swen0171 

(posting from my phone so sorry if pics are messed up)

I picked this up for a winter restoration project. I was intrigued by what looked like fillet braised head tube and cool seat cluster with mini lug and braising. It also has internally routed cables. And because of the pink, obviously!

I love the 80s mtbs and I’ve had quite a few, but mostly for city bikes and touring/commuter duty. I’m going to keep this stock.

It’s a Research Dynamics Infinity Four. I can find some stuff on later models from RS, and the shop it came from, but nothing on this earlier model. Looks like an Ibis and Novara Ponderosa I’ve seen from this era but maybe not exact. It has a shapely, skinny fork that also




looks to be braised. OS Tange mtb tubes, but no ovalized seat tube like on other bikes I have from this era.

Any info would be great. It rides awesome, even on the old tires.

thanks!

unworthy1

Never seen or heard of this marque, before. If it had no name I'd have guessed "Ibis" but doesn't look like any well-known Ibis model, either. Obviously the work of an experienced brazer, hope somebody here can fill in the gaps.
Edit: searched some of the mid-late '80s Scot Nicols "custom" frames and there are some similarities...but nothing that's a dead-cert match that I saw.

Dylansbob 

Cool bike. I bought a Research Dynamics Coyote 2(I think) in 1994 from a big short-lived sporting goods store in the Castleton area of Indy. The company apparently was an ID-based ski company dabbling in bikes, but I have never seen one as nice as yours.

swen0171 

funny, I’m right near there but this came from Minneapolis. I tracked down the brand to that ski shop but assumed they sold regionally. Nice to know they sold in Indy.

I assume it’s a Tiawan production bike, but I’d love to know where, exactly what tubing, etc. I haven’t found any catalogues or anything.

swen0171 

This 1990 Novara Looks very similar, but was Ibis still making frames for Novara? In Japan?

curbtender

I picked up a full suspension Coyote and didn't find much on it either.
https://www.mtbr.com/threads/coyote-...deluxe.825928/
j

Dylansbob 

Somewhere on the forum is a Bicycling magazine scan of their review of this era Pondarosa. In it, it's revealed that it's not actually fillet-brazed. I tried searching for it, but haven't found it yet.

I agree though, they do look like a very similar frame. How about a photo of the serial number, I imagine it'll be on the BB. Someone can probably narrow down the factory with it.

Mr. 66

I do believe this bike is an Ibis-Novara

T-Mar

Those TIG welded Novara frames that looked like fillet brazing were initially manufactured by Fairly of Taiwan. The tube ends were flared, then TIG welded, with the resulting weld beads being filed to a smooth finish. However, prior to that there were some Novara models that REI stated were fillet brazed.. REI really bounced around with their sourcing, so its hard to say what the OP actually might have, though the serial number should tell us the year and manufacturer, which should help with the confidence level.


BTW, I blelieve that the review for which you are searching, was actually conducted on a Novara X-R.

swen0171 

thanks!

swen0171 

I can’t find anything notably different between that white Novara and mine. It does say “designed by Research Dynamics” on the chain stay, which is funny given that all the info I can find leads me to think it was an Ibis designed Novara frame that was rebranded, maybe the next year?

I assumed all the production mtbs from this era with fillet braising were done with some welding, and more for the look of those early US production bikes like Potts and Ibis, etc. Still, it definitely has a higher-end feel/look than my 1988 Fisher Montare.

Thanks!

swen0171 

I take that back, mine has internally router rear brake cables. So something’s different.

T-Mar

That's a Fairly serial number, indicating March 1989 manufacture. It's likely a standard Fairly frame design on which REI and Research Dynamics did some tweakng by selecting from various Fairly options for things like tubeset, braze-ons, cable routing, paint colour, etc.

swen0171 

Cool, thanks!! Seems right to me, glad to hear it’s an 89, and likely a frame (mostly) specific to Research Dynamics.

I bet I can track down a guess on the tubes given the year, sticker, and OS top and bottom tube, non-ovalized seat tube with a couple forum searches.

As always, appreciate your knowledge and support T-Mar, you’re invaluable to this community.

T-Mar

These were sold as complete bicycles and yours appears to match the specs for the 1989 Research Dynamics Coyote Infinity Four that I found in one of my old magazines, Tubeset was a unspecified "Tange DB CrMo". Component group was Shimano Deore II (hubs, brakeset, derailleurs shift levers). Pedals stated as Deore Comp (there were standard and comp versions for both Deore II and Deore XT). Rims were Araya RM20 shod with Ritchey Force tyres. Saddle was an Avocet Racing I. Bars and stem were HL (Hsin Lung). Seat post was Delta. MSRP was $650 US. Given the era and mid-range level, the unspecifed Tange tubeset is likely Tange MTB.

swen0171 

Thanks! It’ll be fun to refresh.