1991 (Offroad) Pro·Flex 550 with drop bars

[miliu]

Hi

I bought this frame here to be a donor of some bits for my 1991 Offroad Pro·Flex RF-1. It was a little rusty and I had no intention of made something with it.
But I got the bits a needed in NOS state so I started thinking in making something with the frame wich was hanging on a wall. I always love drop bars in MTBs so it was a cheap way to make one drop bar MTB. I had a lot of components so I started to build it.

I'm gonna to use it so it's a rider, not a garage queen. Not a lot of NOS bits and a few of new components. Basically the new bits are the One One Midge bars, the Dia Compe bar ends (friction only), the Cane Creek brake levers, the Brooks saddle and the tape bar (Deda). Cable guides too (Jagwire)

NOS components are the XT seatpost, fluor Cateye clips, green Controltech jockey wheels, the Schwalbe tyres and the green Onza chill pills. The bottle cages are new but are the same since many years ago.

I got original bushes and spacers in the US, but the bushes weren't in the best condition. So I did a little job with the Cane Creek bushes for their seatposts, that are the same colour than the originals. Only had a bit smaller outer diameter, and the hole is a bit narrow too. I drilled the hole a bit to make it wider with a lot of care and they work very well. I did it for my RF-1 a year ago and I didn't have problems yet.

I won't make a complete list of the components but I used a 1991 Deore DX rear mech, a 1989 Deore in the front, Deore DX brakes, 1993 Deore LX crankset and dx hubs laced in 230 Mavic rims. It's not finished yet but I'm riding it now. It's not too weight and it runs smoothly. I like it cause it's simple and humble.
Maybe my next conmuter and winter bike. (I have some balloon tyres for it).

I hope you like it.

Sorry, phone pics.

The rear arm was repainted before I bought it
New decals on its way to my home, maybe i'll send the rear arm and the stem to repaint.
The original blue is the stem one, similar to Yeti turquoise.

The cable is too long cause I've to finish to adjust properly the mechs.
The green bolts are a gift from a fellow at RW.
Thanks a lot, Gordon!

Cheers
Emilio

 

[24pouces]

Funny !
How does the flexstem work with the drop bar ? Not too smooth ?

 

[miliu]

It works fine, but I'm not a very fan of flexstems, I only fitted it cause is a Girvin product.
A friend in the spanish forum send me a lot of NOS bushes of different hardness, so I could swap for a harder one.
In my rf-1 I fitted the titanium combo flexstem XST for the pics, but when I go riding I use a Manitou III with an Atac stem

 

[rjsc68]

I like it how it looks, but those bars... seems very uncomfortable to me, how it goes??

The fluoro details are cool.

Saudos/Cheers

 

[miliu]

I fited the wheels and the turbo from the rf-1.

Hope you like,
Emilio

 

[DrJo]

this i like, nice mix of old school tech and colours...
looks like fun, how is it for shifting??
needs the blue tyres back on and a yellow saddle....
gotta love retrobike get to ride like this.........

 

[miliu]

this i like, nice mix of old school tech and colours...
looks like fun, how is it for shifting??
needs the blue tyres back on and a yellow saddle....
gotta love retrobike get to ride like this.........

thanks for your nice words

hi, probably i'll left the bar ends and put some sti's
For a little ride they're fine, but for MTB or so i think that road sti's will be better.
Braking is enough good but not fantastic.
Probably another change will be the stem. I like the girvin but I need a more elevated stem to improve handling.

The blue tyres are now in another bike and I like the white turbo with the XT seatpost (not in the pics), maybe a black turbo in the future.
I think that there is sufficient yellow in this bike for now.
Probably I'll put some SPD pedals in the future


Ah, it's my most used bike for the last months, I like it

 

[24pouces]

And what did you do with you RF-1 ? It was the top of the Off Road's line, only sold in frameset with the titanium flexstem if I remember

 

[miliu]

And what did you do with you RF-1 ? It was the top of the Off Road's line, only sold in frameset with the titanium flexstem if I remember

I keep it.
It was impossible for me to find the original forks.
My ti flexstem XST is too narrow and difficult to make MTB with it (less than 50 cm) so maybe I'll put a Manitou I, a wider bar and an ATAC stem this fall/winter.

I have a pair of HED wheels that are not period correct but I like them on the RF-1.

MBA said that the RF-1 was the first full susser produced in the history of MTB.
Very few of them were produced.

 

[24pouces]

MBA said that the RF-1 was the first full susser produced in the history of MTB.
Very few of them were produced.

Quite wrong if you consider that the Flexstem isn't a real front suspension.
Full suspension bike, there were the Bushido in 1987 and 1988 Kestrel prototype with one of the really first Rock Shox…