late 80's fluoro splatter Marin Eldridge Grade

[mechagouki]

Who says Klein had all the cool paint? Don't think it's as early as claimed, probably '89 - '90.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Marin-Eldridge-Grad ... dZViewItem

 

[gump]

mountain LX - was this about 89/90?
Has push-push shifters - 91/92?

Interesting bike, but not sure its as old or original as it says.

 

[development_cycle]

I'm no expert but I have what I believe to be an '89 Marin and it has the grey textured paint and black gloss forks/stem/bars.

Could this not be earlier?

 

[Radar]

Pretty sure this timescale is correct:
92 - plastic paint job
91 - dark grey zolatone texture paint
90 - light grey zolatone
89 - gloss paint - solid colours

so that dates it 88 or earlier

development - grey textured paint & black forks either 90 or 91 bear valley, light grey 90 version will have had white lettering, 91 dark grey had lettering that matched the forks (my eldridge had orangey red forks, stem and decals). Sneaky feeling that the bear valley always had quirky colouring - the 92 version was all black, whereas the rest of the range was greyish. (89 bear valley was either blue or black - can't remember)

 

[development_cycle]

cheers radar, that makes mine a '90 then

 

[mechagouki]

Sorry but the textured grey powder coats were definitely 1991 (I've owned 5) 1990 Bear Valley was gloss black with gold (or maybe white) decals. Other '90 bikes were a pale glossy grey. 1992 bikes all had satin black front triangle and a gloss rear triangle (gloss black on B.V., red on E.G. orange on the P.M. etc.

 

[Cristian-T]

hhhmmm..

i reckon its either 89/90, but the american spec. which didnt have the zoltane 2000 paintjob, but that splatter job, after all, it is in the US..

slap me if im wrong!

 

[Radar]

Yes you are correct with the 92 range being black plastic paint with colour coded rear triangle (looked awful).

92 example http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... ight=marin
91 range example here: http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/1481525/
90 range see here: http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... &start=105
89 - couldn't find any pics, seen some recently.....
88 see here: http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17737 sadly doesn't give much away, but doesn't appear to be splatter paint
87 here http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17736

Of course the former colonnies might have b*ggered it all up by releasing their own colours...

 

[Benandemu]

I have brochures from 1990 models and it isn't in any of them.
It is pre 1989.
I have seen odd early bikes with splatter paint, but never been able to date them exactly.
More research, me thinks.

 

[Dhphat]

That bike screams Zack Morris!