1991 Team Marin

[Narhay]

I saw this on the local craigslist ending its life as a miserable college commuter when I swooped in. The paint...well...the paint speaks for itself. To me, it is like the pride flag threw up on my bike leaving some stains that just won't ever come out. At least if it is ever stolen I can just look for the giant neon highlighter cruising down the street. The frame is in fantastic shape. There are a couple scratches on the paint on one side of the bike and the fork but there are no dents, bumps, bruises, bends, cracks or RUST etc...structural integrity? Check! That stem? Wow, someone really had a crack at that one.

Pretty much everything on the bike is Deore XT. The cranks are some variant of Deore but they seem to do the job.

The before pictures:

After some scrubbing, tire changes and a new chain:

(Yes, I might need to take out a couple links)

I am considering a new black handlebar and seatpost but keeping the stem. I have some new grips and bar ends in the wings but I don't want to put the cables and housing together before switching out the bar. There is a tiny dimple on one of the RM-17 rims that I will see if I can get straightened out a bit but it is almost imperceptible. Several of the steel screws (cable holders and their ilk etc.) are rusted and I will go to the LBS to see if I can replace them with some brand new shiny ones as this commuter's stable was in mother nature.

I want to replace the cantilever cable holder as it is quite rusted out. It's this bizarre contraption that holds one cantilever with a special cable and threads through with the actual brake cable unlike others. I am sure if you have seen an XT cantilever like this you would know what I am talking about (also seen a few pictures above).

Anyways, not too much in terms of upgrades but a few details to touch up the rough areas.

 

[lrh]

Re: 1993? Team Marin

It was an alternate colour for 1991, the US catalog is here:

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/gallery2/v/Manufacturer+Archive/Marin/Catalogues/1991.pdf.html

Stem looks to be off an Eldridge Grade of that year. Shame about the fade, I can't find a picture of another anywhere so it must be a very rare!

There's a handful of 91 Team owners on here, although with Zolatone/Pink colours we got here.

 

[MarinMartin]

Re: 1993? Team Marin

definitely will be hard to lose

But on a serious note I love that. looks so much better with proper tyres and no mudguards.

 

[concordino]

Re: 1993? Team Marin

Very nice find. Even with the faded colors i think it will turn heads !

 

[Narhay]

Re: 1993? Team Marin

Thanks for the info...that really pegs it down. 1991 just makes it all the more retro. Some of the chain rings are a bit chewed up from use but I wasn't having much luck finding replacements. Know of a source? I believe it is 46 36 24 with a 5 bolt pattern.

I am thinking of getting a bucket of oxalic acid and dumping a few of the parts in there to see how they might clean up. It's worth a shot to me and I don't believe it will damage any of my parts.

Do you guys know if there is a scan of the xt cantilever brakes diagram? There are a few options to put the spring ends into and I want to reinstall them correctly. I have them in the middle of the 3 cantilever boss holes on the frame but there are 2 holes in the brake arm itself with a swing arm plastic job that i am not sure how to orient properly. Ideally I will take out the XT pads and store them for photo ops and replace with some new salmon kool stops for real world use.

Oh, and how much did I pay? Let's just say since this is a co.uk site that the queen is older than the number of quid.

 

[lrh]

Re: 1993? Team Marin

You can put a wanted ad on here for chainrings or search eBay for rings with a BCD (Bolt Circle Diameters) of 74 and 110mm. By the way, the standard rings all have tabs that should be positioned under the crank arm. They should be refitted as per your pre-clean pic

Looks like you've done a good enough job cleaning it up already without resorting to chemicals, I'd leave well alone!

Think I know what you mean with the brakes but some pics might help. The spring should pop into the round hole in the washer inside the brake. The triangular cut-out rests against the grub screw.

Sounds like you got a good deal, they go for £150+ on eBay here.

 

[Narhay]

Re: 1993? Team Marin

Thanks for noticing those tabs. Are those the little circular washers? They should be just under the nut head and partially visible when you look at the outside of the crank and closer to me than the chainring itself?

Almost all the parts are great and wouldn't need oxalic acid. Some of the limit screws, the cable hanger, the pulley bolt, and the rear of the front derailleur etc etc. This bike is for me, so I'd like to get it as cleaned up as possible

Thanks for the BCD ratios. If anything, just the middle ring is the most in need of replacement but if I can get a NOS set or replica then all the better.

You can put a wanted ad on here for chainrings or search eBay for rings with a BCD (Bolt Circle Diameters) of 74 and 110mm. By the way, the standard rings all have tabs that should be positioned under the crank arm. They should be refitted as per your pre-clean pic

Looks like you've done a good enough job cleaning it up already without resorting to chemicals, I'd leave well alone!

Think I know what you mean with the brakes but some pics might help. The spring should pop into the round hole in the washer inside the brake. The triangular cut-out rests against the grub screw.

Sounds like you got a good deal, they go for £150+ on eBay here.

 

[lrh]

Thanks for noticing those tabs. Are those the little circular washers? They should be just under the nut head and partially visible when you look at the outside of the crank and closer to me than the chainring itself?

Oh no, I mean the sort of inner tooth pointing towards the axle. When the rings are in the correct orientation then the lettering on the rings will all be together in one "pizza slice" of the chainset. The little washers go between the middle ring and the arms.

In my experience the rust on nuts and bolts is superficial and can be scratched off with a wire brush or sand paper. Most screws/bolts are standard metric sizes so easy to replace if they're too far gone.

You'll be lucky to find NOS Shimano rings especially the middle one, everybody wants 'em! Even aftermarket you're looking at $20 each.

 

[PopsTrippin]

Ooh i can see the potential there - Nice rescue!

The cantilever guide can be found in the Gallery&Archive, click on service manuals in the Shimano section.

Clean the canti cable holders with a bit of fine steel wool then polish.... they come up a treat!!

You'd be lucky to find an unfaded neon Marin nowadays.

Rich.

 

[sylus]

You'd be lucky to find an unfaded neon Marin nowadays. Rich.

There is a bear valley one that seems to have lasted and is owned in here.. since the thread link it has been sold to another member the lucky git

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