1983 Steve Potts Brazed MTB [finished]

[24pouces]

I love the headtube/fork…

 

[halaburt]

Very nice, love the angles! Is everything original(barring tyres and saddle)? Good clean and lube or refinish?

Non-original items on the bike (as best I can tell/speculate):
- Rear rim (Mavic; Front is probably original Araya 7X)
- Front Derailleur (Shimano M700 Deerhead with ’84 date code; Signs of early band-type FD in the paint)
- Rear Derailleur (Suntour XC Comp with ’89 date code)
- Pedals (Suntour XC Compe which came out in ~’85)
- Incorrect (Suntour) spring on rear brake
Tires, brake pads and chain were obviously replaced - probably many times. Chainrings and freewheel possibly also.

Full gallery of pics here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/halaburt/sets/72157629133760399

A selection from that set showing some of the “worst of” the condition:

 

[sinnerman]

:shock: :shock: :shock:

there must be a story to this bike you can share...?

This will be an amazing journey, when this is done it will be a sensation...

 

[uno-speedo]

That's a well used water bottle cage!

 

[yo-Nate-y]

That's quite a project!

What bridge did you find it under?

 

[bmx4130crmo]

Geoff, why do you mean that the Suntour XC Compe pedals comes out in 1985? Have your pedals a date code? I'm thinking that these pedals comes out in 1981, take a look in the pedal museum.

http://speedplay.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=pedalmuseum.quill

cheers

 

[al]

Hell yeah!

She's pretty. Gonna be really nice.

Show restraint.... PAH!! Spend everything you've got on her and give us something to really drool over.

al.

 

[halaburt]

Geoff, why do you mean that the Suntour XC Compe pedals comes out in 1985? Have your pedals a date code? I'm thinking that these pedals comes out in 1981, take a look in the pedal museum.

I’ve seen that... As well as Jeff Archer’s MOMBAT timeline and various catalog and spec pages ( http://mombat.org/MOMBAT/history.html ). I think the Speedplay site is wrong on this one. If you look at all the early MTB specs, most were using Suntour BMX (MP-1000) or MKS BM-7’s. Folks with lots of cash might have gone with Campagnolo BMX. Beginning in 1983, you see references to the big Suntour XC and later XC-II “beartraps”, but those don’t really work with toe clips/straps which I know were part of this bike when it was originally built up.

Unfortunately, I’ve never seen Suntour pedals of this era with any sort of date code (like their derailleurs have). The MP-1000 was offered with 9/16” spindles and is VERY similar to the (I think later) XC-Compes PL-5700, but there are minor differences.

Heres a pic of (left to right): the XC-Compes that were on this Potts, an NOS set of I believe identical XC-Compes, an NOS set of the BMX MP-1000’s.

I’d love to find some definitive confirmation that XC-Compes were available in December 1983 (when this bike was first built up), but barring that I’ll probably use one of the alternative models mentioned above.

 

[halaburt]

I love this, but i would worry about the corrosion, it looks worse than my Lloyd, and that took some doing to sort out in the end.

And whilst i understand the want from some members to keep things original, i think its a criminal shame that such an amazing bike was allowed to get into this state.

For the Good of the bike, i hope this can now be saved and restored, if ever i have seen a bike worthy of doing.... its this. The thought that this could be allowed to continue in this condition, (and considering the bike it is) i think would be a Travesty.

A stunning bike, a great score,

:shock: :shock: :shock:
there must be a story to this bike you can share...?

There IS a lot of “story” to this one. I’ll share some of it here publicly... and perhaps a bit more as the project moves forward.

The bike was commissioned in 1983 by a local Marin County rider of some note. It was his first “10-speed” (his words)... as all his earlier bikes had been 1-speed “Bombers” (rear coaster brake only).

Steve completed this bike just days before the December 1983 (U.S.) MTB National Championship race in Santa Barbara, CA. The owner raced (and finished -- quite an accomplishment) that race on this bike and he continued to ride it as his primary if not only multi-speed bike for many years after that. I recently acquired it directly from that first owner.

I’m not about to question his care for (or love of) the bike. It was aggressively used and (functionally) held up beautifully. My struggle with this restoration will be to not erase that history and usage -- but yet make it fully mechanically sound and period-correct.

 

[mikee]

H F S that is nice
yeah show restraint and build it with stx (rc if you feel flush)

love it