1990 Muddyfox Prestige Comp

After a stay at Colemans this has finally landed at my place.
It's one of the bikes I have been after since I first started dabbling in this Retro scene (my Raleigh Team was the other) and the one that Adrian won earlier this year is the only one I have seen (if my spots are anything to go by Muddyfox only sold, 1 of each of the Seeker, Comp and Pro) of this model. What's more it's in my size with a Geometry that looks very different to the other 1990 bikes I have seen (this is a very good thing) and looks to be more like my 1991 Sorcerer Mega. It sat second to top in the steel range just below the fillet brazed Prestige Pro at a similar level to the Aluminium Team, for me XC-Comp is equivalent to Deore XT (with XC-Pro being superior and more on a level with XTR), so this bike was second top in the Range in 1990 IMO.
I asked Adrian if he was having a clearout for first dibs on this and sure enough it was given, with PM's and a lengthy discussion, wait for me to move house and shipping process it finally landed at mine last week.
Chuffed to bits with it and glad I didn't pass it up as I really don't know if/when another will surface, it's not in bad condition at all in what I'd call a nice rideable condition with a few scrapes and scratches but no dings or dents and no rust.
I've been deliberating just how to build this one (already own one full Suntour bike in the Raleigh) as Suntour hubs and cassettes are rare in regular 7's format and the shifting is really that good. So I have decided to use a Shimano 7's Hyperglide setup on the rear but keep with Suntour up front and use XC-Pro thumbies. So with that in mind I have brokered a deal for a set of Mavic M232CD rims on DX hubs (Adrian's pics with the M231CD's sold me on the suitability of these and I would have liked the GaoDakar hubs too but they are very rare). The rest will be XC-Comp/Pro and I'm just short on the brakes now but will get these from SJS NOS. So it's really just the finishing kit to purchase now, bar, grips, seat QR and cables as I have the rest in stock or in the parcel from Adrian.
Anyway no pics yet (will get some when I start the build), so here's the link to Adrians thread: http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... x+prestige
and if anyone is interested I now have to let my Kili-Flyer and Courier Comp go to new homes.

Carl.

Lovely Carl - well worth the wait mate

You'll probably be up and running before me as well!

Been out and hung a few parts on the frame, seat tube is ovalised at the collar, but I do have the correct size of post as it's the same as the Sorcerer Mega, I think now the Sorcerer will go back to OEM and donate the polished USE and shim to the Prestige.
Also discovered the stem is a massive 145mm long! Will retrieve the Sorcerer from my parents to make a comparison but I think I need to source a 120mm 1 1/4" stem to make this comfortable, need to get this on wheels and tyres to compare first though.

Carl.

Last parts arrived from Germany yesterday (XT Hubs with RM-17 Dark Anno Rims and some XT Comp Pedals, shipped superfast by WoodyUK) so I made an effort and got it built up for a shakedown ride.
The build wasn't straight forward like i'd hoped as the supplied seatpost didn't fit and the USE shim I had was too big but I decided a 29.4 shim was needed and ordered one up from CRC. This seemed a bit loose and require the seat Q/R to be cranked up quite a lot but this could be to do with the obvious deformation that was present at the top of the seat tube.
The next problem involved a badly stripped thread in one of the XC Pro thumbies that were supplied with the bike, so out came the drills and taps and it was opened out to M6 and the head of an M6 allen bolt shaved down to fit in the recess.
My headset press was then found in one of the transport boxes from the house move so the NOS headset could be pressed into place and the Prestige bars were removed from the Claudbutler (which is getting an USE Bar and ends setup to match the seatpost next week) and fitted in the massive 145mm Evo sized stem.
The rest of the build was straightforward with a Shimano sealed BB fitted and all the other parts going on with no bother. I changed tack at the end and fitted a Brown Charge Spoon saddle rather than the Rolls I originally planned as I had nothing that suited the Brown Spoon and the Rolls just didn't look right on this racy frame.
I wanted to do the shakedown before winter really hit so that the parts that need a re-paint can go off in the knowledge that I won't be swapping them out (I was really unsure about the 145mm stem). So what did I learn, well firstly the cassette needs replacing as it slips in all but top and bottom gear (hey ho it was a bonus freebie and I have a spare hardly used XT cassette anyway), secondly the chainrings might also need replacement too but we'll see once the sprockets are changed tomorrow.
It was more comfortable than I thought it would be (I found my old 1990 Pathfinder too long and stretched and it did my neck in) and I didn't feel too far forward over the bars, the slipping gears put the kybosh on a long ride (OK the cold might have had a little to do with it as well) but I can now confidently get the stem re-painted all ready for next years Retro national series as this will be my bike of choice next year. The seatpost didn't slip and the SE cantis work really well (I stuggled with setup on my Raleigh team badly).
Might get the cassette swapped and take it to Swinley tomorrow for a bit of a run.
Here's a couple of post ride pics I took in the garage with my phone, will get some decent ones up when I find the battery charger for the DSLR.





Frame: Muddyfox Tig Welded Tange Prestige Oversize

Fork: Tange Prestige Tig Welded

Headset: JL Evo Alloy
Stem: Zoom Competition Nickel plated
Handlebar: Tange Prestige
Grips: Ritchey WCS
Barends: Onza Ski Bend

Brakes: Suntour XC SE
Brake Pads: Suntour
Brake Cables: Jagwire
Cantilever cable hangers: Black Alloy (from Racerx)
Brake Levers: Suntour XC Pro/Comp Black 2 Finger

Shifters: Suntour XC Pro 7's
Front Derailleur: Suntour XC Comp
Rear Derailleur: Suntour XC Comp
Derailleur Cables: Jagwire Teflon Coated
Cassette: Shimano HG41
Chain: SRAM
Cranks: Suntour XC Comp
Bottom Bracket: Shimano Sealed
Pedals: Shimano XT M735

Hub Skewers: Shimano XT
Rims: Araya RM-17 Dark Anno
Hubs: Shimano XT M730/732
Spokes: Stainless DB
Tyres: IRC Mythos XC
Tubes: Halfords

Saddle: Charge Spoon
Seatpost: USE Polished
Seatpost Binder: Unknown

Weight: 27.2lbs

That is very nice mate

Went for a more lengthy shakedown ride today at Swinley forest. New sprockets have cure the skipping chain, but I'm getting ghost shifting which I think is down to the chainline, the BB that was recommended sometime ago to me for XC Comp is far too wide so will swap if for something more narrow.





Carl.

Looks great Carl, yellow cables suite it well - nice touch!

I have used 122.5mm on XC Comp before - seems to work OK.

Umm'ed and ahh'ed over the cables for a couple of weeks as the original spec was black. I thought that the yellow would match the stickers well, quite pleased with the look.
I have a 122.5 BB in there at the moment and also have a 122.5 in the Raleigh and that works OK, this just doesn't want to shift well on the bottom ring. I will replace the granny ring with something round as the substitute one is too large and Biopace too and it's not nice, but I have a 113mm BB I can try too in the meantime.
Oh and Charge Splashbacks are horrid on wet hardpack, very sketchy.

Carl.

Looking swell that carl

I can't get XC cranksets (non-MD) to shift to the grannie unless 125+mm spindle (that's with the rare-as suntour TP FD mind). So am intrigued that you can go narrower?

And

Lovely bike, frame looks a sensible size too!

I have to agree about the tyres. I have nothing but bad experience with Splashbacks - no good in mud, especially lethal on muddy rocks, noisy on tarmac, puncture very easily. I'll be selling mine soon.