Manitou Hardtail

[gaf16]

i would say the bradbury manitou is right up there with the most sought after frames.
it was the first production bike doug brabury designed and is a true classic.
right up there with any frame you care to mention.
as scant says, they crack because doug was trying to push the weight limit of the frames.
i brought mine without noticing the crack.
i brought it because it was a frame i had always wanted back in the day, but could never afford.
the best reason for buying a retro frame in my opinion.
you can tell the value of these frames on the open market today because i sold mine on, as a cracked frame, at nearly 3 times what it cost me.
if i could find an undamaged frame, i would buy it tomorrow, and hang it on my wall.
and that's saying something, as i'm not into garage queens

 

[scant]

maybe thats a thread in itself, what are the rarest bikes

deffo bradbury manis are r'kin horse sh,t!!.... & sorry I spolit your day with the crack

 

[gaf16]

scant, you didn't spoil my day.
you made it by putting me on to pete.
as one door closes....................
as they say in cannock.

 

[gaf16]

by the way, if you want an undamaged answer manitou hardtail, you could always drop gilm a pm.
he should be able to sort you out.

 

[scant]

scant, you didn't spoil my day.
you made it by putting me on to pete.
as one door closes....................
as they say in cannock.

LOL

 

[SLIM]

never meant to compare the two , god , i would love one of them myself

and as you say they can still sell even when cracked , for megabucks

i think the key word is " DESIRE "

we all wanted one of them , and you cant put a price on SATISFACTION

 

[jez-4-bikes-max]

ummmmmm...

Still Im dumbfounded why so many appear cracked? Especially around the BB area, headtube etc? These dont seem to be typical "weld cracks" either - but seem to be from splitting due to headset and BB contact areas?

Any more case studies or examples? The frames werent especially light were they? I can see why a Pace would crack I guess - the tubes are dead thin and in comparison quite spindly, but these Manitous looked like they were built to survive...

Just a thought.