Tell me more about this Proflex

[Cheers!]

So a friend of my who I'm acquianted to via Mazda Rx7s turns out to be a retro mountain biker. When I mean retro, I mean he still believes his Proflex is state of the art and the best in the world (with a bit of sarcasm of course). He sent me a picture of his mountain bike.

I didn't follow mountain bikes in the late 90s because I was too busy chasing tail, so I don't know the early era of Full suspension MTBs much. He told me he also had a Trek 9000 before the Proflex.

I only vaguely remember AMP full suspension bikes, and that was about it from that era I know of.

Here are some pics. Is it all original? What more can be said about this bike? I didn't want to ask him as I was afraid to show my noobness especially when I showed up in my 6000 dollar Ti hardtail I just finished building.

 

[FST4RD]

That is a sweet looking proflex!

 

[jonnyboy666]

has that bike ever seen mud? or dust even?! :shock:


looks cool though heds are nice, having just rebuilt a similar frame i would recommend the spring upgrade kit from rapid descent in scotland, makes a huge difference, front and rear elastomers can be replaced and will transform the ride coz those elastomers will probably have gone hard.

http://www.rapiddescentscotland.co.uk/i ... sition=1:1

 

[jimihendrix]

Very nice , Proflex Animal, these were pretty well spec'd when new so it probably is all original, i think the Hed wheels may have been an option ?

As JB said, the spring upgrade is recommended, better looking than the rubber bumpers too.

I had a Trek 9500 BITD (same as the 9000 just higher spec), still have the scrap frame, some say they are just like a Pogo stick but i liked it, if i could find a decent trailing arm and shock i'd probably build it back up but the chances are slim.

 

[skinheadjc]

Yeah its a 1995? Proflex Animal (the 1996 animal was yellow with brown animal print iirc). the HED wheels are an upgrade, and bloomin good expensive wheel set back in the 90's and the Magura HS33 brakes are also an upgrade - later proflex animals had HS11's as standard. The rst looks pretty stock to me.

 

[mazdaman1980]

Cor, someone could take offence to that. I have a Proflex which i think is great and an RX7.

Ouch.

On a plus note that bike is stunning and i love the HED wheels. I would kill for a set for my XPX!!!

Your mate sounds awesome!

 

[spudgun]

That is a stunning bike,but don't look like it's been used much.

 

[Kestonian]

That's a lovely example of the Proflex.

I haven't ridden one, but of course they sponsored Jez Avery so will be etched into the minds of most MTB crazy teenagers from the early 90s.

 

[IbocProSX]

Yup that's the Animal. Those HED wheels are stunning and featured in the Proflex brochures for these bikes though never standard issue.

I owned and rode it's twin, the Beast, in green to blue fade with a polished swingarm matching the Vectors. I did the speedsprings conversion 95-96 ish and it was an improvement even before the elastomers went hard. The springs come in nice red and yellow Powder coat too. The Magura's are a good upgrade but it needs a silver post really.

Enjoy!!

 

[elite504]

:shock: wow