The addiction reawakens... '96 Shogun Tuff Trail

[Ren Rawbor]

So... I've always had a bit of a soft spot for lower-mid range '80s-'90s bikes mainly because coming from a less wealthy background these things were, BITD, still a rare treat to ride much less to have owned. This soft spot was in my consciousness but largely dormant (Just a '91 Marin Palisades hack bike to my name) until a few days ago when my youngest stepson snagged himself the '98 Palomar I posted about. Having helped him fettling with that kinda reignited the flame a little so when I spotted, on today's tip run (read-: thinly veiled retro bike rescue shopping!), something with cantilever brakes languishing in the bike pile devoid of wheels & with a stunt scooter thrown on top of it I knew I had to look closer.

Having inspected the victim it's turned out to be another of Caratti's imports, a Shogun "Tuff Trail", a name which I can only assume was gunning for some of Saracen's market share. More than that though, it actually looked in pretty decent shape under the dirt & grease. So of course I rescued it, and managed to give it a bit of a closer look tonight.

Tickled pink would describe my state of mind, it appears to have done very little mileage with the original brake pads still nearly perfect, plastic pedals smooth turning and no wear & the early gripshift grips barely worn. Also would appear to have been kept dry as there's virtually no rust at all, see pics- even the reflector bracket & bolt are fresh looking. It's a shame it lost the original wheels somewhere along the way (from some of the unusual paint chips on the stays & forks I'd say they were taken earlier on than later) since I'm sure the tyres would have been original & not rotten too. But for a tenner I'm pleased & I did pick out a set of slightly earlier Araya rims from the stash with a view to fitting them. Sadly the rear I can't find the nuts for as they're the same thread as Shimano QR spindles rather than what I know as "standard" nutted spindle thread, so I've just gone with a random cheapie for the moment until I either find the correct nuts or (more likely) replace the spindle with a QR jobbie. Also the only front skewer I could find that wasn't modern alloy is pretty rough so will want to replace that, but she's now complete once more and ready for a test ride when weather allows.

Maybe I'm being a bit precious about what would have been a cheapie to most, but it's cool to me so I wanna keep it nice

(I went to post this last night but laptop screwed up, hence crap photos lol)

 

[JRGSXR]

Nice score! Nothing wrong with mid level bikes. Someone has to give them some love. I’ve got a couple of “nice bikes” but if push came to shove they would go before my mid level bike. It’s not worth much but does everything well. I’m kinda attached to it and would never get what I “think” it’s worth.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

I too love the budget bikes, started in the 90s on a steel Hardrock which still lives in my garage, along with 2 of the later alu versions. Shogun is one that can be had for a bargain, but punches above the price point. Their chromoly is quite lively, the brand has a bit of a cult following. Once you get the drivetrain components sorted, you should come out with quite a nice bike. Following with interest.

 

[Ren Rawbor]

Definitely feels nice from just riding the length of the front room lol, I've always liked a light whippy frame even though I'm 6'2" & range between 98-110kg summer to winter. Definitely worth more to me than what it'd realistically sell for. Just need to find me nuts and it'll be looking half decent Can't wait to get a proper go on it, hopefully today with any luck.

Just looked up Hallidays of Ponders End & the bike appears to have made it up here all the way from old Londinium Town... Someone must have loved her once, to have brought all that way oop north. Hope they'd be glad she didn't end her days in a Cheshire scrap pile.