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So, what is your favourite? One you've owned? One you've seen in a shop or on a ride? One you've yearned for?
It doesn't have to be the 'best' in terms of how it rides, it could just be a favorite because of what it meant, or means, to you.
Mine is a 1996 Kona Cinder Cone. Just the colour and the look of the thing brings back great memories. My mate had one and I wish I had one now...
mine.
My Bfe.
GT RTS-1, never rode one but lusted after one like you wouldn't believe, also if its good enough for Jason McRoy, its good enough for me 🙂
DMR Trailstar
Or any oldish Kona from around 98 - y2k
Fat chance yo eddy was my favourite when i was younger, but my new Five spot takes some beating!
gotta be the Fulcrum for me
I remember the first time I saw one of those, it looked like it came off the set of terminator. Still looks great.
l0key - is that the one Missy Giove used to ride? Haven't seen one in years. 8)
What was the Cannondale that was similar to that, but with upside down triple clamps? May have been a bit oder than Fulcrum?
My mk1 Santa Cruz Chameleon with the very first set of 5" travel Z1 BAMs in the UK. I was a trendsetter me 🙂
If I ever find it again (was nicked from my garage whilst I was on holiday after less than a year of owning it), I will literally kill the nearest person to it as revenge 😈
1996 Cannondale Beast of the East!
GG - SuperV 4000 DH?
My absolute favourite has to be my Federal Division bmx - had so much fun and so many laughs in the time I was riding that bike. Don't have any photos of it any more as I sold it about 5-6 years ago 🙁
mtb wise it's my Trailstar though I am liking my Bullit very much.
DaveyBoyWonder - I think that must be the one, cheers! A lad who was sponsored by my local bike shop rode one, must have been back in 96/97.
Looked way ahead of their time!
First time I ever saw a GT LTS Downhill I thought that is beautiful - I wanted one so much as a kid - then I saw a Santa Cruz Super-8 and that was then my favourite! Funny how both are downhill bikes and I ride XC - weird huh.
So i bought a Heckler and decked it out with XC stuff and I love it
Does anyone remember those Rotwild bikes/frames? Some of those were quite nice, what happened to them?
a shitey 80s holdsworth, just seems about perfect fit for me, nice clearances etc. when it finally goes that's going to be the geometry for the inevitable custom.
Think Rotwild are still going...
Think Rotwild are still going...
They've ruined themselves!
Weren't Fulcrums race-only? Only a few made I think...
GT RTS-1, never rode one but lusted after one like you wouldn't believe, also if its good enough for Jason McRoy, its good enough for me
[b]R[/b]ocker [b]T[/b]uned [b]S[/b]uspension... memories.. 😉
I know it's really boring, but my own 2004 Spesh Enduro is mine. Why?
Because not only did I cut my offroading teeth on it but also because I still ride it and it just keeps getting better. In truth, it's far better than I am.
PJM1974 - That's as good a reason as any.
Doesn't look much, but when I was first into cycling the only images you saw of riders was in Cycling Weekly...and that was in black and white. Then when it was Tour time you'd be treated to colour covers.
An enduring image for me is one of Barry Hoban astride a metalic pink Mercier climbing a sun bleached Alpine road on the front cover of CW.
Just remembered the only way to follow the tour was weekly in CW or those little 1" results columns mixed up with Bowls and athletics in the papers.
Orange 5
Been the same bike since I got interested in cycling.
My next one...
Patriot LT from 2000.
Now I have one, 10 years later....
my '95 cindercone will always have a special place in my heart and home (presently in pieces in the loft) after spending 18 months astride it touring.
I'm rather partial to my Voodoo D-Jab.
But I love Flameboy's custom Ti cruiser. With a belt-drive it would be perfect 🙂
And this:
LH drive? Why?
I test rode a norco six 1 a few years ago (maybe 5+). First time on a 4bar and lusted after one ever since. could be the setup was JUST how I like it. Nice and soft 🙂
Would have to be a Klein Fervor for me with mission control stem/bat combo. Climbed like nothing else and handled like a dream, if not very forgiving.
My old Rockhopper Comp from about 1990 came a close second though.
The bike that i'll never sell, my P20.
[url= http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3637/3476554420_848e123f0a_b.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3637/3476554420_848e123f0a_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/66452821@N00/3476554420/ ]Ritchey P20[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/66452821@N00/ ]ritcheyp20[/url], on Flickr
I also have a soft spot for Stumpjumper hardtails
This, in this guise.
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5022/5781071092_fa14530830_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5022/5781071092_fa14530830_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/takisawa2/5781071092/ ]IMAG0484[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/takisawa2/ ]pten2106[/url], on Flickr
My brown trek 69er once I'd ditched the mavericks and whacked on some niner carbons. Only just sold it but will always be special! Wish I had the space to keep everything.
LH drive? Why?
Realman, its a Nicolai G-boxx, based (originally) on Rohloff hub.
Drive into the gear box on the conventioanl side, but the output is on the other side, so that's where the chain is. The freeweel is in the gear-box so the rear wheel is fixed, so the chain is consantly whirring.
frame-mounted gears are the way forward...
MarkyG82 - Member
I test rode a norco six 1 a few years ago (maybe 5+). First time on a 4bar and lusted after one ever since. could be the setup was JUST how I like it. Nice and soft
brilliant bike. just replaced mine with a mega.
wanna buy a frame? cheap!! 🙂
P20 - How long have you had the P20? It's a nice looking bike indeed.
I've had it from new. 1999 i think. It doesn't get as much use as it did, but its not a garage queen.
Bought a 1999 Marin Attack Trail new.
Original frame still going, now with Middleburns, XTR, 203mm Hope C2Pros,Hope hubs and X317CD rims.
Got some totally useless RST HI5s on it at the moment so looks a bit like a 1998 B17. On the hunt for some Junior Ts.
I've lots of fancy carbon fibre and titanium over the years but this is the one I'll never sell.
Looks a bit like [img]
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Simples, mine....always has been, always will be 🙂
the demo9
For me it has to be my old '98 kilauea with full 8spd xt groupset and tripple butted forks..scratch and sniff tyres. It was super fast (used to be able to get from the outskirts of catford to the walnuts leisure centre in orpington in 23 minutes...via bromley and petts wood)
It just felt right....if anyone has an original one in an 18" then let me know 😉
Still have a '97 Lava Dome with skinny steel tubes and had an '06 Spesh Enduro - Enduro was a bit of a chore uphill, but nothing could touch it (well none of my mates bikes) downhill.
Have an S-Works Enduro ('08) now and it's a great allrounder, but not as good dh.
Kona Stinky closely followed by Coyote Dual and DMR Trailstar.
like that torker, used to love hutch and kuhawa too 🙂
Jason Mcroys Specialized Stumpjumper HT in Dirt, I drooled over that bike for years!
superfli - thats an STS. Just before it broke probably.
Best mtb I ever owned - 99 kona explosif
Never owned and most lusted after? Dekerf team ST
The original Santa Cruz Chameleon, around '97.
I had a gloss black one, 17 1/2" size, with orange Z1s, XTr v's and cranks, a 1x9 set up with a 34 ring and chain device, D521s and Kujo DH tyres, Azonic bars and a 60mm cnc stem. The most all-round fun bike i ever had, mainly because it was XC one day and doubles + DH runs the next back then, the Chameleon was just so much fun and rode so well. Rode it till it cracked.
Kona Caldera....slack (for a hardtail) head angle of 68.5 degrees without going down the steel route and therefore avoiding the weight and rust issues....designed around a 100mm fork too, love it...i should just buy one really.
Anybody want a Trek 4500?
It's telling just how many of this list are Kona's. I guess, like me, lots of people had one as their first 'proper' MTB, but I'd also suggest it's because they really were / are as good as everyone says ...
Accordingly:
My '92 Kona - last ridden, hmm, some 15 hours or so ago now.
I own effectively the modern version of a mountain cycle San andreas, a bike i lusted after.
The bike i'd really love to own however is an early pace hardtail.
Pretty things!
Got to be the Santa cruz super 8 mk2. Loved mine and done some of the stupidest stuff ever on it.
Super monster t's saved my life many times.
[img] http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww273/ady-uk/Misc/boxer.jp g" target="_blank">
http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww273/ady-uk/Misc/boxer.jp g"/> ]this started everything[/url]
That Diamondback is fantastic! 8)
96 Zaskar LE in anodised blue.
With 2011 Orange 5 SE a close second.
Oooh, Proflex 853 used to do it too.
I'm quite liking these at the mo..
http://www.gtbicycles.com/gbr/bikes/mountain/endurance/2011-zaskar-team-chrome
I fondly remember my Mountain Cycle San Andreas back in 94 which was so far ahead of anything else - disc brakes, straight pull spokes, full suspension, upside down forks, monocoque frame etc. But following on from the sentiment in last month's ST feature Right here right now as much as I enjoyed it then my current bike is the best I've ever had in every way and I can't see any reason why I would want to take a backwards step.
My favourite bike of all time is my current Specialized Pitch, now with Lyriks upfront for more bounce.
John Charles +1 possibly but I think I'm going to have to go for the still running heckler, due to it's lardy diet over the years it's reserved for lakes rides nowadays but so so so so so good.
Other than that I always lusted after a GT RTS, then an LTS, erm and an old style heckler, and an... well whatever the MBUK team riders were riding at the time. Who says subliminal advertising doesn't work 🙂
Whos_Daddy - That GT does look rather nice. Old school chrome 8)
It's the first time in ages I've ever liked the look of GT's. The Korakoram is the only 29er that looks pleasing to the eye, in my humdrum opinion.






























