mountain bikes...the next big thing?

[dryheatpanzer]

Hello all. So I've been running across lots of old mountain bikes lately. Most of them appear to be early 80's stuff. I've picked up a Cycle Pro Skyline, Schwinn Sierra, and Puegot Orient Express. Is the consensus that these bikes will be sought after before too much longer? Just a question because for transportation I love them. Thanks.


Chris

 

[patman73]

they make good daily riders with some care& maintenece
i think some make good klunker or some single speed adult bmx!

 

[Bicycle808]

Hello all. So I've been running across lots of old mountain bikes lately. Most of them appear to be early 80's stuff. I've picked up a Cycle Pro Skyline, Schwinn Sierra, and Puegot Orient Express. Is the consensus that these bikes will be sought after before too much longer? Just a question because for transportation I love them. Thanks.


Chris

Some are already sought after. Before long, most of the lbs-sourced old-school MTBs will have some collectors' value. The custom/boutique brands are absolutely sure to appreciate in value...

Is your Schwinn Sierra of the sort with the one-piece crank, made in chicago, looks like a Sidewinder with canti brakes?

 

[dryheatpanzer]

They do make great riders my Cycle Pro is my daily. 808 my Sierra has 3 piece cranks they're Shimano but I forget what group. Its a pretty cool ride with O'Neil stickers on the forks.

 

[patman73]

They do make great riders my Cycle Pro is my daily. 808 my Sierra has 3 piece cranks they're Shimano but I forget what group. Its a pretty cool ride with O'Neil stickers on the forks.

shimano dx cranks ?

 

[Bendix]

Maybe the hipsters will switch to fat tire fixies some day.

Then we'll all be RICH! RICH, I SAY!

 

[Bicycle808]

Maybe the hipsters will switch to fat tire fixies some day.

Then we'll all be RICH! RICH, I SAY!

Yesterday's news...

FWIW, i think hipsters have moved on from fixed gear, anyway....

 

[jamesdart]

depends which part of hipsterville you are in. I don't really get the vintage mountain bike thing. my dad had one when I was little and even when it was new, I thought it was weird. only reason I wish I had it today, I spent a lot of time riding mild trails with him, that was the only bike I ever remember him having, and he had it for like 20 years. I don't think they really had kids mountain bikes then so I was always on my 20" bmx. my first mtb from a lbs, I kept for 19-20 years. I recently sold it and some guy was really sweatin it. it was just a used and abused trek 820 but, im sure one day I will regret that.

 

[patman73]

Isn't the whole idea of a klunker to make a mountain bike from a vintage cruiser? Making a vintage mountain bike into a klunker seems like you are simply using the mountain bike for its original intended purpose.

i call klunkers beater , i meant change it up bmx crossbreed !
make it more light & stripped down what you don't need like less gears !

 

[mornview]

I hope the market on these doesn't get too hot, because the more thought I've been giving it, the more obsessed I'm getting with building up an 80's lugged MTB frame with a coaster brake. I just really love the look of those 80's lugged frames ... it's like someone took the geometry of the diamond-frame British 3-speeds I love so much and spaced them to fit fatter tires. I really wish there was a modern bike manufacturer building frames like this.

 

[Bicycle808]

About the closest you'll get is Surly Long Haul Truckers and Disc Truckers. I rode a 2010? maybe?? LHT in the Truckaccino color.... bought it new, built it up, rode it a LOT before it got totalled in a car a cident. I actually saved every part except the crank and the frame. I miss it; i'm pretty sure a Disc Trucker is in my future. But, no lugs and the geo isn't quiiiiiiite right. I do have some late 80s Panasonic Mountain Cat frames; lugged double butted Tange MTB chromoly, chainstay brakes, that goofy sports geometry, and tire clearance for days. I haven't finished either frame, but here's the pics from the catalogs:

I got a 5500 frame/fork, and...

...I got a 4500, too. The frames are identical, just the colors were different, and the 5500 had nicer components. They also didn't bother making the gigantic 24" size in anything over the 4500; moot point, though, as my frames are 22". Still pretty big, due to the longish top tube and high BB. I'm building the 4500 for camping/touring, and I had to have the Dakota Blue frame, so i'm building that up as a 26"-wheel 2x7 roadie, with some 2" Kojak tires. Truth be told, i got too many projects, but i don't care. I love to build and ride....

 

[patman73]

Gotcha, that makes a little more sense.

you are welcome !

 

[patman73]

i have a panasonic mountain bike frame & forks i stripped it apart & lost left crank arm , cut the brake mounts off the forks , it had som 990 type brakes under the chain stays , never seen a bike like that !
it is a ligged frame

 

[Bicycle808]

i have a panasonic mountain bike frame & forks i stripped it apart & lost left crank arms , cut the brake mounts off the forks , it had som 990 type brakes under the chain stays , never seen a bike like that !

Ha.. i got 3 frames like that. Had a Miyata Terra Runner with that set-up, too, but i gave it to a friend.... too small for me. Most every mid/high to high-end mtb in '87 and '88 had that set-up--- and earlier high-end bikes would have roller-cam brakes under the chainstays (roller cams used the same 990 mounts).... by '89, they went back to cantis on the seatstays, b/c mud collected in the chainstay brakes.... I love bikes with that set up for touring or town bikes; the Shimano u-brakes of that era were awesome, and the brake is out of everything's way, except for kickstands. But, I'll admit, they're not great on the trail, due to the mud issues

 

[patman73]

Ha.. i got 3 frames like that. Had a Miyata Terra Runner with that set-up, too, but i gave it to a friend.... too small for me. Most every mid/high to high-end mtb in '87 and '88 had that set-up--- and earlier high-end bikes would have roller-cam brakes under the chainstays (roller cams used the same 990 mounts).... by '89, they went back to cantis on the seatstays, b/c mud collected in the chainstay brakes.... I love bikes with that set up for touring or town bikes; the Shimano u-brakes of that era were awesome, and the brake is out of everything's way, except for kickstands. But, I'll admit, they're not great on the trail, due to the mud issues

if had not be so stupid i would have no took it a part & put on a comfy seat reattach the rear brake, change the handle bars to a low rise & a bmx quil stem instestead of the straight mountain bars it had

 

[Bicycle808]

Hey, it's never too late to start over....

 

[patman73]

lost the chainring bolt & left crank arm , maybe some day i could rebuild it !

 

[metalchewy]

They have good parts.

I took a broken framed peugeot mtb and made this.


Wheels, tires, tires, neck, crank tube, chain ring, amd inner seat post all from that one bike.

 

[Bicycle808]

Fork, too?

 

[metalchewy]

Yes, fork too, typred tires twice