Best production Hardtail of the 1990's?

[xerxes]

Re:

That homegrown does look super

Just shows, there's no accounting for taste.

It may be light, use all top end components and ride superbly, but I think it looks absolutely awful. How many colours and shades do you want on one bike? As if there wasn't enough going on with the multi coloured frame, lairy decals and all the mismatched (colour-wise) components, they've put blue tyres on it. :shock:

 

[elite504]

Nearly a Homegrown, I'd say ARC or Pro FRO.

 

[FluffyChicken]

Re: Re:

Gt zaskar !! The zaskar seems to win every iconic magazine related 'best of'. I have a 91 zaskar so I can say its a nice ride too.

my personal favourite is the khs montana team 1991 deep blue with hot pink seatbtube.
My 2c

That's because GT payed well for the adverts and 'articles' things... Just saying...

 

[hamster]

Re:

I would have to go with a Zaskar or Explosif...if the resale value of either today is anything to go by. Bontragers etc always seemed a bit 'small-series' to qualify as production.

 

[Rod_Saetan]

Re: Re:

I would have to go with a Zaskar or Explosif...if the resale value of either today is anything to go by. Bontragers etc always seemed a bit 'small-series' to qualify as production.

More Bontragers were built than Homegrowns. There is however a difference between production, and 'mass-production', and if we are going to be as vague as 'Zaskar' or 'Explosif', two models that realistically encompass a huge range of quite different bikes over a fairly large period of time (pro rata considering the infancy of the Sport of Mountain BIking), then I would suggest that 'StumpJumper' should be up there too.

In amendmum to my previous statement, my vote is for the 1992 Bontrager OR Race Lite as featured in the April 92 edition of Bicycle Guide.

 

[jimi911]

Re:

If we are saying [high] production HTs, Specialized M2s and 'stumpy' M2s were really great bikes. Even the last of the steel stumpys were great. I had a few of those.

 

[My_Teenage_Self]

Best is subjective.

Kona fire mountain 1991 - 1994 IMO. Decent handling, affordable way into mountain biking for many.

 

[ishaw]

200 is hardly 'production', more bespoke. Anyway, in terms of hard tail bikes I've owned and ridden (how else can one judge), the two that stick out for me, and that I have kept are my Diamond Back axis TT and my Raleigh Dynatech. Both hail from 93, both are ti, and both are really nice frames. It's got to be all about the frame, any manufacturer can buy bits, it is what they hang off that count.

 

[LeeDevelopment]

For me, I'd love to say the ARC, however I'm going to jump forward a few years and say the Spooky Metalhead, it was perfect for UK, launching from jumps, built like a brick sh*thouse and copied by many other firms, yes, I'm looking at you Planet-X and Santa Cruz! It started the whole 'hardcore hardtail' scene, getting the guys and gals together to hit the jumps down the woods and still being able to rail the trails ragged, it was evolutionary and changed the way the UK market went. I therefore hereby nominate the Metalhead!

 

[walleater]

^Funnily enough I was scrolling through this thinking the same thing. There's been a million California fireroad geometry frames out there, but the Metalhead did break the mold somewhat and allow people to hit some gnarly trails without the frames cracking (which is more than can be said for my 1990 Team Marin and 1991 Specialized M2 Team Ed.....).