1991 Offroad Pro-Flex 550

[anarendra]

Hi, Once A Hero, great bike!
Do you know the size of the seatpost? I am actually restoring a similar one myself and sadly mine needs a seatpost change.
A guy from my local bike shop said that it is 25.4mm while I've seen a video online saying that it's actually 26.2.
Can you please confirm? Thank you!

 

[Hotwheels.]

Would that have been one of the first type of full suspension bikes?

It was certainly the first mass produced full suspension bike.

 

[Once A Hero]

Hi, Once A Hero, great bike!
Do you know the size of the seatpost? I am actually restoring a similar one myself and sadly mine needs a seatpost change.
A guy from my local bike shop said that it is 25.4mm while I've seen a video online saying that it's actually 26.2.
Can you please confirm? Thank you!

Yep it’s 26.2mm

 

[24pouces]

It was certainly the first mass produced full suspension bike.

Yes, with Cannondale SE and Boulder Bicycle…
got a 91 Off Road 950 and those first Proflex are verg fun bikes for riding !

 

[Antwack]

I’d like to say that I have been busy doing a full bare metal restoration of my 550, and I’m here now to show off my insane skills, however that is not the case!

A near immaculate example popped up on the Proflex Facebook group and I couldn’t resist snapping it up!

It’s an 18” ctc, which technically is a size larger than I had BITD, but it’s almost spotless, factory correct, and with next to zero use, so I thought I’d have it for a better example in my collection Honestly if this was a car it would still have that new car smell!

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Crikey, what a find!

 

[markoc]

Lovely. I wonder if this is actually an earlier 750 frame though?

I had a 550 (white) which had the rear cantis on what would be the chainstay on a conventional bike, whereas yours are on the seatstay. Mine had a convoluted rocker system to make the rear brake work (which annoyed me so much I spent significant amounts of pocket money to put a magura on). I can't help but think that the seatstay positioning would have been easier to route, and operate - but wonder if it was more susceptible to the compression causing funny things to happen under braking.

Perhaps a crossover year in terms of production

 

[Once A Hero]

Crikey, what a find!

Yeah couldn't believe it when I saw it, so it was a no brainer to buy it.

 

[Once A Hero]

Lovely. I wonder if this is actually an earlier 750 frame though?

I had a 550 (white) which had the rear cantis on what would be the chainstay on a conventional bike, whereas yours are on the seatstay. Mine had a convoluted rocker system to make the rear brake work (which annoyed me so much I spent significant amounts of pocket money to put a magura on). I can't help but think that the seatstay positioning would have been easier to route, and operate - but wonder if it was more susceptible to the compression causing funny things to happen under braking.

Perhaps a crossover year in terms of production

For 1990 and 1991 the canti's were in the conventional seat stay location. For 1992 models (including the white 550) onwards they moved to the elevated chainstay for the majority of models.

 

[Hotwheels.]

Lovely. I wonder if this is actually an earlier 750 frame though?

I had a 550 (white) which had the rear cantis on what would be the chainstay on a conventional bike, whereas yours are on the seatstay. Mine had a convoluted rocker system to make the rear brake work (which annoyed me so much I spent significant amounts of pocket money to put a magura on). I can't help but think that the seatstay positioning would have been easier to route, and operate - but wonder if it was more susceptible to the compression causing funny things to happen under braking.

Perhaps a crossover year in terms of production

The 750 was alu like the 950.