Show us your vintage mountain bikes!
06-15-15, 06:58 AM
#5002
Fat Guy on a Little Bike
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Location: Philadelphia, PA
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I did a vaguely similar build with my Litespeed drop bar MTB/Commuter...but a Merlin...whoa. It's just awesome...utility and aesthetics. Love the SR levers on there.
06-17-15, 05:34 PM
#5003
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Port Dover Ontario Canada
Posts: 1,543
Bikes: 1965 Dilecta Le Blanc, 1956 Royal Nord, 1972 Raleigh Sports, 1972 CCM Turismo,1976 SuperCycle Excalibur, 2014 Salsa Vaya, 2017 Felt DD70, 2019 Giant Lafree and others
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__________________
We are what we reflect. We are the changes that we bring to this world. Ride often. -Geo.-
We are what we reflect. We are the changes that we bring to this world. Ride often. -Geo.-
06-17-15, 06:16 PM
#5005
Senior Member
Here's my unknown model, unknown age Allentown, PA, built Ross.
A total mis-mash of parts. I bought it for $5 about 8 years ago, repacked all the bearings and replaced the cables and housings, brake pads and supplied the cheapo saddle, clamp and nice Specialized grips. I left it in my parents' garage for these kinds of visits.
I'd say it weighs around 28 pounds with the nearly rotten tires and steel bullmoose bars, which is kind of remarkable for a bike with stamped steel dropouts. It has a nice Takagi triple crank on the DS and some Sugino unit on the NDS. The Dia Compe moto-style levers are mounted on the wrong sides, and the SunTour ratcheting thumbies are pushing the cheapo Shimano SIS derailleurs about the toothy bits.
It's a great lock-it-and-leave-it bike, although the lock that fits that bracket is in use in Sweden, and the bracket will be going back with me. Should be an excellent platform for all different kinds of builds if I go that route in the future.
A total mis-mash of parts. I bought it for $5 about 8 years ago, repacked all the bearings and replaced the cables and housings, brake pads and supplied the cheapo saddle, clamp and nice Specialized grips. I left it in my parents' garage for these kinds of visits.
I'd say it weighs around 28 pounds with the nearly rotten tires and steel bullmoose bars, which is kind of remarkable for a bike with stamped steel dropouts. It has a nice Takagi triple crank on the DS and some Sugino unit on the NDS. The Dia Compe moto-style levers are mounted on the wrong sides, and the SunTour ratcheting thumbies are pushing the cheapo Shimano SIS derailleurs about the toothy bits.
It's a great lock-it-and-leave-it bike, although the lock that fits that bracket is in use in Sweden, and the bracket will be going back with me. Should be an excellent platform for all different kinds of builds if I go that route in the future.
Oops, VX GT on the derailleurs.. I was sure it was Suntour. Here's my old one. The guy I sold it to kept it until about two weeks before I moved back to town. The person he sold it to tore it down, painted it flat black, and single speeded it. If I could have five minutes with that dummy.
BTW, the model name is a sticker on the right chainstay(kind of like trek used to do.)
Last edited by Bikedued; 06-17-15 at 06:23 PM.
06-17-15, 06:31 PM
#5006
Senior Member
Wait, are you and the bike currently in the US? I don't suppose you'd consider selling? Send me a PM if you want. No pressure.,,,,BD
06-17-15, 09:40 PM
#5007
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Been loving this Trek 930 I picked up a few weeks ago. I went riding some trails in a local park last weekend and felt like a kid riding my BMX bike again.
06-17-15, 09:51 PM
#5008
tantum vehi
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Flathead Valley, MT
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Dude, even the large size of your photo is small. We're all here for bike porn. Abide.
06-17-15, 10:20 PM
#5009
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Guadalajara, México
Posts: 213
Bikes: 1987 Specialized Rock Hopper
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'87 (?) Specialized Rock Hopper
I've been using this old Rock Hopper as my daily commuter. I love its smooth handling and the Kojaks make it very fun for fast city riding.
I've changed out a few parts since I bought it and will probably change the drivetrain to an XT 2x10 in the near future. I don't like the way this crankset looks on it, as it really distracts from the classic aesthetics of the bike, but it's better than the Deore triple cranks it came it with. Seatpost and stem are Ritchey. Bar is an Easton Hyperlite. Thumbshifters are XT, as is the rear derailleur. I'm using a Maillard 8 speed road freewheel. Cranks are polished FSA Energy, with 36/46 rings. Pedals are Wellgo double purpose minus all the cip-in hardware since I don't use it.
IMG_0917, on Flickr
I've changed out a few parts since I bought it and will probably change the drivetrain to an XT 2x10 in the near future. I don't like the way this crankset looks on it, as it really distracts from the classic aesthetics of the bike, but it's better than the Deore triple cranks it came it with. Seatpost and stem are Ritchey. Bar is an Easton Hyperlite. Thumbshifters are XT, as is the rear derailleur. I'm using a Maillard 8 speed road freewheel. Cranks are polished FSA Energy, with 36/46 rings. Pedals are Wellgo double purpose minus all the cip-in hardware since I don't use it.
IMG_0917, on Flickr
06-18-15, 12:58 PM
#5010
Senior Member
I'm not interested in selling it, or I'd have nothing to ride when I visit family. Besides, I think it's a size or two too small for you. And most of it is non-original. Really only the brakes, levers, shifters, bullmoose bar and headset are original. Paint is pretty lousy, too. I might've paid too much!
06-18-15, 04:02 PM
#5011
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06-18-15, 04:25 PM
#5013
Senior Member
When I originally posted I was staying with my family in Pennsylvania, not too far from Allentown. Now I'm back in Sweden.
I'm not interested in selling it, or I'd have nothing to ride when I visit family. Besides, I think it's a size or two too small for you. And most of it is non-original. Really only the brakes, levers, shifters, bullmoose bar and headset are original. Paint is pretty lousy, too. I might've paid too much!
I'm not interested in selling it, or I'd have nothing to ride when I visit family. Besides, I think it's a size or two too small for you. And most of it is non-original. Really only the brakes, levers, shifters, bullmoose bar and headset are original. Paint is pretty lousy, too. I might've paid too much!
,,,,BD
06-23-15, 07:59 PM
#5014
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Southeastern CT
Posts: 144
Bikes: 1994 Barracuda A2E, 1991 Specialized Rockhopper, 1993 Marin Bear Valley, 1995 Nishiki Cascade, 1970 Raleigh Sports (project)
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Picked this up this morning:
1994 Barracuda A2E
Had to work so no time to wrench yet, but tomorrow I'll be getting it up to speed for a test ride at least!
1994 Barracuda A2E
Had to work so no time to wrench yet, but tomorrow I'll be getting it up to speed for a test ride at least!
06-24-15, 07:46 PM
#5015
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Heres another from the Pile. 1993 Amp Research B2. Its got a cracked damper on the fork. Anyone have one I can buy or swap for? The Damper or a busted Amp fork. [IMG]
IMG_4374 by Mattballman, on Flickr[/IMG]
IMG_4374 by Mattballman, on Flickr[/IMG]
Last edited by redcaymatt; 06-24-15 at 07:50 PM.
06-24-15, 07:59 PM
#5016
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Location: Richmond VA area
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Bikes: '00 Koga Miyata Full Pro Oval Road bike.
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06-24-15, 10:07 PM
#5017
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Southeastern CT
Posts: 144
Bikes: 1994 Barracuda A2E, 1991 Specialized Rockhopper, 1993 Marin Bear Valley, 1995 Nishiki Cascade, 1970 Raleigh Sports (project)
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Took the A2E out for a quick test ride today...I've got a new favorite. Fast as anything, beastly climber and super responsive handling. Pretty sure it'll be a 1x8, but I've got to source a crankset first...
06-29-15, 02:45 PM
#5019
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Washington DC
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Bikes: 1981 Bianchi Limited 650B conversion (sold), 1985(?) Guerciotti retro-roadie, 2018 Specialized Allez Sprint, 2012 Specialized Crux, mid 80's Focus MB-400
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I have been looking for a good vintage MTB on the local CL, and I just found one and picked it up last week: A Focus MB-400. Here are pics as I got it from the seller. Seems like a pretty nice model but I can't find much (if any) information about the "Focus" brand from this era (mid 1980's?). Made in Japan, lugged frame, Tange MTB tubing, Suntour Mountech derailleurs, Suntour thumb shifters and stem, Dia Compe levers and brakes, Nitto bars.
So far I've only had the chance to ride it for about 10 minutes but it was fun and surprisingly zippy. The bike has double eyelets at the front and rear dropouts, plus fender bosses at the seatstay and chainstay bridges, so will be easy to outfit with fenders and racks for commuting.
I did a little research and found that the Suntour Mountech RD is prone to failure, so I already got a nice vintage Deore RD from a friend as a replacement. The Mountech will make a nice display piece, it seems barely used.
I'm thinking of riding it as-is for awhile, but I'm tempted to go for a drop bar conversion. What do you guys think??
So far I've only had the chance to ride it for about 10 minutes but it was fun and surprisingly zippy. The bike has double eyelets at the front and rear dropouts, plus fender bosses at the seatstay and chainstay bridges, so will be easy to outfit with fenders and racks for commuting.
I did a little research and found that the Suntour Mountech RD is prone to failure, so I already got a nice vintage Deore RD from a friend as a replacement. The Mountech will make a nice display piece, it seems barely used.
I'm thinking of riding it as-is for awhile, but I'm tempted to go for a drop bar conversion. What do you guys think??
06-29-15, 02:49 PM
#5020
06-29-15, 06:40 PM
#5021
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NEW ZEALAND
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Bikes: Marin Bolinas ridge, Carlton Corsa 5, Falcon Olympic 12, 98 Shesh Rockhopper,
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06-29-15, 09:41 PM
#5022
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The trouble I've had with mtb drop bar conversions is that unless you get the bars up and back, the top tube will be too long. That's a small size, so you might not have that problem, and that stem looks pretty good to do just that. If changing the stem, it may be that being a very early model it takes a 21.1mm diameter BMX standard stem, rather than the 22.2mm standard stem. If the conversion doesn't work out, you can always go back to the original set up.
06-29-15, 11:09 PM
#5023
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Join Date: May 2015
Location: Richmond VA area
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Yeah that's for sure. I'm really loving riding this bike, I've already been on several 50 milers on it, including one this afternoon/evening with my wife. The bike really cruises nicely, and is surprisingly meneuverable..
06-30-15, 09:06 AM
#5024
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Washington DC
Posts: 330
Bikes: 1981 Bianchi Limited 650B conversion (sold), 1985(?) Guerciotti retro-roadie, 2018 Specialized Allez Sprint, 2012 Specialized Crux, mid 80's Focus MB-400
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Wow, looks almost new. I'm not sure if that's the same Focus as in the German bike brand, but a quick search shows that it was made in Japan by Araya.
The trouble I've had with mtb drop bar conversions is that unless you get the bars up and back, the top tube will be too long. That's a small size, so you might not have that problem, and that stem looks pretty good to do just that. If changing the stem, it may be that being a very early model it takes a 21.1mm diameter BMX standard stem, rather than the 22.2mm standard stem. If the conversion doesn't work out, you can always go back to the original set up.
The trouble I've had with mtb drop bar conversions is that unless you get the bars up and back, the top tube will be too long. That's a small size, so you might not have that problem, and that stem looks pretty good to do just that. If changing the stem, it may be that being a very early model it takes a 21.1mm diameter BMX standard stem, rather than the 22.2mm standard stem. If the conversion doesn't work out, you can always go back to the original set up.
I tried measuring the reach (distance from midpoint of saddle to handlebars) on my road bike, and I think I can get a similar figure on the Focus with a drop bar conversion. But the current MTB cockpit looks cool and is pretty fun to ride.
06-30-15, 10:08 AM
#5025
Junior Member
I'm getting back into riding again and while intrigued with the latest offerings in the world of bicycles I decided to take a different direction. 25 years ago, when I rode a lot in college, I had several bikes, but the only one I kept, and had in storage all these years, is a 1987 (or maybe '88) Fisher Montare mountain bike. When I bought it new all those years ago it cost a staggering, for a college budget, $800.
(not my bike but same year and model)
A couple of weeks back I pulled it out, gave it a bath and brought it down to the LBS to see about getting it overhauled and reconditioned. It needed quite a bit, new tires, cables, brake pads,chain and figured it best to also go ahead and get all new bearings. This got my old friend back in functionally, if not cosmetically, new condition and gave me a clean baseline to rekindle a relationship with an old flame. It cost me $450, but considering the work involved and getting this 37 year old bike back on the road, I was ok with that.
The mechanic who did the work is, like myself, a seasoned citizen and told me he thought this bike was a classic worth restoring and he, back when the bike was new, sold Fisher bikes. Well that sealed the deal. I felt the bike was in good hands.
I decided to hold off on the new bike at least until I drop another 23 pounds. That will be my reward and meanwhile I can keep reading on this forum and adjust the focus of what I want next.
Had such a great ride on my renewed bicycle yesterday. Mostly rode on gravel roads to keep out of traffic. It sure felt great to go for a ride just to ride with no particular place to go. Also made me realize, as much as I have been checking out cyclocross bikes, I'm not ready for down bars just yet. So getting this bike fixed has filled a perfect role until I get in better shape.
(not my bike but same year and model)
A couple of weeks back I pulled it out, gave it a bath and brought it down to the LBS to see about getting it overhauled and reconditioned. It needed quite a bit, new tires, cables, brake pads,chain and figured it best to also go ahead and get all new bearings. This got my old friend back in functionally, if not cosmetically, new condition and gave me a clean baseline to rekindle a relationship with an old flame. It cost me $450, but considering the work involved and getting this 37 year old bike back on the road, I was ok with that.
The mechanic who did the work is, like myself, a seasoned citizen and told me he thought this bike was a classic worth restoring and he, back when the bike was new, sold Fisher bikes. Well that sealed the deal. I felt the bike was in good hands.
I decided to hold off on the new bike at least until I drop another 23 pounds. That will be my reward and meanwhile I can keep reading on this forum and adjust the focus of what I want next.
Had such a great ride on my renewed bicycle yesterday. Mostly rode on gravel roads to keep out of traffic. It sure felt great to go for a ride just to ride with no particular place to go. Also made me realize, as much as I have been checking out cyclocross bikes, I'm not ready for down bars just yet. So getting this bike fixed has filled a perfect role until I get in better shape.