2manyoranges
Senior Retro Guru
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I was an early adopter of FS for XC. In 1994 and 95 I bought two of the first suspension XC bikes which really worked - decent travel, sorted suspension pathways but light weight. The Horst Link Amp B3 came out at 23 lbs with not too much effort, while the Proflex was 24lbs straight out of the can. in their day - 1994-5 - they were really leading edge. Of course, anything with a Horst Link goes back to the AMP bikes - Horst Leitner’s then-radical and derided work at AMP really was the start of something...
AMP
The size Medium Amp was bought direct from Laguna Beach through the good work of an industry guy in Manchester, and I used it in the kind of setting it was designed for: dry, dusty, smooth riding. In England, this means the South Downs. It spent the first few years of its life doing Summer trails around Brighton, and has seen just a few rides back down there in the past fifteen years. I don’t think you’ll find another one like this - all bushes and bearings perfect, alternative medium springs supplied (it’s running soft springs at present for 30pc sag for a 140lb rider), and it has three rare AMP pieces on it: Amp topcap, the essential but aftermarket Amp strengthening bridge in the rear triangle and the little sticky-up cable hanger for cantilever brakes (almost always missing). This is in superb condition, low mileage, no dings, no dents, taper roller headset. Price? Forks go for 150-250 by themselves, and I’ve seen the frames alone for 300.00 - so 400 gbp seems reasonable?
PRoFLEX
After the elastomers went hard and then did their uncanny melting thing, the 18inch Proflex just made me feel sad. Without a supply of elastomers the bike was just tubes hanging in the roof of the workshop. When I bought it new, the guys in Magic Cycles thought I was mad to run it with 30 pc sag, but there was a bunch of us riding then who knew about MX suspension and knew that sag meant control. This thing ripped. At 24lbs and a suspension curve which dug in the back wheel with big pedal input, you could get up the most crazy climbs. When crusing or descending, the suspension was deep and supple. It may have been an elastomer based system - unlike the spring-and-damper on the AMP - but it was a sensationally well-designed bike. Now that elastomers are suddenly available again, the frame is again a basis for a great XC build. Later under-rated, criticised for its dependence on bits of foam, this bike was really well thought of by reviewers and riders alike during the late 90’s. Grief I paid nearly 2000 gbp for this from Magic Cycles in 1995. - so 200 gbp? Oh yeah...small note. This frame has a thousand and one bespoke parts, some of them tiny but essential, such as the elastomers speader..they are all here and intact; including spare plastic separator discs for the elastomers, which are like gold dust now. Looking at it closely, it’s a really nice project now that the elastomers are available. I found the original pot of touch up paint yesterday, not needed so far since the paint finish seems bullet proof on this frame.
I am not really interested in splitting forks from the frames, I think they should be kept together - as stated above, both are ‘mediums’ which are good for up to 5 foot 8 ish, I’d say.
Prices? Always a mad stab in the dark, so if interested just drop a line.
Contact me via PM for any further details if you need them Many thanks.
AMP
The size Medium Amp was bought direct from Laguna Beach through the good work of an industry guy in Manchester, and I used it in the kind of setting it was designed for: dry, dusty, smooth riding. In England, this means the South Downs. It spent the first few years of its life doing Summer trails around Brighton, and has seen just a few rides back down there in the past fifteen years. I don’t think you’ll find another one like this - all bushes and bearings perfect, alternative medium springs supplied (it’s running soft springs at present for 30pc sag for a 140lb rider), and it has three rare AMP pieces on it: Amp topcap, the essential but aftermarket Amp strengthening bridge in the rear triangle and the little sticky-up cable hanger for cantilever brakes (almost always missing). This is in superb condition, low mileage, no dings, no dents, taper roller headset. Price? Forks go for 150-250 by themselves, and I’ve seen the frames alone for 300.00 - so 400 gbp seems reasonable?
PRoFLEX
After the elastomers went hard and then did their uncanny melting thing, the 18inch Proflex just made me feel sad. Without a supply of elastomers the bike was just tubes hanging in the roof of the workshop. When I bought it new, the guys in Magic Cycles thought I was mad to run it with 30 pc sag, but there was a bunch of us riding then who knew about MX suspension and knew that sag meant control. This thing ripped. At 24lbs and a suspension curve which dug in the back wheel with big pedal input, you could get up the most crazy climbs. When crusing or descending, the suspension was deep and supple. It may have been an elastomer based system - unlike the spring-and-damper on the AMP - but it was a sensationally well-designed bike. Now that elastomers are suddenly available again, the frame is again a basis for a great XC build. Later under-rated, criticised for its dependence on bits of foam, this bike was really well thought of by reviewers and riders alike during the late 90’s. Grief I paid nearly 2000 gbp for this from Magic Cycles in 1995. - so 200 gbp? Oh yeah...small note. This frame has a thousand and one bespoke parts, some of them tiny but essential, such as the elastomers speader..they are all here and intact; including spare plastic separator discs for the elastomers, which are like gold dust now. Looking at it closely, it’s a really nice project now that the elastomers are available. I found the original pot of touch up paint yesterday, not needed so far since the paint finish seems bullet proof on this frame.
I am not really interested in splitting forks from the frames, I think they should be kept together - as stated above, both are ‘mediums’ which are good for up to 5 foot 8 ish, I’d say.
Prices? Always a mad stab in the dark, so if interested just drop a line.
Contact me via PM for any further details if you need them Many thanks.
