Pro Flex 856 18" - restored

Time for me to sell my Pro Flex 856, it's an 18"

I bought it a couple of years ago as I was getting into Retrobikes. At the time it was honest, mostly original but in a pretty sorry state.

I set about a big restoration job that involved a total strip down, dismantle and rebuild of all components including the forks and most significantly a strip back to bare metal and repaint in the right RAL colour and new decals from Gil.

The restoration thread is here (although pics are absent at present thanks to Photobucket).

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=342572&start=0

It is largely factory spec or bits that look identical to factory spec. Only notable non spec aspects are that one of the shifters is an Xray not the expected SRT 600 and the tyres are both black wall Panaracer Smokes.

Key thing is it all works, and the elastomers allow both ends to bounce up and down.

The only issue is that when we moved house a notable bit of paint got chipped down to primer. I was hopping mad about this as you can imagine.

It really is a lovely thing, shame for it to go but I need to have a little clearout and I've still got two 857s that need attention!

I'm a few miles south of Crewe. I'd much, much rather someone came to get it and had a chance to look it over. I'd be happy to travel a reasonable way with it. Failing those options we could courier it if we can come to an agreement.

Recent pics:









£400

Nice bike but...

Not to piddle on anyone's picnic - that front end bugs me, its very looooow when compared to others?

*is there an elastomer missing? The two other bikes have a double elastomer whereas yours only has the single.

No worries, that's really interesting, I'd not spotted that before. The number of elastomers it has is how it came to me, and there wasn't a spare one of those spacers that go between them kicking about. I was busy being amazed they weren't a crumbly mess.

I will say that after those pics (taken just after I finished it) I did some adjusting and the forks do sit better, the alignment wasn't right. In terms of movement and apparent travel they feel fine. I've just been out to check and yes, judging by the angles of the two linkages now they're much more like the other two pictures than the pictures of mine.

I have ridden it a couple of times gently offroad (tow path type of things) and it's seemed fine. The stem is "slammed" and flipped over as I was always an XC tart and like that aesthetic.

Re:

The stem is flipped as well which lowers the front end significantly.

Lovely bike GLWTS

Could you post some pics of the front end as it is now? including the lower linkage please.

Cheers

mkone":cl0hd5qg said:

Could you post some pics of the front end as it is now? including the lower linkage please.

Cheers

Click to expand...

Yeah, sure. It's on my list to do, I'd forgotten the snaps here were taken before I tweaked it. Might be tomorrow. I'll also take a snap of the chip in the paint.

Intrigued, I've been back to the garage.

Here it is now. Photo also shows the chip just above the downtube gusset. A quick measure of the front and rear elastomer stacks and the front is approx 65mm top to bottom and the rear 70mm.

Thats better!

Re:

If you want to sell one of the 857s I'd be interested. I used to have one and I'd love to recreate it.

Man that's a lovely bike, looks like it just came out of the factory. Well done