Raleigh Mountain bike team replica

[MarinMartin]

Now call me a weirdo but I have a real love of low end old mountain bikes. They remind me of how I got into cycling with a £5 rustheap and the determination to overcome my demons. In fact I feel better about saving the bikes that nobody wants than a rare bike that everyone would want to fix up.

I have a particular fondness for cheap old Raleighs. Mustang, Mantis I've had them all (in fact I currently have 3 mantis' in my back garden I'm building something with).

There's always been one Raleigh I wanted though. Not a high end, rare, dream machine but the replica of the Raleigh Mountain bike team. It may only be an old Steel Raleigh with 18 gears but I wanted that paintjob.

Back in April I had someone message me saying they had a bike sat in the back of their garage and if I wanted it to fix up I could have it. Today I finally picked it up, not expecting it to be this, and I was like a kid in a sweet shop when I saw it. It's mahoosive, it's heavy, it's a rubbish spec but it's a bike I always wanted. Every bike I own is because something about it is special to me. This is no exception. I mean I wouldn't moan at any bike for free but this...this is exciting for me, no matter how sad that makes me.

I have no fancy plans for it, I just want to get it back in action and enjoy it. This for me is about going back to my roots and having a bit of fun.

 

[Y282]

This is the stuff i’m here for!

 

[Scott-S]

This is the stuff i’m here for!

+1
this is whats it's all about for me, chasing that long lost dream then finding it and being younger you full of excitement & joy

 

[Frankenorange]

This could be BOTM this month. It is perfect. Enter it, or be square.

 

[Nothin-fancy]

That bike is sweet. Who cares if it's not a Yo. This is the best part of being a bicycling nerd. Having fun, ya know?
I love the "mountain bike team" decal. It's a captain obvious statement decal. Totally makes me smile.

What type of Turbo saddle is that? I've never seen one like that before.

 

[legrandefromage]

You do know that the only tube that is Reynolds is the handlebar?

And it's the fabled 21.1mm stem/ fork/ frame combo that @sparkybhp was after

And and and...

Here's mine! From some time ago, as found at the tip

 

[Retro_Roy]

cool. clean it up and ride it. and i agree, enter in BOTM.
but i would get rid of the reflectors.

 

[MarinMartin]

cool. clean it up and ride it. and i agree, enter in BOTM.
but i would get rid of the reflectors.

I'm torn on the reflectors. Normally they would be the first thing to go but with this they add a touch of retro goofiness and I'm not sure if I want to get rid of that.

I'll be keeping it fairly standard but the tyres are shot so need to replace them with whatever I have lying around (I can't afford new tyres at the moment) and pedals will be replaced for something more comfortable for me.

This won't be a show queen, it will be used and enjoyed.

 

[MarinMartin]

First ride out. Put some semi slick tyres on that I had lying around and a pair of modern pedals that are more comfortable to me. Not everyone's cup of tea but I enjoy riding it and as Metallica once sang ...Nothing else matters.

 

[Retro_Roy]

what a copy catter.

R

Thread 'Brodie Mantis Replica'

Aug 6, 2025

hi
what do you do if you search for years for something with no luck, or find one and the price tag
is way more than you want to pay. you come up with the idea to make a replica.
ya i know, it's not the real thing and i am probably wasting my money (so everyone tells me)
but if i can be happy with the project then in the words of metallica ............nothing else matters.

phase #1:
roughly a year ago i talked to paul about building a stem, a mantis stem. it was a project which caught
his interest. he had never done anything like it before and saw potential for a video...

• Retro_Roy
• Replies: 14
• Forum: Reader's MTBs --> 1997

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