Mantis Valkyrie EC

al":ssqpr5r7 said:

Great story, great bike, great build.




al.

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Just Perfect.

What a beaut!

I do love a bit of exotica and it doesn't get more much more exotic than this, for my little corner of the world anyway.

I love the frame design, for me it's evocative of early (30's) Cross/X frames and I do love me a vintage bicycle

RustyGold...from a differing post on this forum":389lz93u said:

I do believe this particular design of bicycle is referred to as a Cross Frame/X-Frame Bicycle. Raleigh utilised this design of frame (as did many other manufacturers of the period) from 1900-1930, when they began to phase it out for more 'conventional' frame designs.

General X-Frame information":389lz93u said:

The special X formation used gives it the additional strength exactly where it is needed, and the machine readily stands up to the hardest of hard going.

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Original Sales Ad.

Raleigh sales blurb circa. 1934":389lz93u said:

Note the specially constructed steel ‘X’ frame. This added strength will meet the demand of the hardest service it is possible to give to a bicycle. But throughout it will maintain its flexibility. Bearings are specially hardened and accurately ground to ensure silken running. Raleigh brakes are a revelation in their smoothness and efficiency, while Raleigh chrome plating and special rust-proof enamelling make the All Steel bicycle ideal for all-weather riding.

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1934 Raleigh 'Irish Cross' Bicycle.

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Interesting bumpf about the Raleigh, saw quite a few bikes like that x frame in Holland. Apart from the X though the similarities with the Mantis are few imo!

The Mantis is beautiful from every angle. Such a poised looking bike.

You can almost see the thought process of Cunningham as your eye is drawn around it. How he managed to get it looking so balanced with so much going on is beyond me!

CTK":3jay9mis said:

Apart from the X though the similarities with the Mantis are few imo!

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Oh, I'm not knocking it, believe me, I'm a great fan of Cunningham's work. It was the initial impression I got is all . I have to agree with you, for such an unusual frame design it has an undeniable 'rightness' about it, poised is a good way of putting it.

A truly refined bicycle, of that I'm in no doubt .

Very, very cool.

the first mantis x frame I rode was coming back from working the long beach bike show ,we stopped at cambria bikes en route to san francisco( in Slingshot bikes support van...lol!) test rode it & liked it so much ...that i ordered one the next time i saw richard..
by then richard had changed the design to the valkyrie( elevated chainstay)..

on the same trip northward we stopped in on john parker at Yeti in agoura hills & test rode yetis ( one was russ worlys carbon beast!)
& also rode both the slingshot show bikes around that we had with us in the van during an overnight stop in Santa Barbara! ( only to be chased off by rent a cops at a car dealership that eve!...)

& one of the best memories ever...doing time trials @ 2:30am on brand new neon orange Santana Modas in the Santana building in Claremont on the last night of the bike show ( I think peter & pip from syncros were with us as well)

one crazy trip!

Bellissima, complimenti ! La Liguria è sempre più terra di capolavori.

Dr. Alasa must have hidden treasures!