spartan1o5

Has anyone ever rode one of these? I can't really find the background story on the specific model of this frame. I'll post pictures probably tomorrow or friday. Its a white frame with marble detailing around the forks and rear derailleur.

T-Mar

Should be 1990/1991. I've never ridden one but they received favourable reviews in their day. Bicycling picked the 1990 Master TG as one of their "12 Hottest Bikes". It had the same frame as the Expert TG and differed only by having bettter components.

ginsoakedboy

I had the "Prevail TG" from that series. It was an obnoxious fluorescent green with like streaky paint splatters that gave it a marbled look, built with Tange Prestige tubing, and had the 600 group. I remember another bike in that series was an equally obnoxious fluorescent pink and had lesser components - maybe 105.

T-Mar

That 105 equipped bicycle would be a 1991 Master TG.

spartan1o5

I got the expert TG for 167. I have no idea if thats a good price but that bike had shimano rx100 set and the frame had no scratches whatsoever. Here is a gallery of the bike. https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tab%3DWatching. Thanks everyone for responding to my thread! Means a lot to me because I am so noobie

ginsoakedboy

One of the greatest regrets of my life: I was going back and forth between the above-referenced Prevail and the Bridgestone RB-1, and I bought the Prevail. I still cry myself to sleep nights over it.

spartan1o5

Awww, how much did you buy the prevail for? How much was the Centurion going for?

RobbieTunes

I had a Expert TG, kind of a pewter color, with Exage components, Matrix Titan wheels laced to RSX hubs and RSX 7-sp STI's. It was an excellent rider, and rode quicker than a Lemans frame, but not quite as nimble as the Ironman. It was better in a straight line, and I'd planned to put racks on the eyelets and try it for some fast touring, but a great offer came and I sold it.

I managed to ride it again two nights ago, and had forgotten how light it was. I swapped with the owner for a 2.5 mile loop, and soon we were at 25mph, grinning like the maniacs we are.

I think that marbled fade paint is a direct carryover from the last Ironman, and I'd not be surprised if a person put that 600 tricolor group on either a Master TG or an Expert TG, that would be one hoppin' bike, indeed.

$167 is an excellent price, and I'd pay that for the bike, no problem. I sometimes come across some heavier models of Diamondback road bikes, and I missed a bright orange Expert TG on CL a couple of weeks ago, all 105. Probably one of the undervalued lines out there, but probably one you'd need to inspect first, as they seemed to get heavier as time went on.

spartan1o5

I'm sure I'm going to have fun with the Expert TG. Glad to know I got an expert TG for a great price! THANKS EVERYONE!

T-Mar

FYI, MSRP was $600 US. Please submit the serial number for my database. TIA.

ginsoakedboy

I'm talking new in 1991 -- I was shopping for a bike that year and narrowed it down to those 2. I think they were both in the $1000-1100 neighborhood. I had a good time with the Prevail, but the RB-1 -- now that was a real classic. I eventually sold the Prevail, but if I had gotten the RB-1, I bet I would still have it to this day. Boy, was I young and dumb.

T-Mar

While the RB-1 was a nice bicycle I would probably have chosen a 1991 Prevail over the 1991 RB-1, despite the $200 price differential.

spartan1o5

Just wondering what the serial was for? 9084579 there it is!

KRBusby

Two questions; What's the difference between the Expert TG and the Master TG? I have the Expert TG and love it. And where do I find my serial number so I can give it to you? I've looked everywhere.

Thanks. :-) Oh, and I was given the bike for free.

funkflex

I had this 93 Master TG a while back. Awesome bike all around. Shimano 105 Group.

tomio

Resurrected.

escii_35

Orange with black splatters 62cm. Taiwan, not lugged. RSX parts. Stock wheels were -junk-, had them rebuilt. Rode it until everything started failing.

Too tight and twitchy for a daily errand runner. Had to be careful of heel slap when riding with big bags on the rear. (It seem to recall full mount points on the rear.)

Soo many of that years DB's had that fugly paint job.

Edit:

I kinda felt like Tony the Tiger on that thing.

RobbieTunes

The Master and the Expert seemed, in many ways, to duplicate the geometry of the Ironman and the Lemans RS, respectively.

I had an Expert TG with full RSX, Matrix wheelset, and it worked just fine.
It was actually 3x7 RSX STI, and the group retains it's value to this day, as it was a "compact" 48/36/26 triple.
I moved it, lock, stock, and barrell adjusters, to a Leman RS frame. The frame was too big, now messengers in Canada.

The marbled fade models that I've seen rode a lot like the Lemans RS.

Any similarities I note to the Centurion lugged models are pure speculation.
Other than the tubing used and some componentry, I'm completely clueless about any relationships they had.

Bikedued

You put saddle bags on a bike with racing geometry, and then complain of twitchy handling and heel slap? I could ride mine all day on one hood it was so stable. Felt like it was glued in a straight line unless I was turning. It also had NO mounts in the rear, save for the rear axle? The dropouts were tiny and vertical, with no eyelets. There was also a decal positioned right where an upper rack mount would go if it had one. I think you're recalling a different bike altogether?,,,,BD

escii_35

Looked at the old pics and saw no mount points on old Tony the Tiger. One of the problems with riding 62cm bikes is selection. After playing face tag with porsche (stuck the landing) \-.-/ , I needed a bike in two weeks for the last year of school. Can't find one in my price range which fits until the DB 1991/92 expert on closeout. Lets just say, moving from a 25in Miyata sport tour it's going to feel twitchy.

Oh, the parts were RX100 and I used clamps for the rack ... doh!?! I pretty much destroyed the thing in 3.5 years and went back to touring bikes for a daily ride. It took 12 years and 50k+ miles to break the cannnondale.

RobbieTunes

^^ Not sure I followed that. ^^

No eyelets on my Expert.

Bikedued

How many times did it get cleaned, adjusted, and/or a new chain or cables in those 3.5 years? Case in point I had a customer come in with a bike just about 6 months old with a completely shot cogs and chain. They had used gear oil or some similar substance to lube the drivetrain, it picked up dirt , and pretty much sanded the drivetrain to oblivion. Without care no bike is going to last more than a few years without everything failing. Just my 2 cents,,,,BD

Nice bike ROBBIE!! Is that a 94/95? I remember having a chrome 24 BMX bike with those graphics..