Original Manitou - in decent size too!

[mrkawasaki]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ORIGINAL-MANITOU-HA ... dZViewItem

Surely someone must be interested in this... Max?!

Mr K

 

[Vitorzip]

Look´s like an original F.T.W. version.

Can anyone confirm?

 

[scant]

Look´s like an original F.T.W. version.

Can anyone confirm?

FTW? eh?

 

[Rich]

That to me is the Holy Grail of bikes....someone's gotta get that!!! Drool, drool!!

Rich

p.s. Fatherhood prohibits me owning more that my Pace....sniff, sniff

 

[Vitorzip]

Look´s like an original F.T.W. version.

Can anyone confirm?

FTW? eh?

First Manitou frames (i mean the first ones, number one to number four, or so...) were ordered to Mr. Doug Bradbury, designer, but actually made and welded by a man, Frank Something-i-dont-remember, owner of a very small bicycle company (a garage).

This man was knowned by "Frank The Welder" (FTW), and considered a guru on welding and manufacturing frames BITD... he made some of the Yeti team frames as well...

... this looks like one of his frames, completely different from the other Manitou frames we know...

 

[mechagouki]

let's club together, buy it, and then have an exciting game of 'count the cracks'!

 

[Rich]

I'm pretty sure Doug built as well as designed the Manitou...don't remember FTW being involved... :?

 

[Vitorzip]

Well, but he did.

I remember reading an article about that BITD, and it was the first time i hearded about this guy, so i never forgot this name...

I recently saw the same article on the web, i can search it, if you want.


Some of this guy´s accomplishments included:


"My biggest accomplishments in the cycling industry include: 1) Input in development of Easton frame tubes; 2) Made Zapata’s top 100 list some years ago; 3) Fabricated first set of two fingered Shimano brake levers; 4) Welded first set of two sided clipless pedals for Don Mirah; 5) Designed A-tac stem for Answer products; 6) Designed new bar ends for Onza; 7) Co-designed all Yeti frames; Pioneered "soft tail" design that is currently popular on XC bikes; 9) Pioneered use of plastic bushings in pivots; 10) First to use MMC material in frames; 11) Designed tires and grips with Yeti; 12) Built frames for John Tomac, Juli Furtado, Lisa Muhic, Tinker Juarez, Brian Lopes, Miles Rockwell, Missy Giove, Sarah Ballentine, Don Mirah, Daren& Kurt Stockton, Davis Phinny, Greg Orovits, The Evian team, Leigh Donovan, Jimmy Deaton, Russ Worley, and others who escape my memory just now. I think I have built more different bikes by hand than most anyone (aluminum, steel, Ti, MMC, and frames for DH, DS, XC, trials, track, BMX, road and even a unicycle out of wood).


From MTB hall of fame, here - http://www.mtnbikehalloffame.com/nomine ... 99&mID=162

 

[Vitorzip]

Another frame:

Answer Atac before it was called Answer Atac...