Show us your bike history..

So.. mountain biking, I've been thinking about it this morning, I've been doing it since the age of 11. Hmm thats 19 years and over that time i've had a few bikes.

It occurred to me that by looking at someones bike history you should be able to clearly see when they stated to regress and get into the retro scene. For me it was recently when I discovered this site. So here are the bikes i've owned in chronological order

1989 Trek 820 Antelope - Stolen
1993 Diamondback Ascent - Upgraded heavily and then stolen
1994 GT Tequesta - Crashed into the back of a car and bent the frame
2001 Orange Gringo - Sold to fund the full susser
2003 Orange Sub5 - Stolen by some low life..
2004 On-One Inbred - Still got, its geared but a truely awesome ride.
2007 Orange 5 - Insurance replacement for the Sub 5 - and the best bike i've ever ridden - soooo Fast
1996 Orange P7 - finished bar some knobbly tyres. Will post in Readers Bikes soon
1994 Kona AA - Currently undergoing a paint job
1997 Kona Kula - frame only.. lined up for a future light weight single speed project

1995 Diamond Back sorrento - upgraded the crap out of this, then eventually swapped frames to a

1992 GT Zaskar. Horrid. HORRID. got stolen, fell out of love with bikes.

rebuilt 1995 Diamond Back Sorrento with odd parts

transferred odd parts to (i'll never learn) 1996 GT Backwoods frame

finally transferred parts again to 1996 Kona Lava dome - still got this since 99

Gutted about the Zaskar, i've had so many of those bikes listed stolen its ridiculous, the most recent being my Sub 5 last year.

strangely, i wasnt. all my buddies raved about how lucky i was to have such a classy machine, but i hated it, stiff and nasty. hand on heart, i'd rather have a kona hahanna than that bike again.

still doesnt stop me wanting a titchy 1996 zaskar with judy DH's though

1999 Specialised Rockhopper - blue and cream - the first with 7spd and without the U-Brake

1991 Trek 8900 Black splatter paint Bonded aluminium frame - my crime was to fit a Flexstem and Brahma Bars!!!. Bent the dropout so badly it needed a dodgy bodge repair, this bike was stolen… sadly… NOT!

1992 Rocky Mountain Blizzard - The all white Columbus O.R. tubed one with green graphics and black Tange Struts rigid forks (I still have the Syncros Stem in use on my Kona Explosif). The bottom bracket was/became very ovalised on this frame and after a while the bottom bracket would not stay in. Warranty #1. On the replacement frame one of the brake bosses was so squint that the brake arm hit the frame, and almost from day one I again had problems with the bottom bracket. Eventually I got Warranty#2, although I had to pay an upcharge to the "better" 93 frame as no more 92's were available.

93 Rocky Mountain Blizzard - True Temper Black and White with Black Ritchey Logic Forks - Frame cracked at the brazed junction of the seatstays to seattube - Warranty#3, the frame was rebrazed and repainted but I sold it due to loss of confidence (new owner was aware of story).

1995 - Trek Pro Issue 9900 Nude Carbon Fibre OCLV Frame. Within a month I snapped off a brake boss, it was clear to me that the brake boss was not properly bonded to the frame. Warranty #1. After 6 months with the second frame the bottom bracket insert became unbonded. Warranty#2, Trek gave me money back saying "Perhaps this is not the bike for you". Shame, as to this day it is still the best riding hardtail frame I have ever ridden.

1995 (Late) - Kona Explosif with prototype 1996 Paint - complete bike with Project 2 forks. This bike got an amazing hammering and despite putting a huge dent in the top tube two weeks after buying it, I was unable to any more serious damage to this frame until 1996 when the RH dropout snapped. I still use this frame as my singlespeed after getting Charlie at Alves cycles to fit track ends. I was unwilling to get it painted so the dropouts have been painted with Hammerite - real hardcore. Still very much in use and now running fixed/free rear hub.

1997 Intense Uzzi SL - Broke the seatmast after 3 months. Broke the seatstays in 2001. Replaced the shock a few times but this bike is still able to go although it was retired from active duty in 2004

1999 Trek 8900 Aluminium - one of the first hardtail frames I could get with a disk mount - Hayes Chainstay mount admitedly. The geometry is the same as my much loved OCLV frame but the Aluminium means the ride is not as good. Trek where made aware of the OCLV story and were happy to sell me this frame which I haven't managed to break. Used recently for commute and child carrying - needs fixed up.

2004 Nicolai Nucleon (order - November 2003) This is the bike I use for silly stuff, I've broken one drivetrain after slipping off a 2" wide bit of north shore, me and the bike landed on the chain tensioner and sprockets.

2004 Nicolai BMXTB (Second hand frame - swap with Intense Uzzi SL, Dec04 - Frame bought from PBS early 03) It was too small really so it was SOLD Oct-05

2005 BALFA Minuteman (Second hand frame - swap parts with Nicolai BMXTB/UZZI, Dec05) A little small but a great fun play bike.

2006 Dave Lloyd - Cats Wiskas (ebay, private purchase Dec 06)

1989 (ish) - Peugeot 'something' 200GS <<shudder>>
1991 - Saracen Traverse Competition Hydrotech - Proper bike (frame is in my mates shed still)
1997 - Pace Rc200 custom build - Dream bike

>>>>drifted away from bikes around 2002<<<<<

Oct 2007 - found RetroBike
Nov 2007 - 1992 Funk Pro Comp
Nov 2007 - 'tweaked' some bits on the Pace
Nov 2007 - 1993 Cannondale M1000
Dec 2007 - 1992 Rocky Mountain Cirrus
March 2008 - several ££££ lighter but very happy


Never had many bikes but they are all retro

From New 1992 Diamondback Sorrento - Stolen, but hated it.
From New 1993 Kona Kiluea Manitous, XTR, Xlite everything - Stolen
From New 1996 Proflex Beast - Still have, but about to retire it
Weight Weenies project - Control Tech Carbon MTB - 7Kgs!!
Recently Aquired 1994 Kona Hei Hei - Not yet built(but M950 XTR, Pace, Tune Cranks)
Mrs Kneedowndeans 1998 14.5" Zaskar(Pace, XT/XTR, Spineregys)
Stuck in the USA but coming over in a couple of months - 2003 Yeti ASR one off Yeti Employees bike. To be built with Pace, XTR, Spinergys


The future? I am gonna try and stick with just 3 bikes, but we'll see......

93 - giant something
95 - Kona fire mountain (the one i own now) SOLD it to my dad
97 - specialized stumpjumper fsr - modded to hell SOLD
99 - specialized BMX still got it used it dozen times up in leeds in hyde park


2007 - got given my kona back it hadnt been ridden since i sold it just sat in the shed - ace

its just been sat in my shed until now....

- 1981 Tunturi Pony (my 1st real bike)
- 1984 Tunturi VIP 24" 3 spd
- 1984 BMX (some Chinese POS) --> sold in 1989
- 1988 Tunturi VIP 28" 5 spd --> gave to my Grandfather
- 1990 Nishiki Bushwhacker (Deore LX version) --> gave to my Dad
- 1992 Cannondale M700 --> swapped to Haro with my pal in 1998

1998
- 1995 Haro Impulse Comp --> sold in 2005

2003
- new previous year's model 2002 Specialized Enduro FSR --> sold in 2005

2005
- new previous year's model 2004 S-Works Enduro FSR frame --> switched parts from the former Enduro (that was custom built too) to a new frame --> sold in 2009

<<2006 Found MTBR VRC & later Retrobike>>

2006
- 1997 Klein Adroit Koi frame NOS --> sold in 2006
- 1995 Klein Pulse 20th Anniversary frame NOS --> sold in 2006
- 1992 Klein Attitude Horizon --> sold in 2007
- 1993 Klein Attitude Sea & Sky --> sold in 2007
- 1992 S-Works Carbon --> sold in 2008

2007
- 1991 Specialized Epic Ultimate
- 1995 Klein Adept --> sold in 2009
- 1994 Merlin Mountain --> sold in 2007
- 1993 Klein Adroit Rain Forest --> sold in 2007
- 2005 Specialized Sirrus Pro --> gave to my Dad
- 1995 Merlin Mountain --> sold in 2010
- 1992 Klein Adroit Team Storm

2008
- 1992 Klein Adroit Gator --> sold in 2008
- 1994 GT Xizang --> sold in 2009
- 1992 Litespeed Elevated MTB --> sold in 2009
- 1991 Klein Attitude Backfire --> sold in 2009

2009
- 1996 Klein Quantum Pro Burgundy-Blue --> sold in 2009
- 1996 Klein Adroit Burgundy-Blue
- 2005 Specialized Sirrus Pro
- 2007 Scott Ransom 20 carbon

2010
- 1996 Merlin XLM

2011
- 1994 Cannondale Super V 3000

Peugout Ranger 10 storm
Peugout Team 21
97' Kona Hahanna
98' GT Zaskar
96' Marin Team F.R.S -poor mans manitou
94' Kona AA
97' Kona Koa
04' Specialized Stumpjumper fsr 120
93' Kona Hei Hei - still own
94' Kona Humu humu
05' Rocky MountaIn slayer - still own
94' Kona Explosif - still own
98' Voodoo Bantu frame - still own