Would you ride a Saracen?

Tufftrax here too until 2006. Things have moved on since then mind!

My first proper mountain bike was a Tufftrax. I Remember riding / carrying it over Black Sail Pass and then bombing it down into Wasdale. No fancy suspension in those days just ridged forks and cantilever brakes. All good fun

On further consideration, I wonder if that lovely new Kili is perhaps a bit of a headline grabber.

They can't expect to sell many at £2k off the peg, but it might do a lot to help them reposition the brand.

Certainly seems to have generated more positive comments than Saracen threads usually do on here anyway.

I still have my circa 1989 Trekker Comp in my mum and dads shed, the U-brakes have been replaced with DiaComp Rollcams, and it still has the Deore II groupset, I might have to resurrect it one day.

still have my circa 1989 Trekker Comp ……..I might have to resurrect it one day

Yeah, me too. I haven't really ridden it much in the last six or seven years 😉

I had a nut-busting 20" framed Saracen Blizzard before the Trekker, back in 1988. (Everyone seemed to ride bigger frames back then). Nearly everything on it was white including the saddle and it looked a bit odd to tell the truth. I tried to fool myself that it was miles better than my friends' yellow Saracen Tufftrax 'cos the Blizzard had the Exage Trail Groupset and the Tufftrax had the slightly inferior Exage Country. However, I don't think they were convinced. There's also one of those old black Saracen limited editions rotting away in my parent's shed. They were almost as popular as Muddy Foxes in the Brighton area back in the day. Of course, what I really wanted was an Overburys.

I remember owning a lovely Saracen Tufftrax elite in an off grey colour and it was my first proper mountain bike. I loved that bike and seemed anything was possible on it until somebody stole it from the garage! I have not seen one since. I like the look of the new bikes and would get one but happy with my 575.

Chapaking – the Kili flyer is 'Ocean Blue' and the Kili xtr is 'Ultra Violet'(purple-ish), both 'flamboyant' colours, in the '93 catalogue. It doesn't mean a great deal, as the Sahara is listed as red only in the catalogue, when mine came through it was metalic black!

Those look like Specialized Extreme Control/Master tyres wrapped round that frame – the best mud tyres ever!

It doesn't mean a great deal, as the Sahara is listed as red only in the catalogue, when mine came through it was metalic black!

Same here, metallic black with silver forks (a whole 1" of suspension travel!)

Cheers Woodsman, have now realised mine was probably '90 or '91.

God I feel old.

I would as I had a 87 (or 88) Tufftrax, loved the thing and I'll never forget that first trip into a local wood.

Yep it seems a brave move by Madision, but bringing out a fillet brazed frame is a stroke of genius, and even the the Saracen name has sunk so low, I guess there's still a large proportion of the mtb buying market that have a soft spot for Tufftraxs 🙂

In 95 i had a backtrax which was an amazing bike, handled great and was a superb bike for many years! it was fairly light had a tbh ive been searching the web, ebay etc to find another from that year, thats how great the bike was.

After that my other half did buy a saracen xray for starting to mtb and tbh it was awful, i saw some of the mantra's from the 2005 era and they were shockingly bad. The new range gives me some hope they will be better, im waiting for the urban/road bikes they bring out.

Sold my old Saracen Tufftrax on here to a guy up in Stavely two years ago. Happy memories of the bike and adventures, 20" frame orange in colour with limited standover and center pull brakes, biopace chain ring, 92/93 vintage.
Never gave any problems, brakes useleess when wet/grimey.
Posted a few picks on here whilst out and about, returned comments like a farm yard gate if I remember!!

My first MTB was Saracen Forcetrax back in '95, the thing was a gate but enough to start the addiction…until it got stolen. It had an awesome kingfisher blue powdercoat finish that's still the best colour frame I've ever owned.

As others have said though there's a lot of good quality choice these days and while I wish Saracen luck, they're a long way down the list!

Used a kili flyer for SS duties, it was replaced by an Inbred, which was waaaaay better.

That new Kili Flyer looks like any other by the numbers catalogue frame.

I probably wouldn't buy one these days, not ashamed to say I'm a bike snob.

A Saracen was my first proper MTB over 15 years ago. Black steel frame with elevated chainstays, 21 gears, Rock Shox Quadra elatoma forks and dripping with anodised purple bits and bobs.

I loved that bike, right up until the day some t*at nicked it. Fond memories of a decent bike from brand that produced some good stuff then went down market and seemingly now trying to get back some former glory.

I owned a 1997 853 Kili recently – Lovely bike. Made in Warwickshire IIRC

Gone off the boil with all this aluminium witchcraft but that new one looks on the boil.

Mine in last build before being sold:

I'd ride this one 🙂 (knicked from the news section)

Maybe its time to ditch the Saracen brand given it's confused marketing history. We've had great Saracens and bargain basement Saracens, so the new owners will have to spend a lot of money re-establishing the brand. Might as well call them something else that doesn't carry any baggage I reckon.

My very first trip around the peaks was courtesy of a Saracen Havoc. Despite weighing the same as the Forth Bridge I remember being quite enamoured with it. It certainly wasn't in the same league as my mates' Specialized Enduros but it was honest, basic offroad transport and got me into biking. *tips hat*

Hi folks – and nickc …. this is mostly a copy/paste job from the news section but….

Just to set the record straight – this is our first Cr-Mo prototype.
Its hand made by Mark Reilly of Enigma, in the UK, to our geometry and frame spec. So its not “just a rebadged” Enigma or a catalogue job! We went to Enigma because they build first class frames and are trying to keep UK building skills alive.

We've got real plans to re-build the Saracen brand name with some good quality, focused and well priced bikes. We know we've got a mountain to climb but we're going for it.

As for the "new" Tufftrax, its got an excellent frame that beyond its entry level price point is upgradeable and great for getting people into the sport – like many have been on here at the start of thier riding careers.

So I would say, don’t knock it until you've tried the new Saracen. I should be at most of next year’s Future (dare I say that word on here!) demo days so drop by and say hi.

Cheers,
Simon
Saracen Product Manager and Elvis impersonator

Simon, will the Kili Flier frame be available serperately and what sort of price if it is, it looks a great bike?

I still have my 92 powertrax in the garage, the groupset is carked but i'd love to resurrect it one day. Lovely purple paint job on it.

were still considering the frame only option…. but the cost will be high due to UK manufacture… details to follow!