Anyone know anything about late 80s Saracen "special editions"?

randomdan

Retro Guru
Not posted in a long while, or done up any bikes, but I've been walking past this thing parked outside a local cobblers for a week now and it's been too hard to resist temptation

I couldn't find much out about it. It's badged as a SARACEN SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION, but there's no information on if it's a tuftrax frame or similar of the era, it has a "tange double butted cromo" label on the downtube and seems fairly well specced for that era for parts, with deore thumbies, brakes and one mavic 231 rim (rigida on the front) and an has an XT U-brake at the back which I'm assuming was probably an upgrade.

I'm guessing it's 1988/1987 from the rear U-brake and front cantis, It's filthy with knackered tyres and loads of rust - Sadly this hasn't deterred me from parting with £15 and bringing it home, anyone know what this is based on?
 

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Here’s my 1990 Saracen Limited Edition that I’ve had since new. Most parts have been changed (including removing some of the original decals when I was a teenager…) but it was based on a Traverse frame with a Deore Lx groupset.

I think the Limited Edition model was a way of using some leftovers before the new model launches and i think they were often painted black in the early days.

From looking at a 1987 model brochure, it looks like it could be based on a Tufftrax frame so I’d guess at 88 Limited Edition for yours... For £15 I couldn’t have walked past it either! Enjoy 😃

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