93 Eldridge Grade finished & back on the road

After many months with this in pieces I've finally finished it.

It's had a complete rebuild, respray and decals by Gil-m.

I've kept all the original black DX kit, and replaced the modern Acera rear mech with a DX and the modern Alivio chainset with a period XT.

I resprayed it a modern metallic grey with spray cans and am not happy with the hardness of the finish so have used helicopter tape for areas vulnerable to scratches such as seat & chain stays, fork and top tube.

I've been for a couple of rides on it and had forgotten how light it was - makes a good road bike. I've put semi-slicks on as it is unlikely to be used off-track.

The only problem now is the original Marin saddle - quite soft but not too comfortable.

I've included a pic of how it was - the pic makes the paintwork look better than it really was.

Very nice! I am a huge fan of the entire 93' MTB line from Marin.

The decals look totally different?
J

Yes. All new decals done by Gil-m, including a Welsh Dragon to replace the Stars & Stripes flag on one side of the top tube

It's not meant to be exactly as original, more of an updating of the original as it's not possible/ feasible, I believe, to get the original grey zolatone paint and have it sprayed at a realistic price. I've seen alternatives such as grey bumper paint and even a mixture of grey primer and black gloss, but not happy with either of those choices.