Dieter is a mechanic who will always fix things if he can. With his spare parts bin and Dremel, he’ll breathe life back into almost any bike. Join us for another of his regular columns, full of bike fettling, and occasional philosophical (or political) sidetracks…

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By down_and_across

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Back From The Dead: Breathing life into a Lizard

I love this. My first MTB was a lizard and even though I didn’t really like at the time (wrong colour, heavy, clunky) it was still my first MTB (or ATB as it says on the livery and my dad would annoyingly correct me every time) and it was a gateway to still riding MTBs 30+ years later. Very fine memories of hooning round the local woods and beyond getting covered in mud and loving it.

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Twenty quid you say?

Someone commuted past me on one the other day. Haven’t seen one for years, it was also my first ATB

I should add, since relevant, I tried to undertake my first upgrade with the lizard – scored some ‘lightweight’ aluminium wheels, a fancy saddle and black alloy post, new brakes to replace the farm gate levers that came with it. It was the start of another journey to realise the tools needed, different standards and compatibility etc. In the end, it did for the bike because my dad’s house-DIY tool kit wasn’t up to the job and I got rid of the bike (a different story…) and bought a ‘proper MTB’ (Shogun Trailbreaker??). Great times.

Thanks for the article, having a good reminisce this morning.

Good work, Dieter! Your series is the best content on here! Love it!

I have one, from a charity shop, as my pub bike. It’s damnned heavy though! Nearly gave myself a hernia lifting into the roof bars!