Your First Proper Mountain Bike, What Was It?
- Thread starter HardtailHack
- Start date
In San Diego I won a 2wd mountain bike from 91x radio that was kind of funny, but was an epic fail when I moved to Portland. I went down to the local shop and got a Proflex 855. What an elastomer death trap ('95ish).
Bought my Stinky just before joining the Monkey, I think. Maybe just after.
Bought my Stinky just before joining the Monkey, I think. Maybe just after.
My first bike that I actually took on dirt on a regular basis was this build of the Gary Fisher KaiTai. I suspect I got it around 1996.
Before that I had a Schwinn whose model name I can't recall. I rode it a ton around town, to friends houses, to and from school... Probably my first real experience of freedom - at that age where your parents let you explore a bit and you might have a few bucks in your pocket. I can almost taste what it felt like to ride to the little grocery shop with my buddies and pick up a package of chocolate covered Hostess Donettes and a soda.
Before that I had a Schwinn whose model name I can't recall. I rode it a ton around town, to friends houses, to and from school... Probably my first real experience of freedom - at that age where your parents let you explore a bit and you might have a few bucks in your pocket. I can almost taste what it felt like to ride to the little grocery shop with my buddies and pick up a package of chocolate covered Hostess Donettes and a soda.
Some new wheels and tires on that frame and I bet it'd be great for cruising around on now.
I had a friend who had only ridden modern geometry bikes hop on my 1997 Litespeed and he said he thought the bike was trying to kill him. Not exactly wrong.
Florida man across the street has a Fisher Maui that's still in pretty good shape. Would make an excellent green way cruiser, but would definitely feel like a death trap on single track these days.
I hopped on my old NRS when I was up in Montana visiting the kids a few years back... same conclusion. Bike was *definitely* trying to kill me.
When I got that bike I could only afford the frame at first. Not understanding geometry at the time I put on a POS Quadra 21 with 63mm of travel on a bike designed for 80mm. Just thinking about the front brake would launch me over the handlebars.
When I bought mine, someone had put a Psylo U-Turn on it (coil). Which probably worked in my favor WRT OTB. I never took it below the 120mm setting.
I had a 125 Fox on the NRS for a while, I liked it in that configuration. It was a TALAS, which was kinda perfect.
That bike really did have a place in the quiver back then.
That bike really did have a place in the quiver back then.
1985 Stumpjumper, the red one with a chromed chainstay and XCPro/Specialized gruppo. That fukker was long and better suited for power sliding corners. In 88 I got a fillet brazed Lombardi Gullywogger...16.5 stays and a 23" TT...awesome geo for the time. A couple years later I put a CK hs, Cooks cranks, IRD fork...loved this bike. Next summer is my 40yr anniversary and I started on a converted Schwinn World Sport with cx tires and moto handlebars. It died in a double wheel taco event hitting a jump on a moto track built on the side of a hill.
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I will say that Psylo was noodly as all FUCK, though.
Somewhere I have a picture of a buddy on a bike with a SID SL where his handlebars and the front wheel are pointing in different directions about 30 degrees.I will say that Psylo was noodly as all FUCK, though.
To his credit he used to clean sections of trails on that bike that people today walk enderpo bikes through.
I mean this in the best possible (jealous) way, you guys [Rideit and his ilk 
] are a bunch of bike whores with your almost yearly buy/ride/sell/buy regimen.
I've always been "a poor", so I tend to ride my bikes forever and I still have them all:
'91 Rockhopper Comp (Grey/Purple last year's close out @ $379?, I used to have the receipt)
'97 Rockhopper Comp (Lime green end of summer close out, I think around $1000)
'04 SC Superlight (Anodized silver last year's close out from RBikes, $1800ish)
'13 Yeti ASR-5 (Yeti Turq last year's close out from Competitive Cyclist $2800)
'17ish Norco Fatbike ($900, used rental from shop buddy that wife claimed shortly after arrival hence...)
'22 Motobecane Fatbike ($800 Covid supplies made this the first and only bike I ever paid "retail" for albeit cheap)
'23-4 N+1 TBD but GG Shred Dogg [factory outlet clearance] bike in the lead thus far
Bikes I've been given and still ride:
FIL's Fisher cross bike in 2010s
] are a bunch of bike whores with your almost yearly buy/ride/sell/buy regimen.I've always been "a poor", so I tend to ride my bikes forever and I still have them all:
'91 Rockhopper Comp (Grey/Purple last year's close out @ $379?, I used to have the receipt)
'97 Rockhopper Comp (Lime green end of summer close out, I think around $1000)
'04 SC Superlight (Anodized silver last year's close out from RBikes, $1800ish)
'13 Yeti ASR-5 (Yeti Turq last year's close out from Competitive Cyclist $2800)
'17ish Norco Fatbike ($900, used rental from shop buddy that wife claimed shortly after arrival hence...)
'22 Motobecane Fatbike ($800 Covid supplies made this the first and only bike I ever paid "retail" for albeit cheap)
'23-4 N+1 TBD but GG Shred Dogg [factory outlet clearance] bike in the lead thus far
Bikes I've been given and still ride:
FIL's Fisher cross bike in 2010s
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This thread came to my head because I saw a young kid riding the bike my brother in law still rides, a 97 Hard rock.
Internet pic.
It was weird because most kids either have department store garbage or something that adds a year to the the parents' home loan. I hardly ever see kids on old shitters like this.
Never ridden a flexier crank than those spesh house brand ones, I really felt like I was going to break them on a road ride.
Internet pic.
It was weird because most kids either have department store garbage or something that adds a year to the the parents' home loan. I hardly ever see kids on old shitters like this.
Never ridden a flexier crank than those spesh house brand ones, I really felt like I was going to break them on a road ride.
i mostly skated and tore around on my 20" through college. later ('97) got a rigid trek 820 which probably wasn't a "real" mountain bike. then a fisher kai tai which got stolen and replaced with a fisher sugar (@Westy - both from you know who in charlottesville). first bike i truly loved was my (2006?) heckler which i put a coil and a 160 vanilla on. that was the first bike to really unlock the true potential of riding in the hills around here for me.
Hey, sell all of those old bikes, and maybe the Terps will finally go all the way. Because we know you spend all of your free cash on Terps merch and tickets...;-)...oh, and...I mean this in the best possible (jealous) way, you guys [Rideit and his ilk
I've always been "a poor", so I tend to ride my bikes forever and I still have them all:
'91 Rockhopper Comp (Grey/Purple last year's close out @ $379?, I used to have the receipt)
'97 Rockhopper Comp (Lime green end of summer close out, I think around $1000)
'04 SC Superlight (Anodized silver last year's close out from RBikes, $1800ish)
'13 Yeti ASR-5 (Yeti Turq last year's close out from Competitive Cyclist $2800)
'17ish Norco Fatbike ($900, used rental from shop buddy that wife claimed shortly after arrival hence...)
'22 Motobecane Fatbike ($800 Covid supplies made this the first and only bike I ever paid "retail" for albeit cheap)
'23-4 N+1 TBD but GG Shred Dogg [factory outlet clearance] bike in the lead thus far
Bikes I've been given and still ride:
FIL's Fisher cross bike in 2010s
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Loved that bike and it’s what I learned to mountain bike on.
1991 Diamondback Ascent
spent a couple years on that, replacing bits as needed, then swapped things over to a cannondale frame in 1993 i think. then a haro extrem e-stay frame. then a titan cycles frame. then a kona explosif. then a custom curtlo. then a... and so on and so on and so on.
spent a couple years on that, replacing bits as needed, then swapped things over to a cannondale frame in 1993 i think. then a haro extrem e-stay frame. then a titan cycles frame. then a kona explosif. then a custom curtlo. then a... and so on and so on and so on.
I had a Cannondale Beast Of The East in ‘92, LOVED that high BB for hopping around on and over things. I converted mine to single speed with Magura HS 33’s (clear or eraser rubber pads only), used to do a lot of what I called ‘mock-trials’ on that thing on the UCLA and CU Boulder campuses. Kept the pepperoni fork rigid, of course.
Everything before this was CCM/Schwinn based home builds.
Kona Kilauea 1992 or 3?
Not mine but it looked like this. I did put a Marzocchi XC51 on it a year later.
Kona Kilauea 1992 or 3?
Not mine but it looked like this. I did put a Marzocchi XC51 on it a year later.
I also got one of these in ‘91. I wanted to ride with Jay DeJesus, but I kinda sucked until later.
rigid 1996 gt timberline was first (400 bucks I think?)
First REAL mtb was a 2003 specialized enduro with a bb below 13". That's the bike I learned speed on.
First REAL mtb was a 2003 specialized enduro with a bb below 13". That's the bike I learned speed on.
34 years for me, started in 1989 on a fully rigid, hi tensile steel framed Raleigh "Terrain Buster" canti brakes, 3x6 18 speed with thumbs shifters.
Weighed a freaking ton, brakes ceased working at the slightest hint of moisture, changing gear was a sometimes thing, and inspite of only running 1.8 tires, it had zero mud clearance, so the wheels would lock up from the mud it collected.
Buggered if I know why I stuck with the sport back then????
My first bike that was called a mountain bike was an Emmelle Nevada 15.
Trying to figure out when that was. Pretty sure this was late 80s.
After that I had a few BMXs, but then I think very early 90s I saved up for a black and matt grey Marin Bear Valley SE. I got a Flite, Smoke and Dart, and Spuds as upgrades over time. 17” frame so the top tube sloped down. Looked way better. Pretty sure I had XT thumbies on this for a bit when they were retro cool and then the newer rapidfire underbars which I remember thinking were from the future because they were so much better than the early ones.
After about two years it got stolen and after my rage and grief I insuranced an Orange Clockwork LX that was spec out in grey and anno purple, again with down sloping top tube. Here’s a orange and white one in a couple sizes larger, I can’t find the grey that I had. Again had a flite and by that time Panaracer Fires and became XT.
After that went back to BMX for a bit, then eventually traded a dope anno red and green S+M Dirt Jumper for a Kona Pahoehoe with the original orange Marzocchi Z1s on, to which I added Magura HS33s, a flite and spuds ofc and fat IRC Kujos to.
Trying to figure out when that was. Pretty sure this was late 80s.
After that I had a few BMXs, but then I think very early 90s I saved up for a black and matt grey Marin Bear Valley SE. I got a Flite, Smoke and Dart, and Spuds as upgrades over time. 17” frame so the top tube sloped down. Looked way better. Pretty sure I had XT thumbies on this for a bit when they were retro cool and then the newer rapidfire underbars which I remember thinking were from the future because they were so much better than the early ones.
After about two years it got stolen and after my rage and grief I insuranced an Orange Clockwork LX that was spec out in grey and anno purple, again with down sloping top tube. Here’s a orange and white one in a couple sizes larger, I can’t find the grey that I had. Again had a flite and by that time Panaracer Fires and became XT.
After that went back to BMX for a bit, then eventually traded a dope anno red and green S+M Dirt Jumper for a Kona Pahoehoe with the original orange Marzocchi Z1s on, to which I added Magura HS33s, a flite and spuds ofc and fat IRC Kujos to.
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I had a Schwinn mtb style bike for riding to school. After that got stolen it was replaced with a Marin which was also used for urban adventures and some long road rides.
The chocolate donettes were a staple of early morning trips to buy concert tix. Hit 7-11 for those and some Gatorade, then swing over to the nearest Ticketmaster or Ticketron location and hope we were the first in line.
There is something oddly cathartic about cutting up a frame...
I knew an xc racer in the 90s who got hit head on by a car. Broken femur and some other stuff, but he lived. He took part of the wrecked bike, either a frame tube or fork leg, and made a bong out of it. While he was laid up at home recovering with nothing to do, he would watch afternoon tv shows and narrate entire episodes onto his friends answering machine. Drove the guy nuts to come home from work everyday to a full tape of that stuff.
My first bike was a 1993 Marin Indian Fire Trail but was stolen before it saw dirt. Then a no name crappy bike where the frame bend. First real mtb that saw a lot of riding and a lot of upgrades before it was stolen was a 1995 Cannondale M900 (The one in the picture is not mine and has a fancier crank).
Loved the purple paint and still think it's a really nice looking frame. Upgraded almost everything on that bike.
Loved the purple paint and still think it's a really nice looking frame. Upgraded almost everything on that bike.
I still buy a package of them from time to time. They're terrible, but they taste like nostalgia.
I'll occasionally buy donettes when absolutely craving sugar on a road trip. But I swear that 'chocolate' is made with some kind of wax or something to prevent melting.
That is BadAss,with Maggies? Must be a Trials? Check the spoke count on her. I have never seen anything like that,well I have but not with that Fork. Sick. What year and do you still have it? Is that Arrow rear Tire?
Avy
another bike i wish i still had that i bought off my older brother....
although he ditched that fork and put a 24 inch SE landing gear fork on it with the brake mounts set up for 20 inch rim to keep the geometry the same...
and it was repainted a metal flake bass boat green.
I think hostess scrubbed the internet of search terms. I have tried searching four or five variations of “what is the fake chocolate on a donette made of”? And all I get are sales sites.
Loooong before arrow existed. I think the bikes were made in ’88. unfortunately, almost all of those forks broke. I sold mine for basically parts in ‘95 or so. I bought mine after being blown away at the ‘91 Norba trials championship in Mount Snow, VT. That was also my first sport MTB race as well, I actually finished.
At one point I had a very, very early trials frame that was made in the ‘70’s, I wish I knew the details. But I moved a lot, and had to get rid of a bunch of stuff.
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