By luck I stumbled upon this '95 Blizzard advert on our local marketplace, contacted the owner and the sale was quickly made. Because the advert pictures weren't the best, I wasn't sure on the condition of the bike. Therefore I'm glad to see the original owner had really well taken care of it.
It's a 1995 Rocky Mountain Blizzard, sized 18.5". It has a rather unique serial number: B00070 which I haven't seen with other Rockies this age and is different from the other '95 Blizzard in FC's great database. It's made of a good mix of Tange Prestige Ultimate Ultralight tubes so I'm quite sure the frame isn't the heaviest. The paint is black with some green glitters in it. There is rust here and there but a complete lack of chainsuck.
It's amazing to see how much has stayed original on this bike. The wheels are the original Wheeltech built wheels around XT parallax hubs and Sun CR18 rims. Even the tyres are still the original Ritchey Megabite Zmax 1.95 skinwalls. It has the original Raceface cranks, headset and steerer, I'm pretty pleased with these as they have a rather unique colour mix of green and gold. Shifters, mechs, seatpost and rear brakes are original as well. Great score!
On the other side, there are a few parts that have been replaced unfortunately. The biggest eye catcher is the 80 mm (or 100mm?) Manitou Six front fork. What a choice for such a conventional steel bike. It results in a major adjustment of geometry, the front is lifted way too much, affecting the sleek like this bike should have. The original stem is gone and replaced by an adjustable after market fit. The pedals are modern XT spd's. The front brakes are Shimano SLX V brakes. And then there are a few bar ends added and the saddle is not original.
So what's the plan. I need to get rid of that massive Manitou fork. Ideally I replace it with a steel rigid fork, but I'm unsure what to choose. The stem I will replace with something more sleek and in line with the other parts. However I'm looking for a rather short stem with some rise. Not sure what to take. Pedals will go, I replace them with normal platform pedals. I don't like the cockpit, too modern, will replace this with M950 or M737 probably.
Then the only question mark on this bike is the seatpost. It is seized. I've tried to get some movement in it without any effect. Let's soak it in WD40 for a night and give it a second try. Hope it's not too serious.
Any suggestions, in particular on the fork or the stem, are appreciated!
It's a 1995 Rocky Mountain Blizzard, sized 18.5". It has a rather unique serial number: B00070 which I haven't seen with other Rockies this age and is different from the other '95 Blizzard in FC's great database. It's made of a good mix of Tange Prestige Ultimate Ultralight tubes so I'm quite sure the frame isn't the heaviest. The paint is black with some green glitters in it. There is rust here and there but a complete lack of chainsuck.
It's amazing to see how much has stayed original on this bike. The wheels are the original Wheeltech built wheels around XT parallax hubs and Sun CR18 rims. Even the tyres are still the original Ritchey Megabite Zmax 1.95 skinwalls. It has the original Raceface cranks, headset and steerer, I'm pretty pleased with these as they have a rather unique colour mix of green and gold. Shifters, mechs, seatpost and rear brakes are original as well. Great score!
On the other side, there are a few parts that have been replaced unfortunately. The biggest eye catcher is the 80 mm (or 100mm?) Manitou Six front fork. What a choice for such a conventional steel bike. It results in a major adjustment of geometry, the front is lifted way too much, affecting the sleek like this bike should have. The original stem is gone and replaced by an adjustable after market fit. The pedals are modern XT spd's. The front brakes are Shimano SLX V brakes. And then there are a few bar ends added and the saddle is not original.
So what's the plan. I need to get rid of that massive Manitou fork. Ideally I replace it with a steel rigid fork, but I'm unsure what to choose. The stem I will replace with something more sleek and in line with the other parts. However I'm looking for a rather short stem with some rise. Not sure what to take. Pedals will go, I replace them with normal platform pedals. I don't like the cockpit, too modern, will replace this with M950 or M737 probably.
Then the only question mark on this bike is the seatpost. It is seized. I've tried to get some movement in it without any effect. Let's soak it in WD40 for a night and give it a second try. Hope it's not too serious.
Any suggestions, in particular on the fork or the stem, are appreciated!
Nice find, the paint looks in good condition too.
