Forum menu
Zoom bars and stem, dart front tyre.
My crud claw ended up braking every other ride.
Stoddy
Glory days!
I came late to this lark, was more into hiking and orienteering in the 80s, and missed the Muddy Fox era entirely, but had a homemade "tracker" bike in the late early 80s with longhorns and tourer derailleur. First "mountain" bike I got was Halfords Carrera Mission about 93/94. Then a Diamondback, Marin, then a Turner, and that's it! Don't change bikes much. Anyway, how about these beauties from my bookshelf.
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
Those magazines aren't old - the price is in new money!
Back in my day, they hadn't invented "mountain bikes", you just rode your Raleigh Shopper wherever you wanted, no problem!
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
Also had a pair of these - lower legs slimmed down to > 5mm wide with holes cast in them. Flexy doesnt even come near to describing how they rode! (Never did get the claimed 63mm travel from them either)
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
I was going to keep my head down on this one, that was until the question who owned a DCD, yip I had one. But here's a question who admits to handing over hard earned cash for AMP forks?
How far we've come, soft ride suspension stem was the first thing I trusted the mags about, first and last. Didn't help that 140/150mm was way too long. Giant fully rigid with a gel seat, coldrock I think was my first proper mtb. It even had a sti shifters on it.
It was great fun but so limited. Then I bought an orange clockwork with manitou forks, a whole 25mm of travel, elastomers which went solid in the winter and a foot long Allen key to strip them with. I upgraded to a retro fit hope disc on the front, this is pre disc calliper mounts so had a special hope strap arrangement. Amazing.
Makes me chuckle when kids want travel carbon and body armour....
36 here
Pace RC36s
Saracen Protrax SE in purple with Ritchey bits
Not owned but should mention pro flex, girvin flex stems and AMP forks!
Ritchey Z max tyres in 1.7in at 40psi for racing
22" flat bars and ski bends
Rock shox semi hydraulic disk brake
Judy s were Rock Shox top fork.
Suntour still made whole drivetrains
Oh yes, I had some of those onza pedals. And dia comp ss5 brake levers.
Just remembered mbuk reviewed a Greg LeMond mountain bike back in those days.
I think they said something along the lines of "a bit like making a Nigel Mansell tennis racket".
Stuck with me ever since
Suntour 'toe in' breaks. They just didn't work!
Running panaracer smoke/dart pretty good tyres from what I remember.
If anyone wants a pair of folding smoke/darts just email me.
Got into this lark in at the start of the 90's, now into my 40's
[url= http://farm1.staticflickr.com/15/88685701_bb8590fee7_o.jp g" target="_blank">
Which got stolen and replaced with:
[url= http://farm1.staticflickr.com/17/88685702_07a7f3de49_o.jp g" target="_blank">
Think I'm probably at least 10 years older than you.
First bike, Saracen Conquest with biopace (5 speed cassette NO it was a freewheel, largest cog 38#T), an ex killed it by couriering on it, next was a Marin Bear Valley - lovely little bike. Then I got creative, Parkpre frame, Amp F2 forks (they were amazing, but the bearings were made of cheese), Middleburn chainset (still have it) - won lots of races on that bike. I still have and use a Karrimor jacket in purple (from 1991) a purple/yellow/red Pearl Izumi jacket, and a purple/fade Assos jacket. I use to have several Flexstems, rode one of the first Proflexes back in 91. Still use a titanium USE seatpost on my Salsa.
I look back with affection and forward with anticipation. I love bikes - on road/off road, my funny little folder - love them all.
I still have these too!
[img] 
[/img]
Beat you by about 5 years. splatter job cinder cone.
Nice hangers! I remember having some purple CND style ones.
used to use Stif when they banging stuff outta a lock up garage. won an etto helmet at a nemba race. bought my first spds when on sidi and shimano made the shoes. piad 399 i think for the very first rockshocks they moved about 3/4 of an inch.. awsome.
my clockwork was matt orange coloured witha six inch zero rise stalk and a pair of onza bar ends that weighed 5lbs!