1995 Dirt Research Kenai Single speed

[jokamp]

I used to ride a lot MTB in the beginning of the 90's and until 1996/7 something and recently I decided to start riding more on a regular basis. After hanging around on this site for a few months my original plans, and the reason I found this site, changed. From changing a few components on my 1997 Cannondale M500 to getting and building a few different bikes...
So, this is my first single speed bike and also my first proper(?) retro build.

The bike is built up of the following components:

Frame: NOS 1995 or 96 19" Dirt Research Kenai made from Columbus EL OS tubing

Fork: Tange something

Stem: Titec Titanium 130(?)mm

Handelbar: Sakae Powerbulge titanium

Grips: Lizard Skins Steve Peaty

Seatpost: USE titanium

Seat clamp: KCNC

Saddle: NOS Flite titanium

Brake levers: XTR M950

Brakes: XTR M960

Crankset: NOS Deore DX with a 38 teeth ring

Pedals: Wellgo bear trap magnesium

BB: Shimano UN54 73-122mm

Wheels: Back is a XT M737 hub with a Mavic 117 rim and a 19 teeth Surly singelspeed cog. Front is a M737 hub laced to a Mavic 230 TIB rim.

Tyres: Not retro at all: Vredestein Tiger Claw 2,4"

All in all a pretty light bike and the first short ride was promising, interesting to ride a singlespeed for the first time but I think I will like it a lot in the future.
So now I am looking for a nice set of wheels (XTR M950 hubs with 117 or 217 Mavic rims maybe?), maybe M950 V-brakes and a good way to fasten the brake cabls to the frame or a cable stopper to attch o the frame as the frame is designed for cantis and with a kind of strange cable guide for the back brake.

I also do have two other rideable bikes, a 1992 Bridgestone MB-1 that I bought new back then which I fitted with modern components around 2005/6 (but I still got most of the original components somewhere) and also a 1995 Litespeed Obed totally original as it left the shop with a mixture of Xt and XTR M900. Some day I might post them on here as well...

 

[iveto1983]

That's a nice looking bike.
I've never heard of Dirt Research? Are they still in business?

Pat

 

[fingers]

Thats really ace, not seen one before, but I have heard of the company, good work

 

[jokamp]

That's a nice looking bike.
I've never heard of Dirt Research? Are they still in business?

Pat

Thanks!

No the company is not in buisness any more, I think they stopped in 1996 or something like that. Was an American company and the frames were produced by Tom Teesdale (http://www.tetcycles.com)

 

[iveto1983]

No the company is not in buisness any more, I think they stopped in 1996 or something like that. Was an American company and the frames were produced by Tom Teesdale (http://www.tetcycles.com)

Cool
Anything related to Teesdale is desirable around here

Pat

 

[saltyman]

nice mix of parts, looks well suited i think, nice.

 

[beepbeep]

Jätteschysst!

Nice to see something unusual, like the colour mix too!

 

[utahdog2003]

That's a nice looking bike.
I've never heard of Dirt Research? Are they still in business?

Pat

Thanks!

No the company is not in buisness any more, I think they stopped in 1996 or something like that. Was an American company and the frames were produced by Tom Teesdale (http://www.tetcycles.com)

Teesdale? Uhhh...

Not many Dirt Researches can claim that lineage, sorry. :cry: Most came from overseas, like the Yokotas that preceded them.

 

[jokamp]

That's a nice looking bike.
I've never heard of Dirt Research? Are they still in business?

Pat

Thanks!

No the company is not in buisness any more, I think they stopped in 1996 or something like that. Was an American company and the frames were produced by Tom Teesdale (http://www.tetcycles.com)

Teesdale? Uhhh...

Not many Dirt Researches can claim that lineage, sorry. :cry: Most came from overseas, like the Yokotas that preceded them.

No, you are correct in that they were not produced by Teesdale, but they were designed by him and fabricated somewhere else... I used the wrong word, have to blame my Swedish origin for that mistake

 

[mechagouki]

Nice build - very clean.

Pedantic point: rear hub is M737 at earliest, not M730 - Parallax started with m737 I think.