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Hello all. Since I found retrobike I'd wanted another '89 Tufftrax to relive memories of my first ever MTB. I got hold of a Saracen Eiger frame in the same colour and from the same year but then won a proper Tufftrax so let the Eiger frame go. The Tufftrax I bought came with very few original parts so I slowly replaced gear with the proper Mountain LX mechs and other parts that were period, if not build, correct. I kind of never really paid it the attention it deserved (don't think I even got round to starting a thread on it?) so sold it on when someone posted a wanted add for an 80's Saracen. I had to build it up from a pile of parts for the sale and when it was finished I started to regret promising it to another as the ugly Duckling pile of dirty parts turned in to a clean and shiny Swan that reminded me of why I bought one all those years ago :roll: Anyway, I'd said it could go so off it went to a new home. I had too many bikes on the go and too little room so it was probably for the best.
Almost as soon as the old bike had gone on to patures new I spotted another Tufftrax on ebay that was not too far away. I happened to be at home when the auction finished so in a fit of ebay rage I was once again the proud owner or a 1989 Saracen Tufftrax. On collecting the bike I could see that it was in a bit of a sorry state but did seem to be quite original. I got it home and had a proper look and was delighted to find that apart from the tyres it was exactly as it had left the shop (probably even down to the rusty cables!). Although covered in a thick layer of grime and with some surface rust everything seemed to work as it should. I got a real buzz out of remembering little details from my first bike like the brand of hub and bb that was a nightmare to remove when I was 12.
I stripped it down, put all the parts in a special box then promptly forgot about it as it was relegated to the cupboard under the stairs
My quarterly urge to get rid of nearly everything hit again recently and I decided to build the Tufftrax up and move it on. Since I had some spare time today and I was cleaning my 5 I gave the Tufftrax frame a bit of spit and polish. As you can imagine my enthusiasm for it returned and I'm now set to give it the restoration it deserves. No where near finished yet but I thought I'd get this thread started with some pictures of how the old girl arrived at my house. Updates to follow. 
Almost as soon as the old bike had gone on to patures new I spotted another Tufftrax on ebay that was not too far away. I happened to be at home when the auction finished so in a fit of ebay rage I was once again the proud owner or a 1989 Saracen Tufftrax. On collecting the bike I could see that it was in a bit of a sorry state but did seem to be quite original. I got it home and had a proper look and was delighted to find that apart from the tyres it was exactly as it had left the shop (probably even down to the rusty cables!). Although covered in a thick layer of grime and with some surface rust everything seemed to work as it should. I got a real buzz out of remembering little details from my first bike like the brand of hub and bb that was a nightmare to remove when I was 12.
I stripped it down, put all the parts in a special box then promptly forgot about it as it was relegated to the cupboard under the stairs
My quarterly urge to get rid of nearly everything hit again recently and I decided to build the Tufftrax up and move it on. Since I had some spare time today and I was cleaning my 5 I gave the Tufftrax frame a bit of spit and polish. As you can imagine my enthusiasm for it returned and I'm now set to give it the restoration it deserves. No where near finished yet but I thought I'd get this thread started with some pictures of how the old girl arrived at my house. Updates to follow. 
