Happy Feet

Bought this on a whimsy for $20 from a junk store mainly because it had some unusual features for an early era mtb but there are no identifying marks.

• Chrome forks with mid fork eyelets
• Stylishly lugged frame
• Square Canti bosses
• Suntour components with Deore RD and Sugano crank
• Two cage mounts
• Bull horns with welded cable stop hanger
• Light frame suggesting CrMo
• Early serial# (?) 4D00090

Any guesses on the maker or approx. year?

zzzzzP1240569 by dc460, on Flickr

zzzzzP1240573 by dc460, on Flickr

zzzzzP1240571 by dc460, on Flickr

zzzzzP1240574 by dc460, on Flickr

zzzzzP1240577 by dc460, on Flickr

zzzzzP1240578 by dc460, on Flickr

zzzzzP1240579 by dc460, on Flickr

zzzzzP1240581 by dc460, on Flickr

Murray Missile 

No clue what it is but i like it, a lot! Must have been a real looker when it was new. That deserves a good rebuild.

Bikerider007

Those bars and lugs make me think Diamondback Ridge Runner. The first digit is probably the year. The are great looking cleaned up.

Happy Feet

Thanks for that.It does look like a DB based on the lug pattern. Man it is hard finding a DB SN data base or 84 catalog online though.

That is the plan!

2cam16

Sweet! This should be a good project.

Velocivixen

I'm venturing an educated guess - 1984. You can check components for date codes. Of derailleurs are SunTour look on the back for two letter codes. "A" as the first letter indicates 1984, "B" 1985 and so on. The second letter indicates the month.

T-Mar

The serial number format is consistent with a 1984 frame manufactured by M-a-t-s-u-s-h-i-t-a (hyphens to prevent auto censor) who marketed under their own Panasonic brand and did contract manufacturer for a number of large name brands including, but not limited to, Schwinn, Centurion/Diamond Back and Sekai.

9volt 

I think only DB had those bullmoose bars with the bends in the triangle. It's likely a DB Ridge Runner or Mean Streak

Happy Feet

Yes, I looked at a lot of images last night and found quite a few similarities with the DB.
Those bull bars are unique as is the scroll work on the lugs. The seat stay also has a little knob as a chain hanger.

I also put a pipe wrench on the seat post and it came out freely so the next step is sandblasting with a soft media to see if the frame is intact. Visually it seems to just be surface stuff.

Thanks all for the help

frantik

diamondback ridge runner.. based on that serial presumably they were still making them in 1984.. good luck on the restoration, looks like a lot of work

Happy Feet

Well.. I like a challenge

The worse a bike looks initially the more I enjoy trying my hand at bringing it back from the scrap pile and if it's bound there anyway it's a little more forgivable to take some artistic license. There is a U blast it place locally and I've wanted to see what it's like so this may be a good opportunity. That will determine whether I move forward (if the rust is only surface or not).

All the moving parts are not seized (BB, brakes, derailers, pedals, shifters) so that's good. New chain, cables, guides and rubber components are a given on almost any build I do.The RD is a Shimano Deore which I think is not original but I have an nice old period correct 5 speed RD from a SS I converted to swap it out with.

The only question mark are the bars. Part of me thinks the Bulls look good, especially with some Brooks leather grips, but I do not trust them. I once had a set of Bull bars break at the welds and fold forward as I was going down hill and almost bought the farm. Just by luck a little tag of the weld held and I was able to brake enough to stop before they snapped off completely. So, I'm a bit gun shy about using them on any bike I actually plan to ride! Could be a good enough excuse for a dropbar conversion or maybe I'll just suck it up and get over my paranoia.



The only

Piff 

Yikes! First time I've heard of a bullmoose bar breaking. Unfortunate considering they were specifically designed to be more hardy than what was available at the time.

I'm very much looking forward to seeing your project move forward if the frame turns out to be a-ok. If you don't want those bars...well I might be interested

Pompiere

A do it yourself sandblasting place? That sounds awesome!

You have a blank canvas there. Since it needs a total refinish, you could add braze-ons or change the brake configuration, wheel size, etc. while the frame is bare.

TenGrainBread 

If a bullmoose bar broke on you, it was by virtue of a welding defect, not by virtue of it being a bullmoose design. So I wouldn't worry about it.

I'm about to put some new carbon Ritchey bullmoose bars on a build and it will certainly be the weirdest component I've ever used on a bike.

Bikerider007

The Bullmoose is one of my attractions to the early MTB's. Lugs too, and those DB's have some of the coolest ones on a MTB.


I am not a go hard MTB rider but I have a hard time passing up a pre 85' as many have those bars.

Noah Scape

I've seen them on a Sekai as well.

clubman 

Don't forget to measure the stem before discarding. Many were undersized BMX spec, ie; 21.1

Happy Feet

Good idea but I think I am keeping the bars for now. I think I have a pretty good vision of what I want to do with it.

I broke down the frame yesterday to start the rebuild. Hopefully this week I'll strip the frame and take it to the sandblaster. Apart from rust, corroded cables, rotten rubber etc... every mechanical part is intact and in working condition except for the freewheel which is pretty far gone and has a broken tooth on the high gear. A replacement is $16. Even the RD works though it is a later Deore. I can use it along with a Deore crankset or replace it with a more period correct 5speed RD.

When I start I'll begin a new rebuild thread and provide the link here.

Thanks all for the input on IDing and advice about the bars etc...

zzzzzzP1290599 by dc460, on Flickr

zzzzzzzzP1290599 by dc460, on Flickr

tiredhands 

Love that fork. Is that black paint on the steerer tube?
One of my favorite features of old ATBs is the clean lines of thin tubing. That and the chainstay yokes to stretch out the wheelbase. This will be a stately bike when it's back on the road.

vintagepedals

looks like that bike is repainted. however, that ornate lugs makes me suspect that it is a '82-'83 diamondback ridge runner. I do have one with the silver & black scheme color & pretty much the same.

DiegoFrogs

Check that the cantilever posts are well-attached to the weird steel boxes. I had one fail on my Ross, and had to get creative to replace it. It might be a good opportunity to braze it, if it wasn't done already (like my Ross...).

Happy Feet

I think it's a Ridge Runner too from looking at pics on the net. I'm guessing 84 from the serial number.
The canti's are ok. I've already stripped the paint to bare metal. I should have put the link to the rebuild here but forgot:

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...pic-heavy.html