1990 build

Hi, first post, don't tread on me! :?
Still riding my 1990 build custom MTB. Designed by me and built by Dennis Field an ex-Condor bloke who retired to Cornwall and set up his own frame building business. it was the only MTB frame he ever did. It was so different to the road bike he was used to he said he had to "throw the book away".
I specced the dimensions, braze ons and tubing. It's 531 Designer Select. Basically you get a list of all the tube profiles they have and choose each tube individually. I went for a combination of maximum strength down tube (tandem guage, no cable guides) and as light as sensible everywhere else. It has fork blades for the chain stays to allow the narrowest possible bracket (keep the pedals close together because of my dodgy knee). The bottle cages are located to allow for shouldering the bike. Cables routed along the top tube. Pump peg on seatstay.
Kit is XT 21spd with M231 rims. They are bloody light and the bike really shifts. I had a Ridgeback 501 before which was a real thumper on the rough but this bike is much more compliant. Nevertheless, a few years ago i fitted a Flexstem and sus-post cos i'm gettting old and can't float the bumps like I used to :cry: .
Todays full sus kit is streets ahead but this old thing is so efficient. I did a 10 mile hilly TT on it once and turned up 2 mins after I would have done on my road bike :shock: . If your used to riding rigid then it's no hardship and on the climbs you're way ahead. I hankered after loads of bike since getting this but I just can't bear to part with it.

Lovely colour, lovely looking bike.
Is Dennis Field still building?

Unique and very special, especially for the period - I like!

Mr K

that sounds and looks wicked

local to me too... where do you ride? i tend to stick close to home lately as i have no way of gettin the bikes anywhere else.... im thinkin a trek down the new forest soon is in order tho.... once i find another saddle :shock:

Superb. I love to hear about the history when we get see a bike from it's original owner... especially if it's a full custom job.

Awesome

great unique bike.......welcome aboard!!

ooooooooooooooooooh that's nice.

Nice looking steed and a cracking story. Can we have some bigger pics of the details? I want to see those fork blade stays.

Nice bike, great story...

Welcome to retrobike......

Woah people, what a response! I think I'm gunna like this site.
It doesn't get ridden much to be brutally honest. Any time I'm on two wheels I'm riding to work on my cross bike these days. I wouldn't trust Dennis to still be in the stands at the end of the day. An MTB would be overkill for my route anyhow.
A bt more history. I used to ride the trails around West Cornwall in the days when it was open season everywhere and to see another MTB was really something. You could ride the coast path for miles and never saw a frown (if you were polite). The mine trails there are fantastic. miles and miles of them. You could get seriously lost. Spend all day on them and never make a double pass. Carn Brea, Crofty, Carn Marth, St Agnes, Chapel Porth, Portreath incline, Tehidy, Hells Mouth. HEAVEN!
When I moved on I took it on breaks to Wye Valley, Brecon and North York Moors. Peak District and Lakes. I rode up Rosedale Chimney on it and one epic day rode from Glenriding to Helvellyn and Dollywagon and an awesome descent (almost dab free - no sus remember ) back to Glenriding. In the afternoon I went for Wrynose Pass and Hardnott. I got to the top of the first without putting a foot down (I've never ever let any road climb beat me ever) but was beaten into submission simple because I hadn't eaten enough. Man was I P***d :evil:
Did 47.5 mph down a forest trail in Wales too. That's what it's set up to do - ride better at speed. It's a bit long for the tight stuff.
Now for a treat Dennis goes sniffing out the drove trails around Winchester and occasionally into QE Park at Butser. S'really good on the climbs but struggles a bit on those singletrack off camber tree roots.

Pics to follow soon