Ultra rare pro-spec MTB from 1991: Team Marin total rebuild

Рет қаралды 5,514

18 күн бұрын

The only Team Marin I've ever seen from this model year and in this spec. A true unicorn, especially with the incredible Zolatone paintwork still in this condition. A total nut-and-bolt rebuild, will the bike live up to the promise of its elite-level parts? And are some of my decisions a crime against the engineers of Marin?

Пікірлер: 125

@Staunte 16 күн бұрын

Best comedy channel on KZfaq.

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

Best channel on KZfaq.

@banzaigtti 16 күн бұрын

Yours and Paul Brodie’s channel!

@Staunte 16 күн бұрын

@@banzaigtti hear hear

@MatthewLister 15 күн бұрын

Hahaha! This 👆

@BarryDakar 9 күн бұрын

What a great vid. My first proper MTB was a Zolatone 1992 Eldridge Grade with the neon red/orange highlights. Unfortunately it got nicked shortly after getting it. Thankfully, thanks to now having a proper job and old MTBs being relatively cheap, I bought a mint one during lockdown. Seeing the patina on yours, I appreciate even more the quality of the Zolatone on mine. Everything is totally original, even down to the (rather too worn) Marin Rockstar tyres. Must get some Smoke & Darts like yours though. They were the boss BITD. The Eldridge was such a great spec in ‘92. Basically all DX (so nice and hard wearing), but with the new fangled RapidFire+ XT shifters (DX and below still regular RapidFire). Shifting gears with thumb /and/ index finger was a game changer! Those early 90’s steel Marins were such great bikes. Lovely zingy frames. Fast but comfortable and great handling. Must take it for a ride this weekend and show those folks on their modern long, low and slack full sussers a thing or two about proper bikes!

@red_dread 8 күн бұрын

Sounds like a lucky find - especially if it still has the original tyres! If the Zolatone is still intact too, that's a real result. Hope you enjoy riding it as much as I've been enjoying mine.

@donttouchthisatall 14 күн бұрын

The most british of 90ties MTB content. So high brow and I am absolutely here for it!

@red_dread 13 күн бұрын

High brow is the word. This channel is for the elite.

@jennibristol7720 16 күн бұрын

Great tip with fitting the handle bars 👍

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

Thanks, can't remember where I learned it but must have been MBUK. I wonder if some stem manufacturers even left the back of the clamp accessible deliberately for that very purpose?

@banzaigtti 16 күн бұрын

I understand the constant head-thudding about "catalogue-spec". I have an '89 Timber Comp (that I bought in Japan) that I've been slowly putting back to catalogue-spec and then realised that the Japanese catalogue-spec is different than the US catalogue-spec specifically when it comes to the tig-welded stem (Japanese spec) and fillet-brazed stem (US spec). This took up so much computing power and mind real estate that for a whole hour I had no idea what my wife was saying.

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

The fillet brazing on those Ritcheys was stunning. Anyway, I certainly use up a hell of a lot of brain space thinking about such things. The brushed alloy seatpost for example, when it's pictured in the catalogue in black. But manufacturers and bike shops used to do stuff like this all the time. I never got over the devastation I suffered in 1988 when my Ridgeback, pictured in the catalogue with quick release hubs, arrived with nutted ones. I wonder how my life could have turned out if not for that...

@toby9055 16 күн бұрын

Nothing more than to say I absolutely love your channel. It's clear from the 'if you know, you know' narrative that there are many of us 'men of a certain age' who were all obsessing about the same details in the early 90s and are now doing so all over again! Takes me right back...

@red_dread 15 күн бұрын

Thank you for your kind words. We are a small community but nostalgia is a powerful drug!

@thefranconian6087 11 күн бұрын

What a beautiful bike, Marins were even rare in the NYC area where I grew up and still live. An absolute gem. I’m not as keen on everything having to be perfect with my own rebuilds and renovations but you certainly set the bar very high. Bravo, sir.

@red_dread 8 күн бұрын

I like to aim for perfection and then allow myself certain concessions along the way. The list of compromises and imperfections is actually quite long, but the finished bike is still wonderful. I'd rather preserve a bike that's lived a life, and enjoy riding it, than simply buy a box-fresh NOS museum piece any day.

@cosmicwav 16 күн бұрын

Appreciate the level of detail as always and looking forward to some footage of that secret cartel meeting of outlaw retro bike gangs!

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

The next gathering of the Cartel is going to melt down the entire internet. I happen to know there are some serious bikes brewing in some secret workshops the length and breadth of the British Isles.

@vayrynen371 10 күн бұрын

Beautiful!!❤

@dejanzabaljac6950 16 күн бұрын

Reminds me of Kuwahara mtb bikes. I have Kuwahara Pacer 91 and it looks like psychedelic dream! Good job on restoring the bike!

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

For some reason Kuwahara weren't really on our radar as kids in the UK in the early 90s. Even though they'd supplied the BMXes for the ET movie! But yes, great bikes and I'd love one - especially those hybrids they did with the wicked graphics and 700c wheels.

@Mullinino 16 күн бұрын

Outstandable...and thanks for the tip on the floating top jockey, I'd never heard that one before - will check my hoard straight away

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

I can't remember where I first heard about it, but I'm sure the technology dates back to about this period. That's why they mark them G (guide) and T (tension) so you can tell them apart. Makes sense really, they do very different roles. Very clever stuff.

@jonmiller4330 15 күн бұрын

Fantastic. Thank you for another great video. I am taking my 1990 Palisades Trail to the trail tomorrow.

@red_dread 13 күн бұрын

The Palisades would have been an absolute dream bike to me back in 1990. The one I restored recently was an absolute stunner, it sold for £££ for charity.

@user-tb7rb6lt3d 16 күн бұрын

fantastic work Sir, i do remember the days back when racing cyclocross and the mtb season too in 1990/1991 and the issue i had that even after regularly servicing an xt short cage rear mech, it would wear so badly you'd get ghost shifting on rough ground, with xtr being just hushed whispers to its release date i tried a very different tactic to get a more reliable and longer lasting rear mech, so i used the dura ace RD-7402 road rear mech, it was silly light, very hard wearing and would last 3 racing seasons over the xt rear mech, i didn't ever see anyone using the same tactic, but it worked perfectly

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

I love stories like this. No, I never saw an MTBer or CXer using Dura-Ace either, although there were a few pros that used 105 short cage rear mechs at the time, which I saw pictured in MBUK and always wondered why. Certainly they looked unattainably cool to me at that age. I wonder why your XT mechs failed in the way you describe, and the Dura-Ace ones didn't? I could spend an entire evening in the pub discussing this...

@user-tb7rb6lt3d 16 күн бұрын

@@red_dread dura ace was the highest quality, if you held a short cage xt rear mech in your left hand, then a dura ace 7402 in your right, you'd know immediately, it was above xtr quality when xtr released in the m900 1st form, because dura ace had been refined for many years before, it's like a litespeed frame, it was an exquisite piece of engineering, shame to thrash it around the woods really....🤣, it went in my road bike after as i got into road racing for some bloody reason afterwards and it lasted all 4 years of that too

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

@@user-tb7rb6lt3d I don't think I've ever held Dura-Ace of that vintage in my hand. What I wouldn't have known as a young MTBer at the time is how much of a beating pro road bikes actually take. Those things aren't made of gossamer.

@sirmez9597 9 күн бұрын

love this man! subbed and ill be tuning in in future

@timnewland4186 13 күн бұрын

What an absolute dream. Still looks better than anything on the market today. Please be upstanding everyone.

@red_dread 12 күн бұрын

Imagine if they made a "tribute" edition today with Zolatone frame and neon accents? I still think it's one of the coolest bike designs of all time, but I understand why it was short-lived - they must have had so many complaints when wear and tear started to show and was impossible to fix!

@Adversitiv 16 күн бұрын

Looking forward to more content

@psclassy1123 16 күн бұрын

Very unique ride with paint and decals noted. Had to listen to Jesus Jones right after viewing. One thing I noticed is that a lot of 90 bike paints used colours similar or exact to 1990s automobiles. Makes sense if keeping with trends.

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

Mike Edwards of Jesus Jones rode a Saracen in those days. A Traverse or maybe even a Kili Flyer Comp if memory serves. If it weren't for The Rules, these videos would have a hell of a soundtrack.

@deek9043 16 күн бұрын

Sublime. Well done 👏

@MW-ud8zp 16 күн бұрын

Fantastic build!

@chriswiecek6519 15 күн бұрын

Surprised that being a member of the elite millionaires cartel of retro collectors that you don't have an ultrasonic cleaner! I bought a minty one of these circa 2008 for a bargain price, also with a flexstem, which now regretfully I sold about 5 years later! But at least she was properly enjoyed by her new owner👍 One thing about XT hubs was that the decals wore and finish become dull, whereas the DX decals where tough and the finish always shiney after cleaning!!

@red_dread 13 күн бұрын

I do keep meaning to get an ultrasonic cleaner - there’s so many different ones on the market and I never get time to research it. I’d welcome recommendations. I wonder if your former bike is one of the ones I’ve seen on Retrobike? You’re right about XT hubs wearing badly, M900 XTR ones were even worse. These DX ones are indeed shinier.

@Rob-zf2cv 14 күн бұрын

The saddle to bar height looks a bit like my bikes from back then.

@red_dread 13 күн бұрын

The more your MTB looked like a time trial bike, the cooler you were.

@garysprojects 16 күн бұрын

nice build!! still cracks me up everytime you slam that stem in 😂 what a guy ps. nice tip on the jockey wheel positions

@red_dread 15 күн бұрын

Even in my old age, I'm still zero tolerance when it comes to stem rise. I can't remember where I first learned about floating G-pulleys but it was really clever of Shimano to patent the idea back then. Many believe it's the reason they killed off Suntour's groupsets at the time - because Shimano's early indexed systems were easier to adjust and ran more quietly than everyone else's.

@red_dread 15 күн бұрын

By the way, I've been getting roasted all over the internet for that yellow stem. Dare I suggest it for your Bike Talk series? Or would another of my museum pieces make a good talking point? It would be an honour.

@garysprojects 15 күн бұрын

@@red_dread hahah the honour would be mine. How to send/rules are in the description of any of the bike talk vids , cheers!!

@red_dread 7 күн бұрын

OK, sent! Check your spam because I’m using old-school Yahoo and it often goes to spam…

@psclassy1123 16 күн бұрын

God forbid if you “taco” a wheel on your retro get together. Get a plexiglass case for it make a princess bike only .Then put it in the living room on a live edge piece of birds eye maple . The Mrs will love it.

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

I do have quite a few bikes as wall art or ornaments, but only in my office. The living space in my house is too full of children.

@mikemills4608 15 күн бұрын

Great build, as I always love seeing early-90's neon & XT together. Couple possible tips - for the cranks, sanding the face works very well, removing the old anodized finish. I did that to mine & polished to a shine. Seeing that you want to keep a matte finish, you could sand with progressively finer sandpaper & it will leave it with a beautiful matte finish - that's what mine looked like before polishing. Also like the silver brake levers matching the post. If you did want to go back to black, you could rattle-can paint the levers & post - did that to my kid's old Diamondback & turned out very nice & surprisingly durable. Finally, a tip for the gummy shifters - get a can of contact cleaner & spray/flush them out. You can do this with them still assembled - may just have to remove the shifter cables. It's very fast-drying & once they're completely freed up, spray some light lube in to smooth it up. Did that to my set 10 years ago & they are still as smooth as the day I did that. Another thing I did notice is that you may have a HG-70 DX cassette. Not sure if it's just the video, but the DX had a matte finish & the XT had a chrome-plated finish, that seemed to be long-lasting, even on old rusted units. That may explain why it has a DX hubset - maybe a wheelset from another bike? Again, beautiful build & love to see a Team Marin on here, as it's obviously super-rare & has the best component spec.

@red_dread 15 күн бұрын

I do think I'll rattle-can the levers, yes - or perhaps put some neon silicone lever skins on them, '91-style. Nice tip on the shifter - I have some XTR ones needing the same treatment, no amount of flushing has worked so far but contact cleaner is a great idea. Yes that is a wheelset from another bike - the original rims would have been Araya but I thought period-correct Ritchey Vantage would be appropriate. I had a DX cassette and and XT one, perhaps it's the DX one you see on camera but it now has the chrome-finished XT one fitted. It is indeed a hell of a bike, but I still can't believe how heavy!

@benc8386 16 күн бұрын

This is the best video I have ever seen on KZfaq. I remember a friend at school had a Marin in that strange alien furry grey paint. We had never seen anything like it. We were like chimps staring at a monolith.

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

Ha, that's the perfect way of describing us as schoolkids - my mates and I were exactly the same. When that Eldridge turned up at our school...

@94retroMarin 16 күн бұрын

Fantastic bike! I have the 91 palisades with the same zolotone paint. The 91 is the very best year for Marin

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

I'm sure you've seen my earlier video with the Palisades - in which I talked about how much I craved Zolatone! Still one of the coolest bike designs of all time. Have you had yours since new?

@94retroMarin 15 күн бұрын

@@red_dread not since new no; I had a 92 muirwoods back in the day, but always wanted a 91 palisades, and found one in excellent condition 2 years ago

@red_dread 15 күн бұрын

@@94retroMarin The one I restored was the non-Zolatone one, but it still raised a decent sum for charity when I donated it. A fantastic bike - I craved one too back in the day.

@JP-jy7sk 16 күн бұрын

Greetings from the States. Another cinematic tour de force! Bravo!

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

Thanks, stay tuned for an absolute killer of a gathering later this year...

@ellipticalsoul 15 күн бұрын

Fantastic bike and commentary on the rebuild as I have come to expect from the master. I love the paint scheme and don't mind the scratches at all, better than touch up paint that doesn't match.

@red_dread 15 күн бұрын

Thanks, I'm loving the way the Zolatone ended up too. Even the absence of the matching stem is starting to bother me a bit less.

@christianluff 16 күн бұрын

In order to make my 11am meeting I’m worried I’d miss the finer details if I watched at 4x speed. Must save for later.

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

Is 4x even an option? You are a wise man - this one deserves to be savoured. Finer details in abundance.

@CSIPSD 16 күн бұрын

Love it! Beautiful work! I had those clipless pedals in 91, I spent every bit of a months worth of paper route money on the pedals and a pair of Nike shoes to go with them! Of course they were on a 91 Cannondale M1000...

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

I was just a tiny bit too young to be allowed out to earn money in 91, I was dependent on pocket money which meant luxury at the level of SPDs, Cannondales and Nike Ngubas was beyond my dreams. I'd have stopped and stared if I'd seen you riding by.

@CSIPSD 16 күн бұрын

@@red_dread 91 I was 15 and racing MB in the PNW of Oregon and Washington. Between the paper route and working at the gun club I was able to get just enough to get some nice tidbits. I still have my Gary Fisher RS-1 which I road in 92 and my Pro-Cal I raced in 93-94. Wish I would have saved all the old stuff from back then!

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

@@CSIPSD I think we all wish we'd saved the stuff we had when we were kids. I'll never forgive myself for letting my first ever MTB get junked as I upgraded it bit by bit - I bet today I could have salvaged every original part.

@BarryDakar 9 күн бұрын

I got a pair of OG Nike Pooh-Bahs and Onza HOs (not the trick Ti ones, sadly) for my birthday in 92 or 93. Like @red_dead, I’m still on the lookout for a decent pair in UK size 11!

@wrenchandscrub 16 күн бұрын

Very enjoyable and interesting as always.

@createdezign1840 16 күн бұрын

Back in the day (Late 80's early 90's) everyone raved about Rolls saddles, I HATED them and found them VERY uncomfortable. My go to was a CINELLI VOLARE SLX now going for silly money on eBay. I think I put it on at least 3 bikes of mine.

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

One of my first ever "big money" purchases back then was a Rolls - a limited edition red LOOK one which I still have. It was purely the ultra-luxe design that sent everyone crazy, they weren't technologically beneficial in the slightest! Heavy, inflexible and very difficult to keep looking nice. But I'm still a fan purely for aesthetic reasons. Those Cinellis are beautiful too, and the rarity makes them even cooler.

@christopherroberts4254 16 күн бұрын

Lovely build. Good commentary. I want to join the cartel! As a personal choice, I like the neon yellow next to the neon pink. Keep it coming.

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

The Cartel is a highly secretive organisation, comprising some very corrupt and evil men. A dangerous lifestyle. You're right about those colours though, I just ordered a pair of Gipiemme gloves that match this bike perfectly, with splatters of neon yellow and neon pink. One of my most obscenely overpriced and unnecessary purchases, and I've no regrets.

@lancehatch4475 16 күн бұрын

Looks great!

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

Rode it for the first time just now. It's solid as a rock, but that early 90s geometry will always feel just weird!

@glennpettersson9002 16 күн бұрын

Very nicely done and a great result. Your video should be part of curatorial studies. 👍

@tonyhughes4306 14 күн бұрын

AMAZING video beautiful bike Am now going on ebay to fine a bike to rebuild [thinking raleigh m trax] can't afford top end by stx\altus a10 has always been a good friend of mine

@red_dread 13 күн бұрын

Good luck with the quest, hope you find something tasty. I grew up on low to mid range kit - I still get just more excited seeing a late-80s Exage build than anything with XTR!

@JDWLW0 16 күн бұрын

A triumph. The video and the bike. What a stunning machine. I will wade in on the DX though. With so much XT on there it would bug me, even if functionally they were perfect. Similarly the seat post. Otherwise it's perfect. Battle scars and all

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

The seatpost bothers me less because Marin themselves saw fit not to spec an XT one in the first place. But yes, I can't claim perfection until those hubs are sorted.

@aintnobodygottime4dat 16 күн бұрын

Nice👍🏻

@user-sc4sp6tb2j 15 күн бұрын

The crank is clear anodized, you can only polish the worn shiny bits Can be de-anodized with careful caustic bath,- will polish up beautifully but will need regular polishing

@red_dread 15 күн бұрын

I've seen quite a few of this generation of cranks mirror-polished and it does look great, however I do quite like the original brushed finish and I generally like to preserve rather than modify wherever possible. I think I'll maintain this one with the scourer until it gets past an acceptable point, then machine polish.

@tmayberry7559 16 күн бұрын

Dread the cartel thinks you are the " goat " of vintage rebuilds

@urbanrider429 16 күн бұрын

My 1991 klein pinnacle has a full XT group set

@Tarmaccyclocross 16 күн бұрын

Bully for you

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

Does it include the seatpost? I thought those earlier Kleins had to have their own proprietary seatposts because of the fat tubing?

@BarryDakar 9 күн бұрын

Houston dentists would accept nothing less 😉

@blairrighton6270 16 күн бұрын

gotta love that '91 servo wave action, remember it well on the upper end diamond backs from the same year, superb build.... it is screaming for the original (100mm/+5deg?) pink stem tho

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

Servo Wave is a technology I've always craved but never owned until now. I note the pivots have gone a bit floppy with age, but the brakes still have that unmistakable Shimano "clack", even with Ritchey blocks (which don't squeal like XT or Aztec). You're right about the stem, I have asked the question but if it doesn't surface then I'll have to live with it. The Flexstem has been on this bike since 1991 so at least it's part of its history.

@biscuitdingus 9 күн бұрын

I’m never super picky with everything being period correct or super original if it’s something you actually ride. Bit different for something to be displayed. I have a 1990 NA Eldridge Grade I use daily, it’s got a rack so it’s great for around town errands. But I didn’t keep it original. It just has LX on it but I put linear pull brakes and modern shifters on it. I do not like cantis personally, and I’m not down to try and revive ancient plastic shifters. But it’s ridden, it gets dirty, it has chips and scrapes, I put a rack on it sometimes to move packages. It’s a lot different than an example of showcasing a particular era and build as it was. So no, I am not offended by the seatpost. Even if I have the original black one. The silver one looks better on that build.

@red_dread 8 күн бұрын

I think you're dead right, it depends on what you're going to use it for. I have many builds that are just a mish-mash of parts put together for a purpose, and those work fine and I enjoy riding them. It's only when it comes to certain restorations that I'm fastidious, especially when it's possible to preserve their historical originality to a high standard. If you're not a fan of the old shifters or cantis on the other hand, you'll always be able to find someone like me that's looking for that part so you can sell them or donate them and keep this community of retrobikers alive!

@samblenkharn8099 16 күн бұрын

What a beauty. That would have been more than adequate to tackle the xcc course at Val di Solé the other day too 😅

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

I can't believe pros used to race on these things. The weight, the geometry and the rolling resistance of the tyres make it very slow going! Comfortable and elegant of course, but nevertheless I'll be treating it as a luxury bike rather than a performance bike.

@samblenkharn8099 16 күн бұрын

@@red_dread a long stem that flexes must be particularly disconcerting!

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

@@samblenkharn8099 You'd think so, but I grew up with one so I'm used to it.

@mattderwent2133 16 күн бұрын

Beautiful build, a real treasure 👌🏻 I could easily live with the dx hubs but would struggle with that stem in the long run. Can’t believe how well that pink still pops after all these years. Let us know how it rides…

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

I'm learning to love those DX hubs, yes. They feel and look the same as XT, I've put up with worse crimes on other bikes over the years. The pink bits have definitely been repainted relatively recently, which is apparent on close inspection, but I don't care because they did a miles better job than I ever would have done. Which leaves the problem with the stem. Yes, I'm still hopeful the original owner will one day locate it, but then of course the colours won't match any more! The Flexstem has been on this bike since day one though, so at least it's part of its history.

@toby9055 15 күн бұрын

@@red_dread Period correct Marin ( I'm glad we were all pronouncing it wrong!) roller stems come up quite often on the bay - I'm sure you could get the neon pink paint-matched for a respray?

@red_dread 15 күн бұрын

@@toby9055 It's an option I'm considering. Especially since this yellow Flexstem is proving very unpopular!

@banzaigtti 15 күн бұрын

BTW what grips are those?

@red_dread 13 күн бұрын

Good question, they were unbranded as I recall - just generic foam grips exactly the same as you’d get as standard on these bikes when new. The fashion for ODI / Oury / Onza or other fancy grips was more of an aftermarket thing back in 91.

@JonasJakob-Love-N-Cycles 14 күн бұрын

That’s it. I’m in love 🩷🩶 Well done sir. I’ll have to set one up for myself even though I swore not to add bikes to my collection until 2026. Preparing for some serious eyebrow raising by my girlfriend.

@red_dread 13 күн бұрын

If you find a Team Marin like this then it could come down to a choice between it and the girlfriend. No contest.

@JonasJakob-Love-N-Cycles 13 күн бұрын

@@red_dread I think it’d be appropriate to ask her if I could spraypaint her zolatone and pink and call it a fair compromise.

@ianwilkes4434 16 күн бұрын

Love your channel but i dont like grease on square tapered it can make cranks over tight and open squares on cranks

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

It's quite a point of debate, yes! And I'm still genuinely not sure which side I sit on. I've certainly seen a lot of lightweight square taper cranksets ruined by over-tightening, but on the other hand I find that a small amount of grease allows them to seat with less need for tightening. The solution would have been to get the torque wrench out, but to my shame I've got lazy over the decades, and nowadays I just do it by feel. If I kill a beautiful crank one day, it'll be my own fault.

@ianwilkes4434 16 күн бұрын

@red_dread when watching you put bars in quill (stem) you should have said we marin 🤣 Great chanel mate well done

@mattvanderwalt6220 16 күн бұрын

DX hubs are awesome - Just need some Campy Stheno's - A respectable and considered build, but the Girvin Flex stem... dunno. I still find it insane the amount of innovation which occured between 1991 (well 89) and 1994, clipless, suspension forks, bar ends (though Onza's came out a few years earlier) , Camelbak, Psycho tyres...

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

The DX hubs are OK, I must admit. My XT ones from that year have always been flawless, a real masterpiece of engineering - and these are basically the same minus the grease-guards and fancy graphics. Stheno rims are beautiful, but I had to keep this build true to its origins - which meant American, hence Ritchey. These Vantage rims are actually second from top of the range, only because I'm a slightly heavier rider. They still look stunning. Yes, this really was the golden age for MTB innovation, but I'd argue that bar ends were a triumph of marketing over function (Tomac and Overend said the same thing in a recent interview!). Also Psycho tyres divide opinion - I have a pair and they look cool but the rolling resistance is appalling and the grip is extremely sketchy! Flexstems don't offend me - they bring back happy memories.

@mattvanderwalt6220 16 күн бұрын

@@red_dread Psycho's had a 4hr live span and cost the equivalent of my entire student load at the time... The Smoke/Dart combo obviously was highly regarded, I also had great success on TRC Pirana's, which if I remember correctly 'only your sister could bite harder' A slightly harder compound but hooked up well. As for bar ends - I actually am a big fan, found them useful enough (Avenir's) in fact so much so I have them fitted to at least 2 of my current bikes. I have a set of Vantages on my 89 Biridgestone great wheels :-) The Stheno's are amazing, but too light a rim - mine back in the day cracked up after a year of racing. One of the team guys I rode with had RS Quadra's as well as a flex stem - the front end dive under breaking was terrifying if not down right deadly 'event', esp at a time when if your nose could rub against the front ture you were considered cool.

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

@@mattvanderwalt6220 Ha, I never thought anyone would ever combine a Flexstem and a suspension fork outside of a Mint Sauce cartoon!

@menocorde 16 күн бұрын

Can it have enugh of these rebuilds. I wonder what it takes to be a part of that secret society of rich English people who ride early 90s bikes.

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

Everything you've heard is true. A shadowy network of elite schools, secret handshakes, corruption and luxury.

@ssmtb 16 күн бұрын

16:00 that's genius

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

I can't remember who taught me that trick, must have been MBUK. I was just speculating that some stem manufacturers might have deliberately made the back of the clamp accessible for this very purpose? I wish I'd known this trick back in the early 90s - I absolutely ripped the coating off a lovely Scott handlebar trying to force it into my Flexstem. Heartbreaking.

@ssmtb 16 күн бұрын

@@red_dread also wish I have known this earlier, just scratched up a brand new SQLabs bar, at least this will save future builds 👍 Ps. I used a similar method in order to get the canti cable guide to fit a new quill stem, but it didn't occur to me to use the same exact method for the handlebars 🤦‍♂️

@red_dread 16 күн бұрын

@@ssmtb I had a similar nightmare getting these XT brake levers onto the thickly-painted handlebar. No such means of splaying the clamp, I just had to jam a flat blade screwdriver in there which wasn't pleasant.