Where did the 21 & 22 inch ATB's go?
 

In the 80's and 90's our shop sold quite a few larger framed mountain bikes as we are located in a Dutch community. Looking for a vintage 21-22 inch framed 26" wheeled mountain bike and coming up empty! Where did they all go?
Should have kept that 21" 83 Ridge Runner. I rue the day...

Most went to metric sizing, or simply “XL, L, M, S”, etc…especially on mt. bikes

As well, the predominant mt. bikes moved to 700C/29” wheels many years ago. You might find a used 26” if you look around, FB Marketplace, etc.,.

I see a fair number of 21" frames out there, but not many that are larger. Where are you?

The '80s were the good ol' days for big ATBs, like my 23" Cimarron. I still see them for sale occasionally on CL and FB Marketplace. Found a 23" HIgh Sierra today, in fact. Good luck finding one new these days, but the old ones are still out there.

There were never that many to begin with. 21” to 22” mountain bikes are certainly closer to the tail of the normal curve than the middle. A 22” mountain bike is for someone who rides a 60 to 62cm road bike. That’s for someone 6’3” or so. The most common size mountain bike is either 17” or 19” with 19” being more common.

I've got one, a mid-80s Raleigh Elkhorn Mountain Tour. Set me back $25 a couple years ago. I had to swap in a spare front wheel I had lying around when the original skinwall front tire went lumpy on me. The back one is holding out OK :lol:


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4f876618ec.jpg

I'm in MI. High percentage of taller people in our area. We sold a large amount of the taller frames back in the day, and sent 5 or 6 23-25" (Giant made some 25" mountain frames in those days) out the door each year. The newer atb's in 26 or larger wheel size do come in Large or XL frames, but do not interest me. Was hoping a few big vintage ATB's would show up in my area each year, but they are sporadic at best.

Where are you looking?

There may not be any this particular second but they pop up all the time. I did a quick perusing through my local facebook marketplace and I spotted two in a hurry. Well three if you count an aluminum frame. I don't, I'm that sort of snob.

Here's a taller one in Ohio.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...rral_code=null

https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net...9A&oe=651C7F0B

I've got a couple few big ATBs. They seem to be available like bigger road bikes, hard to sell to meer mortals. I never find nice 19" bikes.

They make great "gravel" or "road & double track" tourers, even if you're only 6' tall!
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e4666d3e2a.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a846a6dad5.jpg

Chuckk, our shop sent a fella on a world tour with a Miyata just like that. He had some stories! I'm only interested in looking locally as it makes no sense to drive hours to get a bike. Well, it doesn't make sense to me. If I could find a Terra Runner or Ridge Runner before 1986 in a 21"+ frame it would be something. I know they are in this area because our shop sold them to people in this area. I will keep looking and looking. Suppose looking is part of the fun anyway.

Where did the 21 & 22 inch ATB's go?
My garage? :innocent:

I picked this one up two days ago. It is 23" to top of the seat tube. I am going to sell it so it will be interesting to see if there is interest in a large frame ATB/MTB.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...61ccc6334f.jpg

here's one, just posted on the "are you lookin" thread - https://www.bikeforums.net/23031022-post79757.html - for sale in NJ

My 1986 Sierra and 1990 Trek 950:


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b5ab7a21c.jpeg
P
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5db55588e.jpeg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a7ffe6940.jpeg

A 23" Cimarron is, at this point, the only other bike I yearn for. It is my white whale, unicorn, etc.

Green whale? Mine in a couple of configurations; as it was run for a long time...
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...06eddef0cf.jpg
...and as it currently sits. Hangs, actually. Drop bars coming someday.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d28a7bd659.jpg

Hi vis is never a bad call. I just can't get over the fillet brazing, I think it looks so great.

ETA- I feel like this particular model was an intense step up from the sierra series re: tubing and build.

I'm 6'4" and ride 62-63cm on the road and only ever found "good" mountain bikes up to 21". The 22" and 23" options seemed like they were only midrange bikes.

I'm still running the orange bags, so we got viz all over the place.

That's the way to go!

I agree, as a 6'3" person. I think they made very few.

My chrome 1983 Ross Mt. Whitney
22" and a great cruiser

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...cef8a0119f.jpg
and it's not for sale either.

Seems like I see them all the time, since they're too big for me :)

Sweet Steel mid-90s Marin for sale here locally, just rigid fork it, maybe bullmoose it and ATB away :) and there's a big ass late-80s Cdale MTB on the CL also.

https://images.craigslist.org/00e0e_...2_1200x900.jpg