1991 Saracen Traverse Hydrotec

Shouldn't have done, but I did. It was 35 quid on gumtree, I could just make out the maguras in the thumbnail sized fuzzy photograph, so it had my attention right there. Sorry there are no before-and-after pics, but I just got stuck in.

Went to fetch it Friday night, immediately removed the super wide phat-ass gel comfort saddle and cheap adjustable rake stem (why do people do that??) and replaced with marginally more suitable parts I had lying around (for now) and also took off the mudguards and rear carrier also.

Bearing service, and a partial strip-down and damn good clean. Splashed the boat out on new gear inners and a chain, The Rear Farmer John was dangerously split on the sidewall - so I've replaced with a later Tioga Psycho. It's full and complete LX invery good nick - some nice original features and labels.. and the maguras are still working well after 25 years!

Ready and riding this morning, a bit of mud and some light trials.

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Great stuff.

Does it have special Magura clamps for the shifters?

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Yeah, It's pretty cool that - both of the pair appear to be stamped in the plastic with the magura trade mark on, but look like fairly bog standard STI mounts to me.

Got to be rare and worth a fortune surely maybe I get em up on ebay for a unfeasably optimistic start price

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randomdan":vex6mktf said:

Yeah, It's pretty cool that - both of the pair appear to be stamped in the plastic with the magura trade mark on, but look like fairly bog standard STI mounts to me.

Got to be rare and worth a fortune surely maybe I get em up on ebay for a unfeasably optimistic start price

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Oh yes dude. Go crazy and list it for £50. Some mug will pay up if you put Magura in capital letters and don't call it a Saracin mounting bike

In all seriousness though that is a great score. Imao Saracen bikes from 87 to 91 are the best value bikes going. No one wants them (spare half a dozen lunatics on here, me included). £35 is indeed a bargain - but strangely expensive at the same time. I see them go for sub £20 mostly yet excellent bikes all of them. Unlikely to find a Kili or Conquest but Trekker, Traverse and Tufftrax easily found and just awesome fun to ride and restore.

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Yeah, Saracens go for buttons even though they're ace! Always worth less than the sum of their parts.

I have an 89 Tufftrax that I never really use but is worth less as a full bike than the DX shifters on their own. Also waiting for a mint 89 Traverse that cost the grand total of £17.

As for this bad boy, the shifters are sweet. Reason I asked it that the 91 LX shifters were part of a lever/shifter combo so interested to see individual shifter units.