[Closed] Rare bikes

Slingshot Farmboy....

Ibis BowTi - always fancied a go just to see how effective the suspension was and whether it was noodly or not.

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That is Flippin' horrible.

the BowTi is a thing of legend... if I could find one (and could afford it!) I'd have it in a flash 🙂

The Bow Ti looked nicer in real life I reckon but yeah, it was never going to win a prize for its looks. Would still have liked to have tried one though.

Just thought of another - the Gary Fisher CR7 - aluminium front triangle with a steel rear triangle bolted on - supposedly the benefits of steel (springy rear end) with the benefits of alu (stiff front triangle). I'm not convinced and I know a lot of them broke at the bolts that held them together but I'd have like to have tried it.
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[url] http://www.firstflightbikes.com/RedCR7.html [/url]

Slingshots - any of them 🙂

Another vote for the Sligshot, I loved the look of them!
That Bow Ti - BOING BOING BOING!

Trimble.

I saw a Bow Ti riding through Trafalgar Square a few months back, it looked awful, it was decked out in bright blue stuff including mag wheels (IIRC) and totally blue tyres. How to make an ugly bike truly hideous!

Still like to try one though!

There's a slingshot kicking about Sunderland, looks ace

ti-pin-man has a bow-ti and likes it.

CR7 for me, or any mantis - they allegedly had "mythological ride qualities" for the reasons clubber gave - probably best not to ride one as I bet they weren't anything that special!

Would like to see if a Jones is worthy of the hype.

I always wanted an Ibis mojo (the original steel one)...I got one and didn't like it!

Nishiki Alien in green for me please. That and a Yeti Ultimate (why oh why did I sell that?).

FWIW I saw an Alien - in green too - locked up in Godalming a few weeks back...

Cool, I thought they'd all be dead by now.

That Fisher is 'just' a mass production Mantis no? Personally I'd rather have something from Charlie not Richie - proper WTB Phoenix as per the OP, maybe I'll talk him into it some day... I'd quite fancy an old Ritchey P-22 as well to fulfil the bike lust of my youth.

A 1992 Wicked Fat chance
[url= http://www.mombat.org/1992_Wicked_Fat_Chance.htm ]Wicked Fat Chance[/url]

Just thought of another - the Gary Fisher CR7 - aluminium front triangle with a steel rear triangle bolted on - supposedly the benefits of steel (springy rear end) with the benefits of alu (stiff front triangle). I'm not convinced and I know a lot of them broke at the bolts that held them together but I'd have like to have tried it.

I had one of those back in the day- earlier than the one pictured, rigid forks. It replaced a Cannondale 3.0 series, and the difference was night and day- the Fisher (in my memories, at least) was nimble and agile compared to the 'dale, and far more compliant with steel forks and rear triangle. Not too sure how it's feel today though...
Replaced it with an early white Alien when it was stolen, and that felt like it had the wheelbase of a stretch limo, with similar handling. Funnily enough I thought that it was a good bike for getting out into the hills on, where we didn't have much in the way of made trails.

How many Pace RC200s are there still around. Captainflash - do you remember the strippy yellow/orange black trimble. Was at the Man V Horse on year and some guy had one, it was to die for.

Slingshot would be nice, and how could I forget, Bridgestone XO and a top of the range Moulton.

Jeez those paces were minging.

I worked on an Alien once. Impossible for the front mech not to rub on the tyre.

Santa Cruz Tazmon

I'd love a go on a BowTi just to see what they were like.

Out of the bikes already mentioned i've tried the RC200, Trimble,CR7, a few Fat Chances and three Jones's

BTW the Trimble didn't last very long before it broke in half. 😯

Has anyone got a Kona HOT? The one with the Tange Prestige fluted downtube ?

Used to have a fully polished Tazmon, was an ace bike, not the lightest thing out, I'll try and get photo's of it posted up

Still got a 95 yoeddy, only comes out on sunny days, absolute joy to ride and goes up hills like a scalded cat.

Please younggeoff. I need some stress relief 😉

I have a 94' Explosif with the Tange Prestige fluted downtube 🙂

I will never part with it , steel is real!

Always fancied a Fuquay.

pre trek klein attitude,purple linear paint job.must have the huge ridged forks!!!awesome!!!

Rode a slingshot, it was bike-like boringly enough. it could get get a bit out of shape if you flung it about, surprisingly enough the biggest issue about it was that it weighed loads...

Rode an early-ish Explosif and it was dull. wanted so much to like it as well.

Honda RN01 would make me even less productive than I already am; i'd just stare at it for hours!!

Jimster...got a 1991/2 Fuquay that I've had from new it's great..literally staring at it an hour ago deciding what colour I'm getting it sprayed, gonna be a very old skool build got Grafton cranks, xt thumbies Nukeproof screw on rear hub mavic 231 ceramics, White ind front hub just need some old rigid forks to replace the pace rc 37's and some nice old canti's and it'l be ready to start.

Had an old P22 that was sublime to ride but the Columbus Max tubing on the Fuquay feels nicer.

Intense Tracer gets my vote.

Box at Bad Ass Bikes has got a WTB Bon Tempe - makes me want to mug him when i see it (but i wont for obvious reasons).
It has a huge seatpost - both girth and length..... i'm jealous

MSC Koncept Carbon, only five in the UK.

I've only ever seen 2 other Saracen Kili Ultra Ti. One at a National Champs in Nannerch (North Wales) in the mid nineties. One that belonged to Mike 'Jesus Jones' Edwards but he sold his and bought a Kona Hei Hei.

I've still got my Kili Ultra. It comes out occasionally for really muddy 24hr races - 1.7" mud tyres, full rigid, 20lb and I can overtake any full suss! 😉

CL, pics please....!

Apparently the only thing rarer than a WTB Bon tempe is a photo of one!
Anyone got one?

I know the geometry of the Haro Mary was heavily influenced by the WTB Pheonix and the OS Bikes Blackbuck too (and Mark Slate is making some more in a smaller size soon too)

Bon Tempes are really rare, a customer of mine had (and might still have) one. Really nice bit of kit.

Pic of Bontempe here; http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=261724&highlight=bontempe

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SSP

Nice Hardinge backdrop SSP!

i have a picture of a Bon Tempe somewhere in the loft

probably not a flattering image as it's leaning against a bin in a Hove street with the back wheel out having a puncture mended

suffered real bad URT brake-jack, not a bike i was sad to give back after testing, a Phoenix however, yumyum, just pinging the top-tube with your finger was enough..

Sadly not my workshop, that one was with Stve Potts getting a disc brake mount put on the Ti back end.

WTB Pheonix, Yo Eddy Wicked Fat, Ibis Mojo, Salsa A La Carte (jelly bean paint job)...so many nice bikes.

SSP

Love to try a SBike - bought a frame off ebay while ago but sadly it was cracked - seller refunded me no problem though and it was sold on to someone who was prepared to repair it. Feeling the retro WTB love too 8)

Talking of rare - my new ride is No 3 of 100 8)

You folks need to get over to Retrobike...! feel the old schoolnesss....!

mate of mine has a bigfoot moonstone i"ve never seen another 🙂

The WTB Bon Tempe may not have ridden well but to me it looks fab. I didn't know that the Haro Mary was in some way based on a WTB Phoenix, I wonder if it had influence on the Haro Beasley?

I belive the Haro designer is a big WTB fan and has been chatting with Mark, Charlie and Steve.

Quite a few of the "classic" brands are still going in one form or another. IF was formed from ex-Fat City Cycles for example. Steve Potts is now building impossibly lovely Ti frames now....

SSP

Bontrager Pioneer, Yo Eddy, '94 Moots with wild custom all-over anodised colour. Yum.

Any orange X1 left on the trails, or UFOs for that matter?

I still love the Mountain Cycle - San Andreas, so far ahead of it's time.
I do have a mid 90's Salsa aLa Carte & DBR Axis TT.
There was a Team Fat Chance in the LBS last week, purple with a Judy yellow back end. Built up with junk as a commuter.

Rode with Gil a couple of weeks ago on t'moors, he was on his Ibis Bow Ti, beautiful bike.

Also saw 2 Bon Tempe's @ Dalby, got chatting to the owners, one of the Bon Tempe's had a Ti swingarm (uber rare so I'm told) and the other was a std swingarm version, one of them (can't remember which one) was running modernish X9 gearing, which looked a bit odd, but hey if it works & all that...

got to be the Klein Adroit with the massive rigid forks and tri colour paint job. Back in the day I raced a Brave warrior, now you don't see many of those about, chain stays were fork blades!

Any early Klein with the lairy paintjobs, a Roberts D.O.G.S. B.O.L.X (all I could afford was a Genesis) Saracen Kili Team or an original Mountain Goat Whiskeytown Racer, First Flight have started making them again!

The bike I always wanted, and still do, is the Boulder Gazelle - circa 1990
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Always fancied a Mountain Goat Whiskey Town Racer - never rode one though. The boyfriend of a girl I went to uni with in the 90's had one.

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Brake leavers are a pretty crazy angle on the bike above.

And also wanted a pro-flex 856

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The bike I always wanted, and still do, is the Boulder Gazelle - circa 1990

The first mayhem I did at Sandwell I got chatting to a guy on the Risse stand who had one. Lovely bike, lightyears ahead of its time.

adh - indeed, they certainly were ahead of their time, and so pretty. 2.5" rear travel. it just looks so right. I first saw a Ti one, and fell in love with it on the spot. still at college and no money, so just dreamed about owning one.

Always fancied a Mountain Goat Whiskey Town Racer - never rode one though

That frame looks identical to the first orange clockworks IDENTICAL!!!

I ride with a bunch of retrobikers every couple of weeks, one of them's got a Pace RC200, I quite like the look of it.

Merin XLM saw/handled one at one of the bikes shows at Earls Court so light at the time and loverly welding.
Also a Trek Y22 carbon
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Came close to owning one went to go for a test ride when they first came out but it was drizzling outside and Freewheel Northampton wouldn't let me take it out side because it would get dirty. So I went else where and spent my money.

Is a Dyna-Tech too mass market? An MMC one? Someday I will get round to building it up again (has been hanging in the garage as a frame for getting on for 10 years now!)

Bon Tempe found their niche with small musical keyboards. A fantastic example of diversification.

I always wanted a go on a Fisher RS-1, their first suspension bike. I'd guess they wouldn't be able to make it now as it had a horst link before Specialized got their hands on it.
AMP-B4 was another interesting one although possibly a bit lightweight for me.

Did someone mention the Intense Tracer earlier? I've got a medium polished frame sat in the garage rafters!

I'd guess they wouldn't be able to make it now as it had a horst link before Specialized got their hands on it.

all ready been said a few times here is the proof
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made me go eBaying ... anyone got views on one of these ?
[url= http://cgi.ebay.com/Rare-Fat-Chance-Shockabilly-with-fox-suspension_W0QQitemZ220468597662QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMountain_Bikes?hash=item3354f3d39e&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14#ht_500wt_1111 ]fat chance shockabilly[/url]

as some know i am a bit of a ti ibis man, still ride the bowti and the 95 ti mojo regularly. I even have a new ti mojo limited. Must make me a ibis perv? ;o)

I know of gil's bowti and its a good build. Like gil i have the additional potts disk mount which is a work of art. I dont class them as retro, old or anything, they are just bikes, so they are just to be ridden. No garage queens here.

[img] [/img]
[url= http://cgi.ebay.com/Fat-Chance-Yo-Eddy-frame-w-Chris-King-headset_W0QQitemZ360113404177QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMountain_Bikes?hash=item53d86e7911&_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116#ht_3656wt_736 ]for ebay sale...[/url]

"ONLY FRAME AND FORK ARE INCLUDED" -- thank god

I've got a pal with a barnd new and unridden Phoenix frame, he got Steve Potts to build a set of forks for it recently. http://moonter.fotopic.net/c373245.html

I know you asked the question about any Orange UFO'S left on the trails, my daily ride happens to be a complete and much loved UFO number281, dont think there are many left as i have been asking the same question for ages.

Boulder Starship for me. Love the simple shock placement:

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I'd guess they wouldn't be able to make it now as it had a horst link before Specialized got their hands on it.

Patent is only for the USA - so no worries there.

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I lust after one of these - have done my entire adult life. Turns out that I like klunker cruisers.

That Yo Eddy is awesome. Many old bikes in Vancouver end up like that....Ti frames with all the identification taken off and then fitted with adjustable stems, sofa saddles and the like.

I'll throw in the Mantis Pro Floater to the mix:
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The Bomber was ace. It was my first encounter with off road style bikes.

Surely the Raleigh Maverick deserves a mention too? And the Muddy Fox Courier? Pretty common but very much of their time.

Agree with the comments about the Fat Chance Yo Eddy. Still got one in singlespeed mould. Still a really nice bike to ride.

I too hankered after a Boulder. They just looked right.

In a fit of foolishness, I bought Jo B's old slingshot......it really wasn't a very good bike and I was glad to see the back of it truth be told.

Still have a circa 91 carbon Speciialised Epic - it's currently hanging up in Biketreks in Ambleside. Grafton brakes, XC Pro bits, Syncros forks - a genuine old school machine.

I wonder if the Ibis Silk Ti counts? Still a nice bike to ride and one that I'm looking forward to rebuilding.

Seconds on the RS1 - I still have the catalogue. It just looked right even itf it wasn't very good by modern standards.

Cheers

Sanny

I always wanted to try one of the Allsop softride suspension beams. Remember those?

http://www.luvbikin.co.uk/retro_sus_allsop.html

Always wanted one ot those Spesh Epics with the Ti lugs and carbon tubes, maybe a Yeti C-26 or an originsl Manitou hardtail.

@ Sanny.
Ah, the Raleigh Maverick. My Mum bought me one of those in a "You'll grow into it" style - it was a 20 inch frame and I was 13, now triple that nearly and 6 foot, still too large...
Actually I think the frames (my Step brother had one) are still at my family home, though I think I used an angle grinder on the the brake bosses on mine as the front brake failed.
In fact I did a london-brighton on one thinking about it. I put some straight bars on it and some (shudder) purple bar ends, but it made it a reasonable bike to ride if I recall - albeit massive.