1996 Dirt Research build is now complete! New Pictures!

[utahdog2003]

Re: This is what I have been able to find about dirt researc

The Dirt research frames were made by Tom Teesdale out of Columbus Chromoly tubing.

http://tetcycles.com/bikes/about/

Certainly some prototype and team frames were made by TET, but midlevel production stuff were NOT Teesdale. The columbus tubed DRs are very nice frames for the money, but if they were true Teesdales then they wouldn't be peddled on eBay for blowout prices. I'm a big Yokota fan, and I can tell you that 1993 Yokota Half Dome frame that Teesdale produced for Yokota is a rare and expensive beast.

Dirt Research used to be Yokota bikes from what I have read.

True. Yokota fell apart in the USA after the national retail chain "World Cycle" took a dump. The designs for many Yokotas were then produced overseas, mainly in Taiwan, and sold under the Dirt Research brand.

This is my Yokota Yosemite. Columbus OR tubes, made in Japan by TOYO. You'll see alot of features on your DR that show up on my Yosemite.

http://utahdoglives.blogspot.com/2010/0 ... -done.html

 

[utahdog2003]

nice ,but it looks a bit generic...

Ouch! :cry:

If it said "Stumpjumper" on the top tube there'd be 2500 board members dry humping the thing and giving themselves the "Stranger!"

Like many nice production steel frames from Jamis, KHS, and Parkpre among others; Yokota and DR frames suffered from brand anonymity and lack of marketing muscle. Some survived, but Yokota (and later DR), did not. Like the Road Warrior, today they exist, "Only in our memories..." :cry:

 

[fallenleafs]

nice ,but it looks a bit generic...

Ouch! :cry:

If it said "Stumpjumper" on the top tube there'd be 2500 board members dry humping the thing and giving themselves the "Stranger!"

Like many nice production steel frames from Jamis, KHS, and Parkpre among others; Yokota and DR frames suffered from brand anonymity and lack of marketing muscle. Some survived, but Yokota (and later DR), did not. Like the Road Warrior, today they exist, "Only in our memories..." :cry:

Thats what I thought! I am really liking my Dirt Research and after comparing it to your Yokota and finding your build thread

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... 483#574483

I would say that your frame and mine are very similar. When will you have your build complete? As far as Teesdale goes, once I found his page and noticed that he had his hands in Dirt Research I assumed...information on these bikes is hard to come by. How did you end up with the Yokota? I noticed that you removed the rack mounts. Mine has them too. I'm happy to meet another rider with similar tastes in frames! I think that we should try and make an official Dirt Research & Yokota post. I would love to find out more about the bikes and see any others that people have built.

~Adam

 

[utahdog2003]

Thats what I thought! I am really liking my Dirt Research and after comparing it to your Yokota...I would say that your frame and mine are very similar. I would love to find out more about the bikes and see any others that people have built.

~Adam

They really are quite similar, Adam. They are fun bikes that don't get a lot of attention. Our KHS and ParkPre friends on the site here know what that's like.

I would love to find out more about the bikes and see any others that people have built.

~Adam

I haven't found many either. Back in the early 90's I had a Half Dome that was a fun bike. I'd love to have that back, but they are so rare that at this point I'd settle for a picture! :shock:

 

[xced]

Nice!

i have a Dirt Research too, that i built singlespeed: http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=805809

it rides great. very well made frame. excellent classic geometry.