The non-latest non-super duper innovation
Marcus Farley Tuesday, Jan 20, 2009 3.42pm
Saracen ‘Special Edition’ (Dominic Farley)
So, I’m at my folks’ house for Christmas. I’m bikeless, as the sacks of presents fills the car to its brim. Apart, that is, for some new products that Matt wants me to test and my brother Dominic to photograph.
Opening the garage we notice our old bikes. A fluorescent Muddy Fox ‘Courier Mega’ (now attached to our dad’s turbo trainer) belonging to me, and a Saracen ‘Special Edition’ to my brother. Sod it, we think, let’s do the product shots on these.
And, you know what, we had a ball. It was bloomin’ marvellous messing about on our old bikes. For me, in particular, it was nice to forget about dreaming of replacing my current bikes for the latest newest product on the market, and remember why I got into mountainbiking in the first place…
The Muddy Fox was the first proper mountain bike I had. It’s fluorescence made sense in the late 1980s, rather than making me wince as this 80s revival colour does now. Getting back on the steed, it brought back memories of hairing down the forest trails, with absolutely no thoughts that the amount of suspension I had wasn’t enough, like I now do on my Yeti race bike. This bike is where it all started for me, a place where I just went for it, rather than wimped out blaming a lack of travel for my failings.
Sure, I had a Grifter and a Tomahawk before it, but this was the first proper off road bike that I had. The memory particularly fond because I bought it with my own cash.
My brother’s Saracen was a marvel of lightness, great for the ‘action’ shots that we took. Or was it because we couldn’t be bothered to detach the Muddy Fox from the Turbo trainer?
Still have your first bike? Send in a picture and we’ll put it up on this thread.
User Comments
There are 8 comments on this post
Showing 1 - 8 of 8 comments
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Old Tuggo
Posted Wed 21 Jan, 1:10 pm UTC Flag as inappropriate
I still have my Trek steel Single Track 600. No suspension and mostly original equipment however the drive train desperatly needs replacing. I still enjoy riding it as it is quite light and has full mudgaurds fitted. I have subsequently had 3 MTB's both hardtails and full suss but none of them feel as good as the old Trek when the trails are not too rocky.
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tribegrandaddy
Posted Wed 21 Jan, 5:53 pm UTC Flag as inappropriate
so Marcus when will the test for the socks you are wearing appear in the magazine lol
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Graham Wallace
Posted Sat 24 Jan, 11:00 pm UTC Flag as inappropriate
Back in 1984 I had two distinct options when it came to choosing an ATB, either a Ritchey Montare / Montare clone, or a British Cleland Aventura. I chose an FW Evans ATB (Ritchey copy made by Saracen). I then started going on rides where I was riding next to the Cleland bikes. Oops! the Clelands were faster, more comfortable, manouvrable and reliable. I don't think the American designers had considered British mud and wet weather. If you can't beat them join them, so in 1985 I bought a Cleland Aventura. I bought a second, Highpath Engineering made version in 1988. I still use them both Clelands to this day. Did buy a 2005 Giant NRS carbon but still use the Clelands more, especialy for serious all-weather use.
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marcus Farley
Posted Sun 25 Jan, 5:03 pm UTC Flag as inappropriate
great...got a pic?
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jmj
Posted Tue 27 Jan, 12:38 pm UTC Flag as inappropriate
I rode in the Cheviots last weekend with a colleague who now rides my old first "mountain bike" A rigid steel Claude Butler. Despite it's old technology and lack of any suspension he still gave me (on my Meta 5.5.2) a run for my money, even on fast farm track descents.
He's cheated and upgraded the brakes to V's though!
Jeff
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stilltortoise
Posted Thu 29 Jan, 9:39 am UTC Flag as inappropriate
My Dad and I both had Specialized Hard Rocks with big bar ends and canti brakes. Mine went to live at the in-laws house in Spain but my Dad's comes out in the Peaks now and again.
I'm no luddite - I think disc brakes and suspension open up a whole new world of fast and furious mountain biking - but I was very pleasantly surprised with how well the Hard Rock coped with rocky, technical climbs (even with a bent rear axle). Not sure I'd want to throw it down the Sierra Nevadas though!
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Graham Wallace
Posted Tue 31 Mar, 8:25 pm UTC Flag as inappropriate
Cleland Pictures:
Try This...
www.james-walters.net/cleland/cleland_bikes.html
or this....
www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=46418&highlight=cleland
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fedrat
Posted Tue 21 Jul, 8:46 am UTC Flag as inappropriate
British Eagle Domo for me. Black with a crazy purple web and horrible front shocks. Loved, rode miles and wish I'd kept it. :(
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