[Closed] Twenty years ago....What were you riding?

One of these. A Raleigh Dune Dance (although the one in the picture is not mine). Twenty years ago I'd just moved to Utah, so this was getting ridden up mountains and across deserts. Still got the frame in the shed, although it's now orange and is just a frame and forks being neglected at the back of the shed, which is poor return for all the fun it gave me.

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Alpinestars Cro Mega DX (not mine pictured), I'd probably still have it if one of my mates hadn't managed to mangle the dropouts on it 🙁

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An Al Carter LX Trail with LX groupset!

Didn't get my Marin Team Issue until 1994, I was a bit behind the times.

GT Talera, Cannondale M500 (I think), grey, wasn't the beast of the east which I think was the M800?

Then bought a '93 Explosif Pro, way too small & loved it - even cut the handlebars down to about 1ft wide to lose weight.

Looking at these pics (especially the Kelin's & Marins) remind me of a different time, a great time, when you could achieve a top class bike on paper round wage and some shrews 'trading up'; pre-ebay, pre-carbon, pre-credit cards!

my brother's raleigh maverick. still remember finding my first piece of through-the-trees singletrack by chance at glentress and wishing there was more riding like that in other forests...

20 years ago, one of these:
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25 years ago, one of these:
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Fixed and sporting Postman Pat slippers, natch. I was so ahead of the curve.

After the grifter though, I had to make do with BSO's until I spent my 17th brithday 'driving lesson money' on somethign much better:
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(not mine, I don't have any pics of it from back then. Which is a shame, becuase at one point I put DHO's on it ... it lived to tell the tale too, I still ride it now)

In 1992, I saved up my paper round money and traded in one of these
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For one of these

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one of these:
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'89 SM600 Cannondale

One of these:
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Marzochi Forks
Grip Shift
BLT lights
Cook Bros Cranks
Silver Syncros
Lots of blue bling

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1991 GT Timberline in 16" - managed to save pocket money from doing chorse and combined my birthday and Christmas presents together for the remainder. Had it fitted with a flatter stem from the shop (Grosvenor Cycles in Aldershot) and 6 months down the line I sold all my Star Wars toys to fund a pair of PD-M525 SPD pedals and Shimano MO30 shoes - think I would have been 14/15 then.

Sold it after a couple of years and upgraded to a 1992 Kona Lava Dome (which got ridden around Pitch Hill by Declan Hicks of Zero Components whilst I was on 6th Form work experience there - he let me ride his £2.5k Proflex!), which made way for a 1993 Marin Eldridge, which made way for a car. Didn't own a mountain bike again til 6 years ago, and up til last year they were still all early '90s bikes.

Always wanted a 1993 Kona Kilauea after it came top in an MBUK test - will have one some day!

1992 Kona Hahanna. Loved it, despite its modest status.
Like this one (minus the upgrades) - pic 'courtesy' Keando on this here forum...
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D'oh except that^ is a Cinder Cone. Well, it looked v similar. Minus the red bits.
Oh FFS.

1992? Aged 18. Very much still riding shanks' pony. Walked all over the place - my dad and I used to knock out 50miles in a day in the Peaks, then go for a pubcrawl round Hayfield afterwards.

Having been desperate for a bike during the early '80s BMX craze, I finally learnt to ride one in my second year at uni in late 1993. Raleigh Amazon, as shown above. Really natural to take it offroad. Barely stopped since.

Not *quite* 20 years ago (18) but I had one of these:

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Got it for my 16th birthday.
Over the course of the next few years it got upgraded with SPDs, RockShox Quadra 21Rs, Harry Rowland handbuilt wheels and eventually a new drivetrain when the Shimano Alivio wore out. It also had a year or so when it had grey Specialized Umma Gumma tyres on it which were, as everyone knows, the second coolest tyres after white Onza Porcupines.

It lasted well, I did loads of races on it and days out in the Lakes and Scotland when we were on holidays.

Eventually gave it away to a Youth cycling club.

I think I had a Coyote, not sure on the model. It was black with pink writing and had Scott brakes. I'd replaced every alloy part on it for something purple too!

A skateboard.

20 years ago I think I had just about saved up enough pennies to buy one of these: [img] [/img]

1992 - a new Trek 950 and a Moto Morini 500 Sport 8)

My first mtb

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This bad boy lolzzz

20 years ago i rode A haro master bmx
And a GT Tequesta

Today a Sunday 24" bmx
Ang a GT peace

Diamondback topanga for me. White frame with black splatter, and the odd bit of fluorescent pink. rode that until 96 when I got myself a kona koa.

A rather lovely pert young thing called Kate.
Oh.......

Orange Aluminium O until the baggage handlers at Glasgow Airport feked it on the way back from a trip to Iceland. 🙁 Mind you the insurance claim paid for a Bontrager OR. 😀

20 years ago, I'd not long got my Kona Fire Mountain.

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... which 20 years later, is still in regular use - this was about a month ago.

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The only parts still from new, are the frame, the seatpost, and for sentimentality, I've left that little clamp arrangement that used to steer the back brake cable around the top of the seat-tube in place.

Clockwork Orange - arse up, head down, fully rigid, beautiful.
Still been used as a 'rat bike' ss.

I was riding an emelle cortina XL in white with a funky pink/purple marble smoke effect paintjob on the front and back and also a Raleigh Burner BMX (wish i still had that)

an FZR1000 EXUP Yamaha. I started MTBing a couple of years later.

Kona Explosif, in lovely purple, stock apart from Pace RC 30 forks still own it, still commute on it, although it's a bit faded now. New back wheel and numerous sets of tyres, otherwise all original.

[img] &res=landing[/img] impressive air Euro 😀

Saracen Trekker Comp Hydro 1990

Tasty orange number, nasty stickers, e-stays, maguras, switchblade forks.
Jumped, raced, roaded & ridden (aka mountain biking)

No pics as laptop died the other week :0(

Ah here is the catalogue...
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650 quid IIRC - bargain!

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Riding a GT Zasker LE ... middleburn cranks, XTR mechs and brakes, XTR wheels with ceramic rims and polished Rockshox mag 21`s !!
Was working for a bike company at the time so things were a lot cheaper 🙂

Diamondback Ascent ex. The black one with pink splashes. Running a custom 8 speed microdrive cassette with upside down xt thumbies, spesh umma gumma tyres and blue xlite bar ends.

A Robert's White Spider .....

Which was lovely until the 'monkeys' sorry baggage handlers at Glasgow airport (returning from Iceland) ****'d it.... Thankfully Chas was able to restore it to life

I had a Raleigh Max overized, red, alivio groupset, grip shifts. At the time was super light and envy of all my mates. Even got it from halfords and everything stayed on it in one piece and it worked. Sadly stolen after 2 months.

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But with Zokes 2's!

Kona Hahanana,

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not mine but the same model and year. by the time i had finished with it not much original left, pace sub 130's diacompe ss5s, sugino chainset, XC comp front mech, mavic wishbone shifters.

In 1992 I was mostly riding a Marin Bear Valley and sometimes a Saracen Killi Ultra flyer elite. Happy days on the downs.

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This bad boy with an oval chainset.

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I was between this and a Claud Butler Vantage mountain bike.

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Raleigh banana

I had a Scott America , I think it was called ? A huge tubed alloy hard tail which got sold for a Proflex 955 which I fell in love with on the cover on MTBR , I think !

one of these.....not my pic tho.

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No stick shift on that chopper ?

That chopper is about 7 yrs old max!

Bought a 1993 spec Stumpy in September 1992.....exactly like this one

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Alright, not that chopper. But one like it. With stick shift (not literally)

Keep meaning to scan some old photos, I had one of these....

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Only seems like yesterday I was saving my paper round money to fund it.

Marin Bear Valley - loved that bike.

Yamaha DT175. I swapped it for my godfathers XBR500 a couple of years later. I've recently learned its sat unridden in his shed ever since.... I think it might need to be resurrected

My first "proper" MTB, a British Eagle ZFX Two, Reynolds 531 frame, Tange big forks, finished in a lovely British Racing green.

I was onboard a 21" Raleigh Lizard (my early teens).

Bought by my parents as I would "grow into it".

20 years on I'd still not be tall enough for it.

Marin bear valley. Way too big for me if I recall. Progressed on to a cannondale m400 after that.

A db ascent for me too a blue one with spatter paint

Great thread! Dawes Rough Trade. Bought to go touring in the Middle East. Lusted after Saracen, Kona and Cannondale.

A red 10sp Peugeot "racer" (kept that one at uni) and a Ridgeback Rapide 14sp road bike (didn't keep that one at uni).

edit: the Peugeot was eventually half-inched from the uni bike sheds, while the Rapide is in my store room 20yrs later, and still ridable.

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A Raleigh Sabre

Like this

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I sold it to a neighbour, I'm now hoping he still has it as I'd like to buy it back.

A Raleigh Burner and my first trials iron - Yamaha TY 80. Classic

I was racing a Chorus equiped Gios Evo
Also had a Diamant Pro road bike.
Wasn't into MTB back then, but the missus and me had Raleigh something or others....steel burgundy things?

Another with a DB Ascent - in blue. Then a DB Apex in natural finish, killer looks with Smoke+Dart skinwalls 😆 Fond memories.... Both nicked by thieving scumbags during Hungarian winter - I couldn't get into the garage because of the ice, how on earth did they???
Now I've come over all nostalgic........

From 1987 a Dawes from the Freemans catalogue seconds shop in Peterborough. 25" frame (!), biopace, 7 speed rapidfire etc etc

Then in 1993 pne of the first Orange P7s made:

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And then in 1998 a Kona Explosif

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20 years ago? When pink lycra was made cool by Schmoo's cycles?

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Ahhhhhh, my eyes...........

I was on one of these. think this was taken at the kielder classic 92

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I had one of these. Loved it to bits. Raced NEMBA XC and DH as a (fat) youth.

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I now ride a Nomad but would love another razz on that Orange. Got nicked from the shed. B@$tards.

(not my pic BTW, borrowed from Retrobike)

Firstly a borrowed Clockwork and P7 prototype, while sailing with Orange sails from Lester.
Then bought a Pink and Smoke Emmelle something or other.
Followed by a 'proper' bike - an Al Carter Sacremento...

Off to get the scanner fired up, I remember where there are some pictures...

This and I still have it and commute on it:

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Marin Palisades Trail
like this but with purple bits instead of green, brake booster and Onza bar ends

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Working on the taxis, saving up for a mountain bike! Ended up with this Diamondback Apex and have looked after it - kept it nice and original as possible, even after thousands of miles. It's done Helvellyn, Afan, commuting, touring etc. etc... Here's a recent pic.
[url= http://neilsbikephotos.shutterfly.com/pictures/9 ]My old bike[/url]

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I'd just taken delivery of a Fisher Prometheus, via a shop I'd worked for in the US, £600 F+F on special - more than I'd spent on any bike!

I then rode the Colorado trail on it.

i was riding a Gazelle, a 211/2 in frame-- with gooseneck stem and mtb long seatpost-- ace bike, campag record , 531 frame..

Sracen Eiger Competition in the same lovely lavender hue as Chakaping's Kili Flyer pictured a few pages back. It got nicked and was replaced with a shiny GT Karakoram in 'Tequila sunrise' paint. I loved that bike (still have it, albeit in pieces now and with a much-regretted respray).

15 spd MBK, can't recall the model, but it had a U brake behind the BB, which was designed by an evil genius to pick up mud, I can't recall how many muddy bits I carried that through then tried to clear the cack out with a stick.

Changed it at the end of the year for a Raleigh Dyna tech, it was my only bike for quite a few years and I still ride it now and again for old time's sake - well I still ride the frame, crank arms and front mech, all the other bits have been replaced over the years.

a Raleigh.. but what I really wanted was a Marin

they were like a years wages though 😕

I had a Saracen Tufftrax and the missus has a black and green Palisades Trail just like the in the pic above - still got it too:-)

This...

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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/takisawa2/7152504567/ ]IMAG0510[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/takisawa2/ ]pten2106[/url], on Flickr

Although it was british racing green, with a stem even longer than the one in the pic.
Its still in use today, as my brothers runaround. When he gets rid it will be mine again. Christ knows why... 🙂