1988 Unknown
We purchased this bike off of
eBay in 2009 and don't know who built the bike. Often, we can use
the components to date the bike but this one had parts from several
different eras on it. Next step was to send out pictures to some
vintage bike guys and frame builders. We received a couple of
guesses but nothing definitive. The bike has obviously been
reconstructed several times since the quality of workmanship varies
quite a bit. Rody, from
Groovy Cycleworks, donates an occasional restoration as his
was of supporting the MOMBAT. He noticed the remains of rear canti
braze-ons that had been removed, likely when the roller cam mounts were
added. We chose to leave some of the imperfections to show the
evidence of the differing skill levels of those who have worked on the
frame. There were some early parts on the frame so we believe the base
frame to be from the early 1980's but updated somewhere along the line.
We chose to build it up circa 1985 which would have been around the time
of the last major overhaul.
While asking around, we did get a couple of interesting stories. My favorite was the tandem theory. If you look at the bike, and the odd placement of the laterals (hitting mid-stay instead of at the drop out), you can picture the front end of a tandem bike. The serial number might be an important clue: it is C*NT. You can picture a happy couple riding their new tandem bike until the relationship ends badly. Girl leaves, and the guy is left with a "useless" tandem that conjures up bad memories every time he passes by it. One night, maybe after a couple of brews, the idea hits him to convert it into a mountain bike. After it is completed, he stamps C*NT on to the bottom bracket in memory of the ex. Could it have happened, who knows? Makes a good story though!
While asking around, we did get a couple of interesting stories. My favorite was the tandem theory. If you look at the bike, and the odd placement of the laterals (hitting mid-stay instead of at the drop out), you can picture the front end of a tandem bike. The serial number might be an important clue: it is C*NT. You can picture a happy couple riding their new tandem bike until the relationship ends badly. Girl leaves, and the guy is left with a "useless" tandem that conjures up bad memories every time he passes by it. One night, maybe after a couple of brews, the idea hits him to convert it into a mountain bike. After it is completed, he stamps C*NT on to the bottom bracket in memory of the ex. Could it have happened, who knows? Makes a good story though!
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"Ive seen mountain bike rides transform people not just their bodies but their way of thinking. Their spirit." Charlie Cunningham
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