1990 Diamondback Ascent - Finished 19/12

Absolutely loving this, I got one for my 17th (I think) birthday. It even came with a small pot of touch up paint and pearlescent laquer!!!! I had it for quite a few years and it stayed pretty much standard with iirc Exage 400LX full groupset and Avenir finishing bits. I added some Farmer Johns Nephew tyres at some point (I guess when the standard tyres wore out!) and possibly some bar ends.
History now gets a bit hazy but I am sure in 96ish it was stolen (still in original spec) and I found it down the local market and got it back, it was not in a fit state though so the frame was stripped and painted red, I made some graphics by cutting out vinyl, added lots of stx-rc and a set of risers. Rode it loads after this and then it got thieved again! This time it was gone for good and a few riding mates got together and donated a '88 Kona to me, cheers guys.
Would love another one of these especially if it came with good original paint. Jeez sorry to go on but this just reminded me of my first proper mountain bike.
Cheers for sharing

Neil":2v8tsmp0 said:

mikee":2v8tsmp0 said:

was the ascent the same frame as the topanga ?,with the axis/apex being
next up

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If it's True Temper, around that time would have been AVR tubing - quite possibly the same frameset used for the Apex.

Apex and Axis only shared tubing (AFAIK) around 94-95 (True Temper TT-Lite). In 96 the Apex used AVR - not sure about 97, may have gone back to TT-Lite.

Earlier and I would have expected frameset differences between Apex and Axis (certainly in 91, different tubes in Apex, Axis and (slightly) Axis Team).

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1997 it was back to TT-Lite. I've got one so can be pretty definitive about that.

Pleased you like it Danee, sorry to hear yours was stolen

Keep an eye on the for sale section and hopefully you will find a similar one soon.

Looking forward to a ride on it now, 2 more days at work then a fortnights hols

Looks great chris. Look forward to a ride if i may?

Really need to get my finger out and get my singlespeed finished.

Cheers Dave, of course you can have a ride, hoping to get out a few times over Xmas

My singlespeed should be here later this week.

chrisv40":3dpqrk9v said:

Solved the seatpost problem tonight turns out to be 26.0 so for the time being its got the only one I had in, a scruffy Concept post that was standard fitment on my Univega.
Next payday I will find something more suitable for it

Thought I would put the wheels in and see what it looked like.

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I really like it (quoted the wrong post - I meant the finished build)

Understated

Very good colour choices, compliment the frame colours really well

I also like that you've gone for solid quality components and not gone mad with any gimmicky or OTT bits

Got to ask, where did you get the blue anno brake hangers/straddles?

Please tell me! I'm doing my FIRST build since joining Retrobike

even the Sorrento was True Temper AVR so this should at least be something similar.

I had to ignore one of these at the tip as although it had the desirable straight blade forks, it was dented and rusted with commuting.

I got the blue straddle hangers from somebody on here ages ago for the Trek 9000 I used to, they have sat in the parts box ever since waiting for a bike to hang on

Stick a wanted ad up on here for some, somebody is sure to have some lying around

No real info on the tubing Mark other than the 100% Cromo decals I mentioned, weighing it might help when I get round to it, suspect its around 27lbs though.

legrandefromage":yvmbrdbr said:

even the Sorrento was True Temper AVR so this should at least be something similar.

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The Sorrento wouldn't have always been AVR.

Might have been in around 93-ish or onwards. But at the turn of the 90s, if AVR was used, would have been bikes like the Ascent EX upwards. In 91, the Sorrento is just listed as having "CR-MO three main tubes", and again in 95, the Sorrento is just listed as having "Cr-Mo oversized main frame". In 95 the Topanga looks to have one tube of the frame listed as AVR - the seat tube.

love it, my brother had one and i wasnt quick enough last year to save it from the big garage clear out at my dads, it ended up as scrap..