke at the driveside dropout like most of that era but a mate who worked at a garage got it welded back together.

The pace forks in the pic are rc36 evo2s which were 2001ish. They've since been replaced with 07 rc39s. I'm not really into historic builds but rather just what works well on it. That said, the brakes are hope c2s that I bought in 97 (shortly after deciding that even with the welded disc mount, the Hope mechanicals weren't much good.

And talking about the Marins, I had one of the 92 Pine Mountains with zolotone paint and orange as the contrast colour. Sold it to buy the Kilauea because the Marin was rubbish with the RS mag10s I'd bought ( with a full 43mm of travel before I increased them to long travel - 60mm!)

For all you 1985 Saracen Conquest fans a few more pics + the gallery link.

[b]Gallery link: [/b][b][url= http://picasaweb.google.com/zangolin/1985SaracenConquestAfterRebuild# ]http://picasaweb.google.com/zangolin/1985Saracen[/url][/b]

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I am still doing 90% of my riding on my 2003 RM switch. And not talking about some crappy english wood here 😉

My first bike was a '90 Marin Eldridge Grade in Zolatone grey and fire truck red, cost 540 quid from dales cycles and did me 8 years. was still holding up until about 2 years ago when my dad decided to stop riding it and sold it along with his wifes immacullate muirwoods from the same year, she bought it having seen mine and rode no more than 10 miles on it in 17 years.just sat in our garage gatherin dust.
PS yeah the saddle was a lycra covered gel affair which held water like a sponge.

My 1983 Ritchey Annapurna and some guy who wanted to hold it for the photo.

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A couple mates only own old mountain bikes, Al has a 95ish paper round money Zaskar which changes from gears to singlespeed every now and again, Richard has a Cannondale SV700? from 96 0r 97.
Couple pics from the summer;
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fantastic bikes people.i should have added at the beginning the bikes i've owned. 1.1988 dawes ascent 501 tubed 15 speed mtb (my first mtb) 2.1990-1 marin eldridge grade. 3.1993? specialized stumpjumper m2 purple/green with first gen xtr and direct drive rigid fork. .those are what i would class as classic bikes (the rest have been made after 2000ad)

1992 Dynatech Odyssey - still gets the occasional run out...

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Have those pace elastomers rotted like most do?

It's got a set of the "really hard red ones" in at the moment (all they had left when I rang pace a couple of years ago) - to all intents and purposes it's a rigid fork... I'm a big lad, and most movement i've seen at the end of a ride is maybe 2cm.

All of these have seen a fair bit of action in the last year

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1990 eldridge

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!988 Kona Cindercone

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1998 trek Y11

I'd still love a carbon y frame to ss. Not great bikes really but they look great 🙂

I own and still use my 1983 Cleland Aventura. Though a friend of mine has a 1982 model that is in full working order.

http://clelandcycles.wordpress.com/restorations/

i destroy bikes, they never last more than 2 or 3 years 🙂 and a few grand a go its and expensive hobby

i've got a 1990 something Marin Bolinas Ridge that's going to be used offroad, whe then built is complete. Gotta love neon.