Removed

[FluffyChicken]

... The frame colour doesn't match the fork though, which is matt black.

They're not the original forks now you draw attention to them. Should be thicker along the full length, less of a bend to the eye and have a sharper dropout/tube look.


For clarification for what they would look like, they didn't change much.

http://www.equusbicycle.com/bike/tange/ ... hure02.pdf
and
('97)
http://www.equusbicycle.com/bike/tange/ ... at1997.pdf

 

[8lezard]

The hardest thing will be resisting nicking bits off the Lava Dome...

The 987s are the most at risk!

They're not the original forks

Just noticed that there's no rack mounts on the catalogue pic either.

 

[Crayons]

It may not be the right stem, but it is a Rocky stem – identical to mine, just with a hanger (mine came spec'd with sus forks so wouldn't have needed the hanger anyway).

I believe someone on here was looking at getting the decals for that model Blizzard recreated so it might be worth a chat with Gil to see if he already has them. Certainly he has some of the bits needed (head tube badges etc) but may not have the Blizzard script.

Good score – I had my eye on that one too

 

[Anthony]

Well Fluffychicken is very sharp-eyed to spot a difference in the forks. I'm sure he must be right, but it seems strange that they should have been changed. I suppose the originals must have been broken at some point. If it was mine, I would whip the fork off and weigh it, as that frame deserves a light/sophisticated fork. I would check the a-c length as well, although visually it looks right for the frame to me.

from the pictures, I find it hard to believe that the bike has been repainted. It all looks original. Could it be that the blue at the back is just oxidation?

 

[tiboltrider]

Post up the frame number, we have a lack of Rocky numbers on here for identity reference.

Where has it been repainted, I see the sticker band is off so has white been added there ?

For reference 18.5" claimed weight = 2000g

The paint on that one looks original to me. Here's my one waiting for a respray. The original black has got a load of different coloured metallic flakes in which can't really be seen unless up close. I haven't got the frame number at the mo. I've also smoothed a few of the mounts on it.

 

[8lezard]

It may not be the right stem, but it is a Rocky stem

Yeah, the stem has a faded RM logo on it. Probably switched out to allow for a different fit?

Tiboltrider: Thanks for posting your photos – very useful. The frame colours and fade look identical. Has given me more assurance that mine is actually a Blizzard! Look forward to seeing yours with new paint.

I would whip the fork off and weigh it, as that frame deserves a light/sophisticated fork. I would check the a-c length as well, although visually it looks right for the frame to me.

A-C is 390mm. I’ll remove the forks, strip the frame and weight them both.

 

[FluffyChicken]

The forks may have some things stamped on them, would guess at around 900g only as the look very similar to my Fusion's forks and they are around that mark. Almost sure they came from the same place who built the Fusion fram (Ishiwata) as they had something like that stamped on them and the date.


I'd have to refer to the original ebay later to check what it came with but I would hazard a guess that the person bought a frame and built it up, added new forks, got a Rocky stem etc...

Oh and hence why I mentioned the sticker band was off, I knew it was a wrap around but didn't remember what was underneath as I've never had one
The paint you have does look very much like an RM paint job from that era, like I mentioned. I don't know if they used the Performance Paints on the Blizzard (i.e. powder coat) but from the look of it I would say so as the sparkle effect and who lustre is like my Fusion (year '92). I don't know if in '93 they still used Dupont Imron finish for there higher end frames as this frame.
Interesting to see Rocky say the powder coat is lighter than their Dupont Imron finish.


found the fork leg to show the example of the speckled paint
http://img119.imageshack.us/i/1001496dc3.jpg/
unfortunately imageshack hasn't got the other pics any more to show the actual fork design.

 

[messiah]

I had one of those BITD.

The fork should be longer than 390mm - this frame year was the first of the suspension corrected frames - sorry I can't help with what length it was but from memory the fork was a Ritchey Logic Superlight and was longer than the Tange Strut frok from the 92 model year.

A respray is not out of the question. Mine cracked where the seatstays joined the seattube and Rocky warrentied it by getting someone in the UK to re-braze the junction, respray and redecal as per new... right down to the tubing stickers. New paint had the speckly through it and looked spot on with the original fork which did have a bluey to the black. The brazed join was a little lumpier than the original which was truly minimal; when I spoke to Rocky UK at the time mine was not the only one to have had this done.

I enjoyed the frame.

 

[8lezard]