First UK production mtb a Ridgeback?
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stanny":3tj69uut said:
I moved from Liverpool to start a new job in London in October 1983. I then saw two £600 Ritchey Montare MTBs at the London Bicycle Company near Covent Garden. No internet back then nor MTB magazines so I got a list of all the bicycle shops in London and set about visiting many of them to see what they knew about mountain bikes. It turned out to be quite a good way to get to know London. Many bike shops knew nothing. Some had heard of mountain bikes and could produce publicity/sales info which is how I first heard of Cleland. But a handful actually had some early, far eastern imports. BY June 1984 I had met Geoff Apps & David Wrath-Sharman and test ridden a Cleland. Then Bicycle Action Appeared which helped me to the follow the arrival of new models as they appeared for sale. As a result I don't need to speculate too much about where and when these bikes arrived in London. But to just just find the primary source evidence that supports what I actually saw.
I also kept most of the old magazines, books, brochures etc. So I have a pretty good archive of pre 1990 info. After buying the F.W. Evans in 84 I took it along on the Geoff Apps' led Wendover rides. It was so out classed by the Clelands that by in 85 I bought a second hand Cleland frame and parts from Geoff Apps. In 1988 I had a Highpath' Cleland built to measure. By 1990 I had lost interest in the development of US mountain bikes and so know surprisingly little about them from that date. Though I did buy a carbon fibre GIANT NRS in 2005. Which despite being is a very good XT bike usually gets left behind in the garage, as for me any serious off-roading requires a Cleland.
I can't claim the first hand eye witness knowledge of Mr GJW
But I'm good at digging around and collecting info, trying to sum up where we are thus far with this thread and weave what knowledge I have garnered:
UK claimants to the 'I got there first' rosette are FW Evans/Saracen/Bluemels, Dawes, and Ridgeback/Madison
Who was in volume production by '83?
Evidence for Ridgeback's claim:
Their own ads
Evidence for Dawes' claim:
Their own ads
Evidence for FW Evans/Saracen:
Their own ads plus GJW remembers seeing them first
So that's facts, thus far
Now just on how it all 'feels'
Ridgeback are irrelevant in many ways due to being an import, but lets give them consideration and what's to say? Not much, they look quite BSO in any event, but they make the claim
Dawes have prior for being utterly myopic in this area and when they did get to market their products were not quite the right mix. Good solid robust tourers, they were. Dawes were also slow to respond to the market with lazy angled lugged bikes still being their out put in '88
Weakest claim of all, I feel all things considered
And finally FW Evans/Saracen, independent (to begin) nimble organisation, rapid development of products as attested by Saracen - and good ones at that for quite a while. Marketing to other territories by '84.
My money's on these guys
by 1984 this has arrived
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=221662
Another import that really went onto some (infamous?) success and burnout
And another big outfit were doing this (plug for my own build):
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=205141
That pretty much rounds out 1984(?)
By 1985 even Raleigh had cottoned onto the new market and launched the 'Maverick', imported which I gleaned from this thread. Falcon had launched a UK made volume product the 'Canyon' under their 'Claude Butler' brand
Raleigh like Dawes were always behind the curve to start with, I feel
So everybody's here now: Boomtime!
But I'm good at digging around and collecting info, trying to sum up where we are thus far with this thread and weave what knowledge I have garnered:
UK claimants to the 'I got there first' rosette are FW Evans/Saracen/Bluemels, Dawes, and Ridgeback/Madison
Who was in volume production by '83?
Evidence for Ridgeback's claim:
Their own ads
Evidence for Dawes' claim:
Their own ads
Evidence for FW Evans/Saracen:
Their own ads plus GJW remembers seeing them first
So that's facts, thus far
Now just on how it all 'feels'
Ridgeback are irrelevant in many ways due to being an import, but lets give them consideration and what's to say? Not much, they look quite BSO in any event, but they make the claim
Dawes have prior for being utterly myopic in this area and when they did get to market their products were not quite the right mix. Good solid robust tourers, they were. Dawes were also slow to respond to the market with lazy angled lugged bikes still being their out put in '88
Weakest claim of all, I feel all things considered
And finally FW Evans/Saracen, independent (to begin) nimble organisation, rapid development of products as attested by Saracen - and good ones at that for quite a while. Marketing to other territories by '84.
My money's on these guys
by 1984 this has arrived
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=221662
Another import that really went onto some (infamous?) success and burnout
And another big outfit were doing this (plug for my own build):
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=205141
That pretty much rounds out 1984(?)
By 1985 even Raleigh had cottoned onto the new market and launched the 'Maverick', imported which I gleaned from this thread. Falcon had launched a UK made volume product the 'Canyon' under their 'Claude Butler' brand
Raleigh like Dawes were always behind the curve to start with, I feel
So everybody's here now: Boomtime!
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Claud!
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''I'm Spartacus!''
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Already there with the 'Woodsie'
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