Schwinn

the other day when i was looking for the pics of the Schwinn Paramount MTB from 1993, i found a scan of the 1972 Schwinn catalog.

in this catalog are several gems like;

and this - the greatest salesman ever!

and this!

super groovy pants!

the Paramount track bike by the way was  $224.95 with Campagnolo hubs and tubulars!!

and i had thought Willy Rey was the only reason i wish i could go back in time to 1972.

this comes from another catalog - not sure what year though;

if an old Paramount and high-waisted pants makes me interesting to bikini clad Catherine Bell look-a-likes, then i'm on eBay right now looking for a Paramount.  and i'm hiking up my belt big time.


references;

http://www.schwinncruisers.com/schwinn-documentation/1972-schwinn-bicycle-catalog/

Marinoni dream

ok, what about this - Marinoni Fango;

http://www.marinoni.qc.ca/Html/Fango.html 

but instead of silver, i go with a metallic green called 'sabra'  (that's green right?)

and instead of white, i choose the metallic 'pine'

and then do the red accent in yellow.  in fact, i think the 'Marinoni' badges would be all yellow, instead of a yellow M and then white everything else.

maybe this is a little too feminine?  back in the day, i recall a magazine did a feature on the 1993 Schwinn Paramount R80.  i didn't actually like it that much then because of the odd colours, but now i see that it was elegant, pretty, and highly unique.

http://bikecatalogs.org/SCHWINN/1993/Paramount/Series_R80.html

so that would be the feel i'm going for. i think it would look good with mostly black parts.

Irrational Dislikes

for whatever reason, good or bad, there are certain bike brands that i just don't like.  i'm sure the bikes are fine, but there's just something about them that i can't stand. design elements, graphics, component choices, or the kind of people that ride them - any of these things can set me off.

i don't know if i'm alone in this - i don't think i am.  i'm sure there are people that just hate certain bands, or clothing lines, or whatever - but can't really say why.  or at least can't give a particularly logical reason anyway.

if you've gone through the archives here at all, you probably have a pretty good idea of which bikes i don't like already.  but here's the weird thing; things change!  i never liked GTs much at all - i thought the 'triple-triangle' was gimmicky, and the paint jobs were garish.  but now, if you can find one a clean one from the 90's - i'm tempted to buy one myself.

like this 1991 Avalanche;

save the tires (and maybe that fork), this bike is completely original.  it's amazing!

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290526479330&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

i wish i could say why i've softened my stance on GT, but i really don't know why.  maybe it's actually those old Shimano XT parts i like?  maybe it's that Rock Shox Mag21 that was so revolutionary that i like?

or maybe it's this;

this is zzzomm's 1990 GT Tequesta.  in the fall of 1990 he and i bought bikes.  i got a Bridgestone MB-5 and he got this GT.  just last summer he reacquired it from a friend, and I got to redo it.  i scored a full XT Raleigh, and moved every part i could onto this GT.  i was really happy with the way it turned out and i really like this bike now.

i still don't like Trek though.

eBay finds

every time i think i've found the worst good bike ever, i find something even more jarring then the last worst one.  this bike further prooves my 'certain bikes attract terrible taste' theory - check it out;

it's just wrong in so many ways; the dreaded flame job (never liked it on a bike save for the RMB special edition Hot Rod Slayer), Spinergys with the extra stickers on the spokes, a Girvin fork, and, the cherry on top of this terrible sundae; custom hand painted Maxxis Hookworms.

Hookworms are seriously cool, but taking a tiny paint brush to fill in the grooves - this is madness.

or genius?

it's madness.  he did the same to the plastic spider saddle, got red jockey wheels in the rear derailleur, and has red flame grips.  in fact, i bet the grips were the inspiration for the entire project.  it's so over the top, i just can't imagine who would like this.

also, there's something mechanically wrong with this bike.  i think the seller has swapped out the shock for an aftermarket one that has a longer eye-to-eye length.  think of this bike as a big hinge, and putting that shock that's too long on it has caused it to suck in the front wheel, and steepen the head angle.  

i would think riding this bike would be terrifying. 

http://cgi.ebay.ca/CUSTOM-STREET-KLEIN-MANTRA-COMP-SPINERGYS-GIRVIN-FORKS-/330517473233?pt=Mountain_Bikes&hash=item4cf46067d1 

next up - old timey Manitous;

in 1997, Manitou released the Shaun Palmer edition fork.  this was an FS Ti in neon green.  with a Shaun Palmer logo on it.  otherwise, not that special.  but it was green.


anyway, i bought one of these online and enjoyed it on my sky blue M2 Stumpjumper for a few years.

it wasn't bad, but was it better than the Marzocchi Z.2 i had before?  probably not.  but it was green.  and i never saw another rider with one, so it did it's job.

i don't remember what i paid for it sadly.  i think it was less that $300, but i don't know.  

i'm not sure why you'd buy this to be honest.  i know there's a big retro movement out there, but is 1997 really retro?

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160531415194&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

and finally, i will figure out photography some day;

The Gary Fisher Collection

So this fancy ad appears on the Fisher website today, touting the 'Gary Fisher Collection.'

'Literally a dream come true' it says.

I was intrigued - it sounded like had created an AMG-like brand within the Trek/Fisher empire. A special set of bikes where Gary was allowed to run wild and do whatever he wanted.

But no. It's nothing that good at all. From the press release;

Trek Bicycle and bike pioneer Gary Fisher are pleased to announce the Gary Fisher Collection, a line of Trek bikes that will replace the standalone Gary Fisher brand. The Collection will be distributed exclusively through Trek retailers.

So Gary Fisher the bike company doesn't exist any more. It's been reduced to Gary Fisher's signature on the Trek Rig, and the Trek Paragon.

It just doesn't sound right.

This just feels like a strange move for Trek. I felt like everything that was unique and cool about Fisher was simply brushed aside in '93 after Trek purchased them. Instead of bolted together CR-7s, we got Trek OCLV hardtails with Gary Fisher badges on them. They felt as much like Fishers as the Cimarron felt like a Cadillac.

But slowly, things changed. And eventually Fishers felt like Fishers again. They looked good, and they felt like unique and cool bikes again.

They felt like a company I could like and care about again.

In fact, I bought an '09 Rig recently. Because it was a 29er, because it reminded me of the old Supercaliber with the big squiggle graphic on the top tube, and because it felt like a cool bike.

But now, they're just Treks.

And it just doesn't seem to matter what Trek does, they're still dull, boring, corporate.

I swear Trek has some computer program that scans all of the most popular graphic design, and synthesizes it into the most inoffensive and vanilla thing they can come up with, and that what goes on their bikes. I'm sure you can tell from this that I'm not a fan, but consider that I've known of them since 1988, and not once have they put out a bike that I've looked at and thought; 'that looks good.'

Law of averages alone says that they should have come out with one aesthetically pleasing bike in 22 years - right?

And after this many years you'd think a company could come up with a damn logo to put on the head tube!

Fisher had a great logo...

ebay finds

there's always cool vintage action on ebay, but i found a really good one today;

a Porsche Bike S. these were made by Votec, and were showcases for top-line Euro components of the time. Sachs derailleurs, cranks, and hubs, Magura hydraulic brakes, and a crazy Votec double-crown fork.

this ad caught my eye because it that first image reminded my of the only time i ever saw one in the wild. rolling down Whyte ave was this woman in a pretty sun dress, matching blue deck shoes, and i think a basket, on her $4000 Porsche mountain bike.

anyway, i'll be very interested to see what this ends up going for. it appears to be in fantastic condition - and the seller's assertion that it's never been off-road definitely looks true.

2010 excitement!

cliff at redbike describes himself as an 'offroad tourist.'

i understand this completely now as i've ridden offroad 3 times in the last 3 years.

what interests me now would be buying something like this;


and then building it as a single speed commuter with a flat bar and maybe wood fenders...

anyway, that's the kind of bike i get excited about now.

and thankfully, it looks like i'm not the only one either - Rocky Mountain has the Metropolis line in addition to the RC line. i especially like the RC 50D and the Metropolis NRT with it's internally geared 8 speed Shimano hub.

but, even better than that, Norco has thrown their considerable weight at the Urban bike market. the Ceres is a steel frame, 8 speed internal hub, Gates belt drive(!!!) commuter bike.

i've been interested in the belt drive system since i saw pictures of a Lynskey from the handmade show last year. it requires a special frame design - specifically some way to get the belt through the frame since it doesn't come apart - so it's been pretty much a custom build to this point.

but Norco comes through with the flat bar 8spd commuter, a road SS (the Vesta), and a SS 29er (the Judan) - all at pretty reasonable prices.

i'm fired up about Norco building these crazy things!

i think my converted Klein hybrid is for sale...
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Now playing: Jay-Z - 99 Problems via FoxyTunes

Corratec revisted

they're still out there - www.corratec.de - and they still make the Bow with it's groovy curved dual top tubes/seat stays. they also rock the continental mountain king with the white sidewalls!

i heartily endorse any effort to bring back skinwall tires - but white?? i don't know...

the pictured Grizzly above is clearly not a high-end model, but there are Ti and aluminum versions of the Bow, and - the one i want - a 700c hybrid called the Super Bow Cross.

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Now playing: Cannibal Ox - F-Word
via FoxyTunes

The Hipster bike Revolution!

recently i've discovered a brilliant idea in new bikes; customizable singlespeed bikes that can be had for cheap. or relatively cheap depending on how you look at it.

they're usually fixed (more on this later), have tons of colour variations, and no graphics.

it doesn't sound like that complex of a bike, yet it's not something that is easy to come by. we talked about building something like this at redbike years ago, but we wanted to do it all canadian. unfortunately, it was just too expensive to fly.

the least expensive option for a custom build bike was a surly 1x1 or karate monkey - and that still came in around $1600 from the ground up. getting mass-produced parts, i think we should have been able to do it for $750 or less. it wouldn't have been blinglespeed at all, but that was the point.

so, along comes republic bikes, mission bicycle company, and not quite the same idea - but they claim to have invented the genre - norway's alta bikes; cheap, fully customizable 'hipster bikes'

the fixed gear roadbike as become the required mode of transport for the hipster. the only cool way to get to the gig on whyte, or roll down to the sugarbowl for coffee and cinnamon buns. which i find very odd because the fixed gear bike is not for the novice rider, and if there's one thing the hipster doesn't seem to be, it's an athlete.

and, the best of these bikes are home made by good mechanics. so most hipster's are probably on a bike built by a friend from an old japanese or euro road frames.

but now anybody with $394 can have one.

that's what republic charges for their aristotle ss. that gets you five colour choices on a hi-ten steel frame, matching colours for the chain, grips, and velocity deep-v rims (the only choice for a hipster bike). and best of all, the ability to have the website choose random colours for all of these items! most of the parts are no-name, and i have to be honest here, it's not a high quality frame. but the end result looks good.

the next step up the ladder is mission bicycle company in san francisco. it was really only a matter of time before frisco based shop started mass producing hipster bikes. the mission bike has a much higher quality frame (reynolds 4130), powder coat colours, and the option of building the bike with high end parts; chris king, thomson, nitto, brooks, and vittoria all appear on the option sheet.

of course the end product can run $1400 with all the bling, but can also go as low as $750. as always in bikes, you get what you pay for. for my money the mission is absolutely worth the extra expense.

and then there's alta. much flashier than the republic, and lighter for sure with an aluminum frame. it's got better wheels, sexy time-trial bull horn bars, and fancy euro-industrial design muscle behind it. they've only recently been available in north america, and i couldn't find a price, but a couple blogs i found seemed to agree on $1000. pricey, but again, sexy.

i personally really like the mission - good price, good parts, and SF is very cool. though me being me, i'd be more likely to piece together a fixie using an MTB frame and some leftover road wheels. but that's just me...

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Now playing: Silversun Pickups - The Royal We
via FoxyTunes

Bikes for Sale

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

The Good:  Gary Fisher Sugar 3

Very custom - front triangle is from a Sugar 3, but the rear section is carbon from the Sugar 1, upgraded 120mm travel Fox Fork, Bontrager Race disc tubeless wheels, Vredestein Tiger Claw tires (new), BB7 disc brakes (new) with 203mm front rotor, Cane Creek brake levers, Deore shifters, XT deraillers, LX Cranks and Octolink BB, Easton EA 70 stem and bar, Syncros headset (new), LP Composites seatpost.

It's a 17.5 frame, meant for a 5-8 to 5-10 rider.  But, because of the very long top tube, it can fit a 6 foot rider like myself with the longish stem I have on there.  

Very lightly used, and that's why I'm selling it; I'm going hardtail instead.

Asking $1400

The Bad (ass) : Mosh Bagley 3 star

Dirt jumper; Mosh 14mm sealed hubs, Alex MX22 rims, Kenda tires, generic 3 piece chrome cranks, sealed BB bearings, Odyssey Modulever lever, Odyssey Evolver rear brake, Odyssey London Mod cable setup, Wellgo pedals.

May as well be brand new for as much as I rode it - no scratches, no nothing.  Probably $650 replacement value - yours for $300.

The Ugly : Nishiki (?) MTB

Says Nishiki on the dropout, but who knows what it is.  Converted to SS, pay no mind to the suspension fork on it, it doesn't do anything other than hold the wheel in place, genuine Rocky Mountain Bikes Hnadlebar, anodized purple bar ends, Onza ChillPill cable anchor.

It doesn't look like much, butI would ride this if it was bigger; it rolls pretty nicely.  $50, or $20 and a case of Stella and it's yours.