Your bikes from the good ol' days

knucklebuster · Jun 10, 2015

I was just loving the old(er) but very capable bikes in the thread that jfsh posted (from another site) about a 2008 trip they made to the St. George area. So shouldn't we have a thread here about our old bikes, to reminisce...?

My 2009 Turner RFX. This was fairly high end stuff back then for a AM/trail bike. 69* head angle and 5" travel, Cane Creek WAM wheels (rim or disk brake compatible), Marz Mr. T, coil double crown 30mm stanchions and QR. Hayes disc brakes, two fingers required. This bike kicked $ss back in the day, still have the frame, wheels and fork up in the attic, not sure why, but I can't just throw them away, too many good memories.

Faust29 · Jun 10, 2015

That is a cool Turner... I have a friend who has one very similar that he still rides. His wife also has the same one...

I know this isn't a mountain bike, but there weren't any mountain bikes where I grew up! Forgive me, Mikie... This might be the oldest bike on here that still sees "regular" use, however. I bought this new in the mid 80s. I still have all of the original parts, minus 1 wheel that I tacoed around 1988 or so. My son rode it in the Big Ring last year, and the Palm Springs Century this February.

pperrelle · Jun 10, 2015

Psycle Werks Wild Hare. I think it was a 1999 or 2000 model. I built it up from the frame. It was a great bike. I sometimes wish I would have kept it as a back up bike.

herzalot · Jun 10, 2015

You asked for it!

1991 Alpinestars Al Mega DX with Rock Shox Mag 20. Elevated chainstays - 15.75" effective length. Ringle front hub with titanium skewer! Shimano SPD, Control Tech bar ends. Shimano DX drivetrain 3x8. Panaracer Smoke/Dart combo tires. And of course the fashion choices are spectacular.

Faust29 · Jun 10, 2015

herzalot said:
You asked for it!

1991 Alpinestars Al Mega DX with Rock Shox Mag 20. Elevated chainstays - 15.75" effective length. Ringle front hub with titanium skewer! Shimano SPD, Control Tech bar ends. Shimano DX drivetrain 3x8. Panaracer Smoke/Dart combo tires. And of course the fashion choices are spectacular.

That's not a fanny pack, is it? I don't think they were ever fashionable...

Grego · Jun 10, 2015

1977ish Graco mx 1000. Rode this bike for years back in the day. Continuously broke it in many places, luckily my neighbor was a welder. Wish I still had it for old time sake. Went to the dump in the late 80's. Picture is from bmx museum. All these bikes came with a silver colored frame. I painted mine maroon. Could it be...?

Daddy Dirtbag · Jun 10, 2015

herzalot said:
You asked for it!

1991 Alpinestars Al Mega DX with Rock Shox Mag 20. Elevated chainstays - 15.75" effective length. Ringle front hub with titanium skewer! Shimano SPD, Control Tech bar ends. Shimano DX drivetrain 3x8. Panaracer Smoke/Dart combo tires. And of course the fashion choices are spectacular.

My younger (and lighter) brother put one of those together back in the late 90's from an old frame. We traded bikes for a short bit one day and I seriously thought I was going to snap the frame. Absolutely the most 'compliant'

frame I have ever been on.

herzalot · Jun 11, 2015

Faust29 said:
That's not a fanny pack, is it? I don't think they were ever fashionable...

Oh god no... that was a windbreaker and polypro shirt tied around my waist, with my jersey tied around my stem. I should have just carried a clothesline to hang up all my extra laundry, but it was nice to ride without a hydration pack (before they were invented).

herzalot · Jun 11, 2015

Daddy Dirtbag said:
1991 Alpinestars Al Mega DX
My younger (and lighter) brother put one of those together back in the late 90's from an old frame. We traded bikes for a short bit one day and I seriously thought I was going to snap the frame. Absolutely the most 'compliant' frame I have ever been on.

I initially purchased the Cro Mega DX (ChroMoly steel frame) but I bent the rear axle stay just riding it and shifting gears. Look at the junction of the seat-stay and the chainstay and you will notice the axle is considerable below that junction. The torque on the chain pulled that extended piece of tubing forward. The dealer sent it back to A-Stars and they sent me the aluminum model as a replacement. That served me well for about 4 years. Don't think of it as compliant, think of it as "natural rear suspension."

Mikie · Jun 11, 2015

I have posted this before, It's the earliest bike pic I have of just my bike, PBP (pre Bike Porn).
My first Mountain Bike was a 1992 Stumpjumper with a Manitou front fork that had a whopping inch and a half of travel. Then a Specialized M1 sporting something called a metal matrix aluminum frame (what evah THAT is :roll: ), after that it was a Proflex 855, then a 856, and an 857... here is my 857:

MCB2K · Jun 11, 2015

Rebel with Skyway Tuffwheels, circa 1981.

mtnbikej · Jun 11, 2015

Can't find any pics that are much older than this:

2006 Bullit.....man, I miss that bike. It was the 3rd one I owned. Kept selling them, then buying a new one.

And the brown turd.....er, '07 Monocog

And I sold my 2nd Bullit to build this for the wife....'05 SC Juliana HT.....really hated to get rid of this one.

And the wife's '05 BlurLT.....yes, it has pink wheels....so you know that you got passed by a chick :twisted: :

Daddy Dirtbag · Jun 11, 2015

mtnbikej said:
And I sold my 2nd Bullit to build this for the wife....'05 SC Juliana HT.....really hated to get rid of this one.

I put a set of those blue Truvative cranks on my daughter's Jekyll. They're still on there.

Daddy Dirtbag · Jun 11, 2015

Mikie said:
I have posted this before, It's the earliest bike pic I have of just my bike, PBP (pre Bike Porn).
My first Mountain Bike was a 1992 Stumpjumper with a Manitou front fork that had a whopping inch and a half of travel. Then a Specialized M1 sporting something called a metal matrix aluminum frame (what evah THAT is :roll: ), after that it was a Proflex 855, then a 856, and an 857... here is my 857:

We had a saying back then: "Friends don't let friends ride Small Block 8's"

Just sayin'

mtnbikej · Jun 11, 2015

Couple more:

Old 2003 Heckler:

2004 Chameleon....like the Bullit, kept selling them, only to turn around and buy a new one. Probably all time favorite bike:

mtnbikej · Jun 11, 2015

Daddy Dirtbag said:
Mikie said:

I have posted this before, It's the earliest bike pic I have of just my bike, PBP (pre Bike Porn).
My first Mountain Bike was a 1992 Stumpjumper with a Manitou front fork that had a whopping inch and a half of travel. Then a Specialized M1 sporting something called a metal matrix aluminum frame (what evah THAT is :roll: ), after that it was a Proflex 855, then a 856, and an 857... here is my 857:

Click to expand...

We had a saying back then: "Friends don't let friends ride Small Block 8's"

Just sayin'

Ummmm.....see pic above. :shock: :shock:

Mikie · Jun 11, 2015

Daddy Dirtbag said:
Mikie said:

I have posted this before, It's the earliest bike pic I have of just my bike, PBP (pre Bike Porn).
My first Mountain Bike was a 1992 Stumpjumper with a Manitou front fork that had a whopping inch and a half of travel. Then a Specialized M1 sporting something called a metal matrix aluminum frame (what evah THAT is :roll: ), after that it was a Proflex 855, then a 856, and an 857... here is my 857:

Click to expand...

We had a saying back then: "Friends don't let friends ride Small Block 8's"

Just sayin'

Uhhhh, yeah...
To be honest I'm not much of a Kenda fan in general...
Okay quick story (which is never quick)
I won a set of Kenda Tires at a US Cup up at Big Bear two years ago. So I put them on my bike tubeless and they would not seal. I messed with those hateful things for hours and hours. Every day I would go in the shop and again they would be flat (Both of them!)
So I contacted Kenda and told them their tires suck!
They had a Rep contact me and we talked and after I told him the type of riding I do he was upset that those were the giveaway tires at a race event. He sent me "next day shipped" six tires for free. 2) Small Block 8's. 2) Slant 6's, and 2) Happy Medium's. I gotta give them Kudos for that!

The Small Block 8's are great for a hybrid bike... Edit: They did not hook up well on climbing loose dirt and sand bad...
The Slant 6's were kinda cool but not great at really anything...but I destroyed them really fast...
The Happy Mediums were actually pretty cool, they hooked up in the corners due to the side knobs and rolled awesome because of the pimple tread down the middle. So they were fast! Somehow they climbed well on smooth flowy trails and somehow not bad on rocky stuff. But, I destroyed them in no time as well...

Riding Kenda is like taking a pen knife to a gun fight...

Mikie · Jun 11, 2015

@ mtnbikej and Daddy Dirtbag
HOWEVER! I would think that Small Block 8's would be perrrrfect for Guacamole and Gooseberry as indicated above...^^^

mtnbikej · Jun 11, 2015

Mikie said:
@ mtnbikej and Daddy Dirtbag
HOWEVER! I would think that Small Block 8's would be perrrrfect for Guacamole and Gooseberry as indicated above...^^^

I actually like the SB8....2.1 rear, 2.35 front. Ran them for a long time. 2.1 is kinda scary up front, but in 29" it's all they made.

Yes, they worked well out on the mesa.

Cyclotourist · Jun 11, 2015

Oh man, make me miss my '94 B-stone MB2. Lugged steel goodness! Bike could climb up walls.
Or maybe I was just stronger in 1994...

Faust29 · Jun 11, 2015

Mikie said:
Daddy Dirtbag said:

Mikie said:

I have posted this before, It's the earliest bike pic I have of just my bike, PBP (pre Bike Porn).
My first Mountain Bike was a 1992 Stumpjumper with a Manitou front fork that had a whopping inch and a half of travel. Then a Specialized M1 sporting something called a metal matrix aluminum frame (what evah THAT is :roll: ), after that it was a Proflex 855, then a 856, and an 857... here is my 857:

Click to expand...

We had a saying back then: "Friends don't let friends ride Small Block 8's"

Just sayin'

Click to expand...

Uhhhh, yeah...
To be honest I'm not much of a Kenda fan in general...
Okay quick story (which is never quick)
I won a set of Kenda Tires at a US Cup up at Big Bear two years ago. So I put them on my bike tubeless and they would not seal. I messed with those hateful things for hours and hours. Every day I would go in the shop and again they would be flat (Both of them!)
So I contacted Kenda and told them their tires suck!
They had a Rep contact me and we talked and after I told him the type of riding I do he was upset that those were the giveaway tires at a race event. He sent me "next day shipped" six tires for free. 2) Small Block 8's. 2) Slant 6's, and 2) Happy Medium's. I gotta give them Kudos for that!

The Small Block 8's are great for a hybrid bike... Edit: They did not hook up well on climbing loose dirt and sand bad...
The Slant 6's were kinda cool but not great at really anything...but I destroyed them really fast...
The Happy Mediums were actually pretty cool, they hooked up in the corners due to the side knobs and rolled awesome because of the pimple tread down the middle. So they were fast! Somehow they climbed well on smooth flowy trails and somehow not bad on rocky stuff. But, I destroyed them in no time as well...

Riding Kenda is like taking a pen knife to a gun fight...

Tinker was running a small block 8 in back when he rode 3 miles of rock gardens in the Pioneertown ride... That was insane!

knucklebuster · Jun 11, 2015

Ah the good old days... My oldest ones...
First mountainbike, '93(?) GT RTS Team bought second hand, was a bit big so didn't keep it long

'96 Turner Burner, my first new bike. Eventually cracked the frame and got crash replacement '99 XCE

'98 Afterburner. Thing was a heavy beast esp the Mr. Dirt fork. After I broke my ankle while racing traded it in on the '99 RFX