Retro MTB Tribe

[dubrat]

Some pics of my projects and completes

Mongoose Amplifier 2, Klein Frame and fork currently for sale, Trek 950 Fast Track, Waltworks 29er MonsterX





But at the moment this is the new one...

Serotta ATX Ti race Sid and XT... soon to get full Syncros bits

[Slow6]

this looks like a fun little project in Melbourne

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Retro-mountain-bike-frame-SR-Litage-/121020648812?pt=AU_Sport_Cycling_Frames&hash=item1c2d648d6c

[ldrcycles]

Wow i didn't know Serotta did mountain bikes. I picked up a Trek very similar to that a while ago but the seatpost was NOT going to budge, gave up after 2 weeks of struggle.

[singlespeedscott]

Waltworks 29er MonsterX

Mmmmmm...... Waltworks. Loved his work. Did you get it custom built or was it picked up second hand?

[Jean]

Cruising the recycling shop at the local dump I came across this good candidate for a beater for mucking about with the kids - a GT 'Outpost Trail'.

It's a bit small, but there's stacks of seatpost and a super long stem. It had no wheels but is otherwise complete. The wheels are some so-so ones I've had hanging around for just such a project and I have the best part of a 9-speed SLX drive train and few other bits that need a home.



At least some of the frame is Cro-mo

[brettels]

Some retro goodness...

[ldrcycles]

NICE!

[Fletch]

Some retro goodness...

Nice, I bought the red Y22 on the 28th Sept 1995.

[floody]

Has anyone got a decent, functioning mid 90s fork they'd like to sell? Excluding Mach 5s.

I bought a Judy SL recently but 'apparently' it seems to have 'disappeared' between the seller and myself...Ideally would like a 3 piece lower Judy SL, XC or DH, also interested in Manitou EFCs and first generation Z1/Z2 Marzocchis. With or without canti cable stop. Basically I have almost everything bar DU bushings and a fork to put my '96 LTS-2 together and I'm getting rather frustrated as I've been waiting on a fork since November.

PM me if you can help out.

[floody]

Anyway, missing Judy notwithstanding, mocked up my LTS-2 project after giving the frame a clean and polish. Unfortunately the Mach 5 SX on it is knackered, has a broken pushrod, add in my hatred of the things after battling one for a season when they were new...unless I get a cheap or free Mach 5 to raid for parts I still need a fork.



Will be XT/XTR M900 mix with Maguras, ??? fork and Syncros/answer cockpit, middleburn rings, hopefully a CK headset and some period rubber (undecided what as I have NOS Panaracer Duster VF/VR pair -on bike in pic, pair of cream 2.10/1.95 Panaracer Magics, pair of Panaracer Smoke/Dart Classic reissues, some Continental Montannas...). I think I will go yellow Oury grips. I am building silver Mavic XM317s on XT 737 front/mid 90s Hadley-GT rear to go on it later.

[Crowz]

Now THAT is a workshop, Floody. Very nice.

[ldrcycles]

SHINEEEEEE

[floody]

I wish it was my workshop, it belongs to a shop I worked for for a while years ago and do some saturdays and the odd fill-in weekday for now when I'm not teaching; in return they let me use their workshop and storage, order in parts etc. Its a real help for this hobby! 2 fully equipped workshop bays, most park specialist tools and ceiling hangers for about 40 bikes... and thats just the downstairs.

[commando]

Damn, some real beauties posted here.

I got nothing as nice as any of those, but I recently picked up an 84 Raleigh Trek, even came with the owners manual. It's certainly nothing special and not competition worthy but it appears to be all original and rides great. Not even sure what I'm gonna do with it, for now it's just a good around town and gravel road bike.
Has anyone seen one of these before?

[ldrcycles]

Very similar to the 1985 Malvern Star i just sold, the Dawes Ranger listed in their 1984 catalogue, and they all just look like the original Specialized Stumpjumper to me. They look cool with the bullmoose bars and super laid back angles but the Malvern Star felt WEIRD to ride.

[floody]

Cool old bikes! Personally I can't come to grips with that old stuff...for me mountain bikes really consolidated into a recognisable form through the early-mid 90s, and I agree most of those old bikes feel super weird with the slack angles, and being so long and low.

Did a rideable mockup today on my LTS, took it for a ride round the block. Forks will probably change out for Judy SL (although this ebay find set of SX Ti Manitous work very well), and I have Maguras plus an XTR M900 front derailleur coming to finish it (V brakes are temporary, they don't fit well on the rear). Sadly the rear shock is absolutely buggered.

[Slow6]

Looking reeeal good. Personally I think some Z2's would really suit your bike.

[HappyHumber]

... They look cool with the bullmoose bars and super laid back angles but the Malvern Star felt WEIRD to ride.

You sort of have to take into context where the modern sport of MTBing was at in its evolution in the early 80s. There's a great movie around called "Klunkerz" if you can find it. Basically the modern sport evolved out of some 1970s Hippies in California bombing down hilly dirt roads - not technical single track. They were doing it on on beefed up old, cheap 1930s & 1940s kids cruiser bikes. These bikes had slack angles with long wheelbases and most importantly clearances for fat, wide tyres. The early rigid frame MTBs like the Malvern & Raliegh pictured just now were just an extension of this. I can see why technical riders don't care for them, but I still think they're great as cruisers and urban runabouts. Here's my kerbside find that got my interest in the history.... I swear I could ride it no-handed whilst performing the upper half of the Maori Haka and it wouldn't waiver. The geometry and weight of it makes it track like a super-tanker.

[floody]

Looking reeeal good. Personally I think some Z2's would really suit your bike.

You know, I think a red Z2 would be bang on for this. Time to hunt one down!

[Slow6]

Go for the BAM's if you can find a set. They are a little lighter, the arches are more thoroughly machined and they perform a bit better.

Good plan re Maguras btw

[Slow6]

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/launcest ... 1011380264

Might not suit.

[floody]

Yeah I think they'd be a bit toooo much. That said I should pull my finger out and buy them...I would have already if they were 20mm axle.

I do have a GT frame that needs a bigger fork...But I'm looking for a DHO or first generation Boxxer for it.

[Mulger bill]

Oooooh, STS DH. Niiiiiiiice. Definitely one for the Boxxer.

[Slow6]

mmmmm. A nice set of late 90's White Brothers forks spring to Mind.

[Matt Zac]

Scored this GT in bits a few weeks back - didn't take much to get it back on the trails Nothing like a good clean and service





Mostly Deore DX gear with some suitably retro tyres from the back of the shed. The lock on grips are the only new parts on it.

Looking forward to the first proper ride later today!