I've had this frame for 9 years and never got round to doing anything with it. Inspired by dbmtb and Vitorzips bikes I thought I should pull my finger out and get on with it. The frame originally belonged to Clive Powell (welsh MTB legend) he returned it to the supplier as a warranty claim, I aquired this along with a dozen or so frames from them. Most of the frames were write-offs but a couple including this one I kept for future use.

The frame needed welding around the bottom bracket shell where it meets the seat tube. This was done by Enigma Bikes in East Sussex www.enigmabikes.com

This has been a trully international build with parts being sourced from Austria, The Netherlands, Germany, USA and the UK. I have tried to keep it faithful to the original specification where I can or used parts which are as near as I can get them without spending too much. The wheels have Pulstar hubs which were the O.E. fitment on these models. Despite the wheels being NOS they had to be completely rebuilt from scratch to get them into a rideable state. The elusive canti noodle was a problem, these are notoriously hard to find but luckily a Retrobike member spotted the similarity with a motorcycle part easily available. A quick whizz with a hacksaw and a bit of filing and Bob's your uncle.

I still have a few jobs to finish on the bike; decals have been ordered, white skinwall Onza Porcs have been sourced, modern internals for the forks are on the way. I have the option to fit vbrakes on this which personally I prefer over cantis despite the cosmetic appeal.

Credits & thanks:

Kat for her excellent taste in women and styling advice.
dbmtb for the Parkpre catalogue - my inspiration for the build.
Martin for the Judys.
LTS Biker for the rear mech.
Legend for the donor bike.
Clunker for the wheels.
Mark at Enigma Bikes for repairing the frame.
Tri Sports Letchworth for rebuilding the wheels.
Ebay for the chase.

Here's the full spec:

Frame – PARKPRE PRO ELITE 17” TITANIUM 3A/2.5V
Fork – ROCK SHOX JUDY XC
Headset – WTB MOMENTUM GREASE GUARD
Stem – TIOGA ALCHEMY 130MM
Handlebar – TIOGA
Bar Ends – XLITE ENDURO SKI
Grips – ONZA ULES
Brakes – XT BR-M737
Shifters – XTR STI SL-M951
Front Derailleur – XT FD-M738
Rear Derailleur – XTR RD-M910
Cassette – XT CS-M737 11-30
Cranks – XT FC-M737 175MM
Chainrings – BLACKSPIRE SUPER PRO 42/32/22
Chain – CN-HG90
Bottom Bracket – BB-UN71 68x107
Pedals – VP-104
Slow Releases – PULSTAR
Rims – MAVIC 217 SUP – MARWI STAINLESS STEEL SPOKES
Hubs – PULSTAR
Tyres – MICHELIN XC DRY2
Saddle – SDG BEL AIR RL Ti
Seatpost – PFR 27.2MM
Seatpost clamp – PFR 31.4MM

This is what it should look like:

Some more pictures

Last ones for now

good effort - that's lovely

I've had a trouser accident. V Nice

Sweet ride....is it gonna get ragged round 'you know where' or is it a queen?

Not going to thrash it just yet, I've still got the fork internals to sort out. The original elastomers are OK but I have some modern springs and damping cartridge on the way. While I'm at it I'll replace the bushings* and seals. Gil_m has my decal order which will be the brand name on the down tube in purple with a black border around the letters. Been for a quick spin on it and it is a sweet ride, very crisp gear changes which is not suprising considering the quality of the components. I don't want it to become a garage queen it's a rider for sure, if only in dry weather.

*Oi! MCK

Very nice, glad you've built it up finally!

Any reason why you went fpr XC over MAG21's? I guess it's more function over form.

Wow. I really like that. Great photos too. Love the ones shot against concrete.

Promise me you 'll get one the right size next time Reki...

Am getting vertigo looking at that seatpost.

I only realised it was a 17" the day before I took it to get it repaired . Had it all these years thinking it was a 19". It works out the same dimensions as my Marin Mount Vision which I find is just right for me. Glad you like it, it is very different to yours and different again to Vitors.

I prefer Judys and have a set of 98 XC's and 97 SL's on my other bikes. I have a fair amount of experience taking them to bits, repairing them and tuning them up. Never had MAG21's or Quadras. I wasn't aiming to build a year specific bike but Judys were an option on the '95 bikes.

just saw this one in the BOTM,..i totally missed this topic.
Nice bike to save,..
will look even better when the decals are back on

but for now?,..bloody gorgeous!

bas

+1 very cool and chic