1996 Wilderness Trail Bikes Phoenix SE
- Thread starter pw_pw_la
- Start date
pw_pw_la
Senior Retro Guru
Funny you ask mate...
I'm sort of saving this for a big update hopefully later in the year, but it turns out @RetroRider_IT and I both have red '96 suspension corrected Phoenix's, his too large, and mine too small.
So a trade was made!
Although, not without complications...
His is the regular, cantilever version, while mine is the SE version with the toggle cam bosses.
So the larger frame is currently with Steve, who will be doing the work to convert the new frame to accept the toggle cam.
He'll also be building Type II forks for both of us!
Then frame and fork will make their way down to D&D for a repaint, who were the original painters of the frame.
I'll leave the rest of the details for when I have more updates and maybe even some photos.
But this is pretty much my one and only vintage project planned for 2023.
I expect it to be pretty slow going tho...
Steve is pretty backed-up with orders.
Plus I need to get saving for whatever I plan to do with it after that!
I'm sort of saving this for a big update hopefully later in the year, but it turns out @RetroRider_IT and I both have red '96 suspension corrected Phoenix's, his too large, and mine too small.
So a trade was made!
Although, not without complications...
His is the regular, cantilever version, while mine is the SE version with the toggle cam bosses.
So the larger frame is currently with Steve, who will be doing the work to convert the new frame to accept the toggle cam.
He'll also be building Type II forks for both of us!
Then frame and fork will make their way down to D&D for a repaint, who were the original painters of the frame.
I'll leave the rest of the details for when I have more updates and maybe even some photos.
But this is pretty much my one and only vintage project planned for 2023.
I expect it to be pretty slow going tho...
Steve is pretty backed-up with orders.
Plus I need to get saving for whatever I plan to do with it after that!
benjabbi
Bontrager Fan
Well that's a pretty hefty update and sounds like it will end up being suitably awesome! It's so cool that you can get Steve to do the work and although I'm sure it will not be in any way cheap, keeping the togglecam and a type II has got to be the right way to go. I assume it'll be getting a roller cam up front too? I'd love a Phoenix but it really is a pipedream at the moment. I'll have to be content with watching yours develop into something special. 
keep us posted!
keep us posted!
pw_pw_la
Senior Retro Guru
I'm in LA, and the bike came to me from Nick (@uno-speedo), who had it in storage in San Diego at the time.
I know he originally bought from this guy:
https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/wilderness-trail-bikes-phoenix-se-size-15”.397786/
Who was the second owner. Not sure if he was in St. Louis, or not. That sticker is one of my favorite things about it! And I'm glad this frame isn't the one getting the repaint!
pw_pw_la
Senior Retro Guru
Well that's a pretty hefty update and sounds like it will end up being suitably awesome! It's so cool that you can get Steve to do the work and although I'm sure it will not be in any way cheap, keeping the togglecam and a type II has got to be the right way to go. I assume it'll be getting a roller cam up front too? I'd love a Phoenix but it really is a pipedream at the moment. I'll have to be content with watching yours develop into something special.
Ha, yeah! I'd been keeping the powder dry with this one, waiting until the time was right. I suppose with the frame now with Steve and the fork part of his next batch, now's as good as any!
So a well-timed inquiry Ben, for sure!
I have some ideas in mind for the final build. Which, honestly, might not be as period correct as many usually are.
I feel like I don't have anything new to bring to the table when it comes to a perfect period Phoenix build, and if I was going to do that I'd want an earlier one anyway.
The nice thing about this being a Mid-90s one, and suspension corrected at that, means I feel less pressure to go about it in a purist manor (there's not that much from 1996 I'd be too inclined to put on it) and that I have a little more freedom with which direction to take the build. Especially with the work being done on it, and the repaint, it feels like a clean slate to me. So maybe I'll just build it using my ideal mix of new and old tech?
I actually, surprisingly, really enjoyed that approach with the Merlin. And am enjoying riding the result.
We'll see. I do have a full XC Pro spread tucked away if I want to go that route, as well as some nice old WTB bits I've been slowly collecting. That includes these:
Which a very kind internet connection mailed out to me today as karma, because he had a few sets knocking around and liked that they'd be going on a WTB-related project (the cut-down flanges was an old WTB/Charlie thing).
Bit old school for this bike maybe, but I don't mind that really.
I do have options tho...
As, in another stroke of good fortune, they're not even the first free grips worthy of this bike to head my way recently!
I was talking to Nate, the owner of Monkey Wrench Cycles in Lincoln, Nebraska, just before Christmas, placing a phone order for one of their stem bags, and we got to talking all things WTB, and, specifically, about the old vs new logo. When I mentioned how much I hated that they now put the new one on all their Trailgrips, he told me he'd stashed away a few of the old style from the shop supply when he first noticed they were doing it some years back. And was kind enough to throw those into my package on the house.
I love bikes, but I love kindness and proper bike people even more.
Oh, and, yes, the Phoenix will be getting a Roller Cam for the fork! It's the black version, which will go on with the a silver booster eventually.
The black RC actually went on the Merlin first, to try it out. But as it's causing some clearance issues there (the spring sits slightly inboard from the chainstay, so is rubbing the tire, on heavy or uphill strokes especially), I may end up switching that out for something a little less exotic (I mean, it is in harms way down there, after all!), like a classic XT U-brake, or similar.
I have half a mind to move the RC over to the Brodie, actually. Until the Phoenix is ready, anyway!
Nice problem to have, of course
pw_pw_la
Senior Retro Guru
I also realized I'd never shared many photos of the bike as I rode it. Which I did happily for quite a while!
So here are a few:
I love how it rode and can't wait to now move onto one in my actual size!
So here are a few:
I love how it rode and can't wait to now move onto one in my actual size!
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pw_pw_la
Senior Retro Guru
Oh, and @mcada, who had the bike prior to Marco, kindly sent over a couple of photos of my new, larger frame from its previous life.
Here's how he received it:
And how he rode it:
You might have noticed the three water bottle bosses on the downtube? Well, those are intended to secure one of these:
A WTB/Blackburn Bomber Cage. Which, luckily, I already have floating around in a bin here somewhere!
Anyway, that's about it for how the bike looked. And probably the last update for a while until we get to how it's going to look next!
Here's how he received it:
And how he rode it:
You might have noticed the three water bottle bosses on the downtube? Well, those are intended to secure one of these:
A WTB/Blackburn Bomber Cage. Which, luckily, I already have floating around in a bin here somewhere!
Anyway, that's about it for how the bike looked. And probably the last update for a while until we get to how it's going to look next!
