A Netflix build special… (JMC 1995 Specialized M2)

[Joe*Pro]

Then 24th March 2020 the pandemic lockdown happened and I work in the NHS, but whilst I was ten to the dozen every day still, everyone else it seems had started to dig out old parts from the depths of there garages and sell them. So all manner of rare parts I never thought I’d ever find started to pop up to my delight, it was a good year if you were a retro biker, all be it with a bit of inflation thrown in;

April 2020 - A bag of Mr Crud Bungs, like finding diamonds in the long grass ! A NOS X-ray 800 from Japan with some yellow stickers, all be they the smoked versions and the correct Judy 7 ridge fork boots that my FSX was missing.

May 2020 - XTR M900 brake cables, a better condition 70mm Azonic shorty stem & a MBUK Salsa jersey for the shrine Off an ex MBUK employee. XTR M900 front & rear derailleurs and an XTR M910 rear short cage for good measure just in case.

June 2020 - XTR M900 crankset from Poland with stickers still looking in good shape, a more accurate Quest 2 Calorie jersey from California (just missing JMCs personal Hardisty sponsor logo) and low and behold my first set of Avid Ultimate levers, cheap because they were missing a pivot bolt. How hard can that be to fix i figured ! (wrong)

And as part of the garage makeover, a parts cabinet with draws was acquired and was really starting to fill up nicely

 

[Joe*Pro]

I realised once offering them up, the brake levers really are the jewel in the crown of the cockpit. They are so beautifully machined and precise, they catch your eye every time I look at the bike now and the colour contrast with the green shark bites looks great. I just had to set about finding a pivot bolt. That it turns out was significantly harder than I thought, see this entire separate thread of mine trying to refurbish them:

Thread 'Avid Ultimate brake lever refurbishments.'
https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/avid-ultimate-brake-lever-refurbishments.411632/

 

[Joe*Pro]

The build was gaining speed now and i’d definitely started to adjust what I thought was a reasonable price for an old bike part. A prime example of which was when a grey leather ‘non-perforated saddle’ finally came up for sale on a bike in Florida, the wrong side of the Atlantic. it was on a full original high end StumpJumper of the same 1995 year, I nearly bought the whole bike for it at around £250, but to be fair we agreed it wasn’t worth the shipping risk across the Atlantic.

The seller kindly agreed to pass my details and request to purchase the saddle alone onto the new owner post auction, and for nearly half the price of the bike and a lot of begging, the saddle was mine, prised off the new senior lady owner who just wanted any old red bike !

On arrival, it was marked as a Nov 94 model, I wonder what month/year JMCs was !!

 

[Joe*Pro]

By the end of July the following month, I’d found another set of original Onza ules, this time cut ready for use (luckily I didn’t have the heart to cut the others) with the x-ray shifters, a more accurate 2.5inch riser rather than the 2inch I realised I had and some clear x-ray 800 only partly cracked at the lock on bolt. (Nearly every single set for sale are cracker there it seems !)

And a Dia-comp Aheadset top cap with resessed writing that I figured I could colour in white with the wife’s nail varnish. Since the black engraved one was still proving elusive. It’s a Chris king headset underneath, which I just love and can’t bare to swap out yet for the silver Dia-Comp Ahead it should be.

 

[Joe*Pro]

In the midst of all the JMC jersey hunting, a number of them kept coming up in XXL that would go for real cheap, the baby was getting bigger and I started to wonder if I could make him a onesie out of them !

….Turns out you can, so matching family outfits it is then. The misses rides the 16inch Zaskar, so they get the matching GT ones, whilst he rides shotgun saddle with me on the 2006 s-works epic in the retro special outfits.

The little man was delighted, even if he did look a bit like Evil Knievel or Elvis !! …and he seemed to understand the assignment when left to crawl around on the garage floor

That meant he needed the matching Vans as well of course, ready for when he could wheelie/I mean walk…

 

[Joe*Pro]

Looking back, 2020 was a good year in many ways, despite the obvious way it wasn’t for so many other reasons and I can say that whilst working in a major hospital.

By Xmas I had closed the year out with a matching Quest 2 Calorie rain jacket ready for the winter and some NOS triple traps that just needed the spindle swapping over from BMX to the MTB size thread. I mean it’s not a real build unless you need to do some proper mechanics and refurbishment.

The priceless Black Gold grease syringe was mine from circa 1995, I kid you not. So I’d only be missing air in the tyres from 1995 if anyone has some ?

 

[pw_pw_la]

Absolutely loving this, for obvious reasons!

Keep it coming.

The onesie is INSPIRED.

I love how much you love what you've been building, and I love that it's followed such an interesting path, all the while getting ridden and loved as you go, rather than stashing it away until you could have every last thing for the perfect build.

I also got myself some Vans Authentic's when I finished my "inspired by" build!

A must for the first ride.

(Although they're supposed to be navy blue mate! You've blown it there!)

 

[Kevhl]

Excellent read, loving this. My bedroom wall had pretty much all the same posters on it.
Would still love to do a JMC M2 build, I think that ship has sailed now. I've very fond memories of seeing his bikes most weekends bitd and on occasion having a play on them in the carpark.
Have to say the onesie's are awesome, nice work!

 

[Joe*Pro]

(Although they're supposed to be navy blue mate! You've blown it there!)

Added back onto the ‘could be closer’ list

 

[Joe*Pro]

Have to say the onesie's are awesome, nice work!

I’m quite proud of them, and the toddler loves them. when I set out on the build I did not think the sewing machine would be a key tool !