Can you recognize/identify this early-mid 90s mtb model?

Hello!
For starters, please excuse my lack of terminology, i'm still a newbie.

I was owner of an MTB bike, which is most probably '93 liner,but it might be '92-95 period,unfortunately but it was stolen from me some years ago.
Unfortunatelly I don't have any photos of it, but it was rather specyfic bike.
According to my mom, it was an expensive one(i can't say how much ~expensive~ it was tho,let's just assume it wasn't a no-name bike); she was given it by her now deceased husband,(he was 2nd owner) in 1995/6. It was one of the very early MTBs.

Appearance: it was matte black single frame bike, very Groove Innovations X frame look-alike. It had green text sticker on the sides and I believe it was not custom build, as in my very own city was 2nd one - exactly same one,tho it had blue sticker.(i believe it was first owner brother's who is also dead now). The bike was of stiff frame and fork(no suspension). The cable guide(is it a right term?) was on top of the tube, cables were metal and it had clear plastic-gum tiny beads on it, I believe it was 3of them on every cable,but i'm not sure.

Apart from the frame, the most stricking thing was handlebar - it was an high-rise 3-piece handlebar,very similar to BMX ones, although it didn't have horizontal bar.

Most parts were Shimano(crankset, rear derailleurs, brake levers, there were V-brakes), I believe they were either XTR or Deore XT, but eg. brake levers were very similar to bl-m739(the date seems off tho). It also had shift-grips(but I'm guessing they weren't Shimano).
Oh, I don't know the frame size,but the wheels were 26".

I attach a picture-visualisation of front as I remember, please excuse lack of properly drawn headset and other things:

I'm sorry for your eyes.


So my questions are:
a)Can it, based on what I know,even be identified?
b)Could it be a repainted Groove X frame? If yes, what are those handlebars; why those cables are on top of tube?
c)Well, what is that bike? I am interested in maker of that little one.

I have grown very attached to it and after all those years I still am looking for it,but I've hit a wall and I can't find info alone.

Re:

Hello and welcome.

This has to be one of the best first posts I've seen for a long time.

Looks possibly like an S-Bike frame perhaps. The bars sort of sound familiar too.

Thanks for your reply and for the nomination hahah.

I can't believe I forgot about Sbike! Well, it looks somewhat similar to 508, and would explain the equipment and cable placement, but it definitely didn't have the upper tube(to the seatpost). I'm not too sure about back tubes ie. the seatstay and chainstain, I believe it was ~standard~ looking, not merged into one as in 508/504,but i could be wrong.

I guess I should do research on Quinn/Sbike/early 90s Yeti.

Re:

Boss and alpinestars did similar frames as well.

Re:

alpinestars:

The first and last one from alpinestars definitelly look like a thing, but the seatube is rather short, I had mine seat lowered to the lowest possible position, in those I'd end up with a tire in a bum so well... But still thanks for the input!

Well,the question of a handlebars is still open alongside the frame - what are those? I've never found such in 3piece and without horizontal tube.

I've never seen those bars either.
Pretty sure British Eagle or Boss sold a similar frame but can't find it on google.

Re: Re:

drystonepaul":1mgupfpp said:

This has to be one of the best first posts I've seen for a long time.

Click to expand...

Why isn't there a [LIKE] button similar to Facebook on these threads? LOL

If it looks like an Sbike but doesn't have the upwards seattube support, perhaps it could be a Trimble? Was it steel/alu or carbon?



Either way, there's no MTB that came with a handlebar like that. So no need to focus on that part.
seeing as you mentioned the lack of upper support, it's no Rafty Funnel either.

Maybe an Ultracraft Pirana with a rigid fork ? Highly unlikely, but still





Welcome to Retrobike, by the way.

It wasn't a Trimble, as it had some sort of rear triangle frame.

Both of the bikes you've shown have too big-looking('flashy' if you prefer) frames, mine was more slender.

While we are at Ratfy - none of my frame had the square tubing, all was oval/round shape.

As for the frame composition - I highly doubt it was a carbon. I'm not too keen on how alu/steel differ.

I forgot to mention, but since it's 90s it's not helping much.
The frame size was somewhat 16". (I'm short person(5'1" w/ long legs) and I used it with low positon of seat post, since I was like 9years old.)