# Any Cyclists About?



## DAVID

Got to have a clear out as I can't get the garage door closed.

3 recent bike acquisitions, the 97 Hahanna and 99 Fire Mountain built up out of various parts, was tempted to make a single speed, but ageing knees would not allow it.

The red one currently on the bay, the blue will follow at some point, but the Marin stays, wanted one for some years, rides as nice as it looks.

Currently down to 2 Marins, the 2 Palisades Trails have gone, but still have the Cannondale, Gary Fisher, plus several other frames, reckon an Alpinestars Cromega is next in line, though trying to do a bit more riding and a little less building these days, good lady is fed up of the constant reek of GT-85, she may have a point.

Any other retro bikes about, lets see some pics !

D.


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## jasonm

I love the look of the bottom one David....

Thats as much as I know about cycles Im afraid


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## PhilM

All I can say is they don't make bikes like they used to  anyway good luck with the sales


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## mediummynd

When it comes to bikes look no further than a Moulton a true classic British design i have two of them.Other bikes seem like something out of the dark age"s


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## KEITHT

Got a couple of custom built Orange's.

I buy the frames and pick the spec myself and build them up , spec normally based on whats on sale on the various internet sites....

I currently have an Orange Evo 2, and my partner has an Orange Orange P7, we ordered a black one, and they cocked the order up, so we got offered one they had sprayed custom orange for a show instead...very cool.

It had to be, as i had made her part with her beloved Orange c16r ( clockwork )...very retro...1in headset, quill stem, rigid forks...silent Alivo hubs FIR Orange D/H rims......will post some pics...

I am sure my mate still has his Muddy Fox courier somewhere, and one of the engineers that comes to my work used to own a bike shop and has an original unsused Specialised Stumpy works ( in pink ) from the first year of production....keep trying to buy it off him!!!

Keith


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## w.h.s

had a lavadome old n gold but got nicked in cambridge, currently building up a reynolds 853 zion mtb, looking at sram x9 with xt or singlespeed, not sure yet, watch budgets eaten into finishing kit, only need crank to finish for a ss but now i lost the damn chain tensioner i may go for x9 gears and xt crank instead. Worryingly even if i go for the cheapest option ill have spent more than my mkii cost! last year after only 2 weeks my brand new on one deore was nicked! Â£400 gone just like that! reason i prefer watches is they are harder to steel! keep it real single speed and all steel! next project a 29er! maybe if i dont get that seiko 6r15 sbdc005!


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## Guz

Have a GT Zaskar, need new Rock Shox as I busted them....






Here's a wee vid of me my in the local forest... my friend breaks his wrist when he bits the dust...

I go first and clear it...

The jump is bigger in real life... :blink: :blink:


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## JonF

I've got a Raleigh Dynatech Ogre 2 Titanium frame, with a mix of XT and Deore DX bits. Old fashioned thumb shifters for the gears, much more robust than these fancy STI type things. You can always turn off the indexing if the mech gets clattered to get you home. Ancient SPD pedals, working brilliantly, best advance in modern cycling IMHO.


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## allaction

No mud pluggers I'm afraid but I have three road bikes. A Cannondale Synapse Carbon, a BH Carbon I built up with new parts and is way faster than I could ever be, and a Giant SCR which I've modded to make it quick too. Stroll on summer!


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## Guz

allaction said:


> No mud pluggers I'm afraid but I have three road bikes. A Cannondale Synapse Carbon, a BH Carbon I built up with new parts and is way faster than I could ever be, and a Giant SCR which I've modded to make it quick too. Stroll on summer!


Me also guilty of being a roadie ( Cat 3 rider ) ... Fuji Team SL 2007 ( race bike )....Trek 1200 ( winter bike) & Giant TCR 2005 spare race bike....

Oh the pain of it all :lol: :lol:


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## allaction

You must be pretty serious Guz, the Fuji is supposed to be a cracker, and little heard of (ie no bugger else has one!). That's why I got the BH, then a shop opened 4 miles away that sells them!! Off for a ride now in the sun!!!


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## Guz

allaction said:


> You must be pretty serious Guz, the Fuji is supposed to be a cracker, and little heard of (ie no bugger else has one!). That's why I got the BH, then a shop opened 4 miles away that sells them!! Off for a ride now in the sun!!!


The Fuji is very good indeed, very stiff and responsive. The power transfer from the pedals to wheel is instant.

I also use Titanium spoke wheels (xero) which helps with the rigidity. I race at 12 stone so the lighter wheels have too much flex for me.

The BH also do a nice range, hope you enjoyed the sun tonight..

With the summer coming we are due a good soaking :lol:


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## Guest

Love a new racing bike -carbon everything nearly once i loose 3 st :cry2:


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## Guz

Timetraveller said:


> Love a new racing bike -carbon everything nearly once i loose 3 st :cry2:


You can do it....just keep spinning away mate....

I gain 1.5 stone over the winter then do a "Ricky Hatton" from Jan - April...cut out the beer and the crisps..and ride steady. (min 6 hours per week on the bike) .. Drink plenty of fluids when you get off the bike.. cyclists usually mistake dehydration for being hungry and over eat just after the ride. Drink at least 750mm of fluid within an hour of stopping.

One of my friends in my cycle club is 19 stone, rides 50 - 70 miles every Sunday ( nice steady pace ) he loves it. :tongue2: :tongue2:

Hope this hasn't bored you too much..just keep at it and enjoy it.


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## Stuart Davies

I've got one or two :lol: I'll get my camera out and take some pics over the weekend...


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## Steve264

I had a Rift Zone just like yours when they first came out around 1998 - great bike, used to love it, really nimble and responsive both downhill and up. It was burgled from my garage :huh: (I've had a total of 3 grands' work of bikes stolen in 4 incidents... :taz: )

Then I had a Marin B-17 with 6" of front and rear travel (awesome downhill bike). Upgraded to non-linear spring on the rear sus and progressive coil spring in one front fork, heavy duty gas damper in the other. Avid levers and V-brakes.










I also had a Lime green Specialized Rockhopper A1 Comp FS hard tail at that time for x-country. An absolute peach of a bike. like a scalpel compared to the B-17's sledgehammer.

And an old Koga-Miyata road bike for "training runs"  which is now in the garage since I was clipped by motor vehicles on 3 successive rides and decided I'd rather be the one to bring about my untimely death than to be squished by some twat in a bread van pissing about with his GPS.

I sold the Marin and the Spesh a couple of years back and went for a Kona Bear (now called the Kona Dawg) which is a superb all-purpose off-road bike. I have uprated the front brake disc and put kevlar sheathed cabling all over, Shimano XT groupset, Avid levers, Hayes disc brakes, RaceFace cast alu cranks, Crank Brothers Mallet M pedals... I don't have a picture to hand, unfortunately. If I remember at the weekend I may take one... 

Cheers,

Steve.


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## Steve264

Guz said:


> Have a GT Zaskar, need new Rock Shox as I busted them....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Here's a wee vid of me my in the local forest... my friend breaks his wrist when he bits the dust...
> 
> I go first and clear it...
> 
> The jump is bigger in real life... :blink: :blink:


We were out jumping and messing around one time, my brother-in-law Andy was out on his new Rockhopper for the first time; after getting dangerous air over made obstacles he hits a tree root and endoes over the bars, broken collar bone on the flat. :huh:

Worst I have had is a sprained wrist and a face like a pizza one time after landing awkwardly in a quarry 

I am old enough to know better now, of course


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## Stuart Davies

OK here's just one pic from my current crop. A 2006 Merida full carbon:


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## Stuart Davies

Stuart Davies said:


> OK here's just one pic from my current crop. A 2006 Merida full carbon:


OK so here are my other 3 in order...

Giant Anthem 2007

Saracen Kili Pro 1992 with MK1 Pace RC100 forks made into a single speed but with tripple chain-set cos I'm too fat to get up the hills

Raleigh Record Ace 1972 or 82 - can't decipher the frame code.




























I know that I've got pictures of many others that I've owned which i'll post again.

Oh yeh and this one is of my Giant XTC Team 2004


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## MarkF

David, is this still available?



DAVID said:


>


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## MarkF

I have one of these, a Discovery 501, I used to have a MTB and a tourer but swapped both for a hybrid, best thing I've ever done.










I junked the fashionable Ergon pads and the silly integrated 50mm bar ends, they were bloody uncomfy which is weird as they are supposed to alleviate carpal tunnel syndrome :huh: I put on comfy padded grips, long bar ends, a robust rack and panniers and am now ready for anything.


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## Guz

Defo looks like we could have enough members to enter next years Tour de France if we start our training now :lol: :lol:

Or we could enter one of the MTB enduro 24 hours events :tongue2: :tongue2: :tongue2:

Anyone coming to N.Ireland along the beautiful Antrim coast is more than welcome to give me a shout 

Bikes & watches :bb: :bb: :bb:


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## Andy Tims

Not a serious rider, but like to get out occasionally on my Scot 309. Did the Lindon to Brighton once, but then I started going to the LeMans 24 hour race & they are always on the same weekend, otherwise I'd like to have made that an annual event - early start time essential mind.


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## Guz

Andy Tims said:


> Not a serious rider, but like to get out occasionally on my Scot 309. Did the Lindon to Brighton once, but then I started going to the LeMans 24 hour race & they are always on the same weekend, otherwise I'd like to have made that an annual event - early start time essential mind.


No need to be serious :tongue2: just turn up and enjoy it.... oops and the best bit, drinks at he bar for the post race report / banter :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Guz

Here's me getting my butt kicked in the highlands of Ireland, managed to loose 52 mins over 200 miles in a 3 day race.

Serves me right for racing at 12 stone. phat *********


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## Stuart Davies

Gone but not forgotten...

GIANT TCR










GIANT XCR










And the greatest MTB I ever bought.

Sintessi X-Wing Dudaccia Full XTR (Sub 20lb)










Other MTB owned include

x3 GT Zaskar LE's! (94, 96, 98)

x2 GIANT MCM Carbon Team (00, 02)

GT Karakoram (1991)

KHS (93)


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## Stuart Davies

Training camp in Mallorca 2005










Climbing the Puig mountains, Mallorca 2006










MTBing in Slovania 2007










Now booked to go MTBing at Lake Garda, Italy in September

Cheers Stu


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## Guz

That looks spectecular Stuart :tongue2: :tongue2:

What do you think of the organised sportives / training camps...

I've never done one... My ex-club mate now works for Club la Santa in Tenerife, he's offer discount so might take up his offer.


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## allaction

My father-in-law has just came back from a training camp in Tenerife. Said it was hard as there are hardly any flat bits. Weather always good and he was just with two mates (non-organised) who are very keen cyclists.

If you think cycling at 12 stone is hard you wanna try it at 15!!! Especially living in the Lakes like I do, not much flat stuff here!!


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## Stuart Davies

Guz said:


> That looks spectecular Stuart :tongue2: :tongue2:
> 
> What do you think of the organised sportives / training camps...
> 
> I've never done one... My ex-club mate now works for Club la Santa in Tenerife, he's offer discount so might take up his offer.


Done them for years Guz but I'm no longer racing (used to be a 2nd cat through criterions-racing) so haven't been on a camp since 2006. If you are interested I can assure you Mallorca IS the place to go. The whole island is geared for pre season - Feb to April - with superb roads and considerate (in the main) drivers. I was once told that during this period 10,000 cyclist come and go per week which I could very well believe. I shared rides with Malcolm Elliot and Phil Axe in the past and passed the T-Mobile team (going in the opposite direction LOL) many times.

We stay at the big (there is only one this size) hotel in Porta Pollenca which is the gateway into the Puig Mountains. Because its full of cyclists they tend to go out in groups of 20 to 50 riders so you would just join a group who were doing a ride you fancied. On average we would cover about 100 miles a day so for a 12-day break we would do 1000 miles with 2-days off the bike.

One of the main organizers of these trips is a frame builder called Jeff Bruce (BueJeff and Dream Cycles based in Swansea) He has now bought a place in the South of France with 10 cottages attached so we (me and a few mates) are going to give it a try in May next year. You never know, one day I'll dig out a licence again!

BTW Club La Santa Tenerife is OK for MTBing - I'd give it a miss for the road.

I raced at 14-stone (I used to bunch sprint and can't climb LOL) but I'm 17 at the moment!!!!


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## Robert

Stuart Davies said:


> If you are interested I can assure you Mallorca IS the place to go. The whole island is geared for pre season - Feb to April - with superb roads and considerate (in the main) drivers. I was once told that during this period 10,000 cyclist come and go per week which I could very well believe.


I can vouch for that. Last April there seemed like thousands in the week I was there. I remember thinking the road surfaces seemed good for driving - must be good for cyclists.


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## Stuart Davies

Robert said:


> Stuart Davies said:
> 
> 
> 
> If you are interested I can assure you Mallorca IS the place to go. The whole island is geared for pre season - Feb to April - with superb roads and considerate (in the main) drivers. I was once told that during this period 10,000 cyclist come and go per week which I could very well believe.
> 
> 
> 
> I can vouch for that. Last April there seemed like thousands in the week I was there. I remember thinking the road surfaces seemed good for driving - must be good for cyclists.
Click to expand...

They are fantastic Robert. Don't get me wrong there are some shocking back roads with pot holes that you can errr pot-hole :lol: The climb from Porta Pollenca to the top of the Puig is 26 miles. Along the route there is a section with a series of hairpins (approx 20 or so) which makes you think youâ€™re riding L'Alpe d'Huez :lol: Its just fantastic.

OK so here's the story. In 2006 (the last time i went) I brought a mate by the name Jonathan Pugh along. He is one of Britainâ€™s most talented MTB's and rode for Nicky Craig and Scott last season. So I'm riding up the Puig blowing out of every hole you can think of when coming back down the road (because he's already been to the top and got bored of waiting) is Johnny. I carry on when he comes past me on his back wheel doing a 'wheelie' which he managed to maintain for the remaining 1KM to the top of the climb!!!!! On a ROAD BIKE  !!!!!! - Honestly I have this on (camera) video - it beggars belief...


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## mad_librarian

Thread convinced me I needed to get out on the bike again....first time for nearly 18 months.

Trusty, very retro, Zaskar LE untouched almost since 1996ish.










Did a c8 mile route/road at the coast yesterday with a mate and it KILLED me...not surprising dragging a 17st carcass around 

Bike proved fun but I need to replace the low end RockShox suspension - can any one recommend a shorttravel set for cÂ£150-200.

Usage will be a combo of road and trail - nothing extreme.

cheers

M_L


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## allaction

Have you been on the bike radar forum? It's very informative and you can get some great advice. It's those two words plus dotCOM. There are loads of people on there who will give you some great tips.


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## mad_librarian

allaction said:


> Have you been on the bike radar forum? It's very informative and you can get some great advice. It's those two words plus dotCOM. There are loads of people on there who will give you some great tips.


Thanks, I'll take a look.

My local bike shop loved the bike when I took it in this afternoon but said basically it would be expensive to upgrade with current comparable (LX) components - for example the suspension fork is an obsolete size (1 and 1/8 screw) and the knock-on effects of new fork/headset/brakes/gears make it borderline worthwhile.

It comes down to re-build using the frame or new bike. I'll start saving....


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## DAVID

Would have thought a well regarded and desirable frame like the Zaskar LE in good shape would have been worth it, the quality of components has improved over the years and would have thought something like Shiamano Deore Lx stuff would be a good upgrade without breaking the bank. New Forks ? Â£150 would be ample.

Don't sling your old stuff, if you want an idea of prices go here - www.retrobike.co.uk - Zaskars are well regarded, and 1.1/8" threaded headsets are not hard to find,(to change to unthreaded Aheadset would be Â£20 for a new one and 10mins to fit) Ebay is a good source of the harder to find parts.

Is the case a bike being broken up for parts is worth more than the whole bike, though that GT looks in very good shape, would have thought a good service and maybe new cables would be all thats needed.

I also do a lot of road /canal paths/country parks and the first thing I would do to change the tyres for hyrid/treaded slick design, makes life so much easier !

D.


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## mad_librarian

David,

That's exactly what I've done...new cables and swapped out the old PsychoII tyres for semi-slicks...

I'm still pondering....I may well keep the frame and upgrade the components throughout.

cheers

M_L


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