BoTM Bike of The Month April 2025, now taking entries

[raidan73]

A standard month for April. Next month will bring a special competition, theme to be confirmed.

Useful for the poll if you can structure your nomination as follows:

username's Year Manufacturer Model , e.g. @al's 1995 weird bouncy thing
Image(s) MAXIMUM OF 2
Finally please include a link to your machine in the relevant Reader's Bikes section. If you don't have an existing post now is the time to add one with as much detail as you like!
Link to all the rules http://www.retrobike.co.uk/wiki/BoTM_Rules

Nominations thread will run for the entire month of April. Entries submitted after April 30th will not be counted. The poll will go up shortly after the nominations close and will run for a week.

 

[90's Ninja]

90's Ninja's 1996 Marin Monocoque

Build thread: https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/1996-marin-monocoque-build-thread.478575/

 

[Canuckbiker]

Canuckbiker's 1988 Brodie Romax

Build thread: https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/1988-brodie-romax.483473/

 

[devo]

Canuckbiker's 1988 Brodie Romax

Build thread: https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/1988-brodie-romax.483473/

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Canuckbiker's 1988 Brodie Romax

Build thread: https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/1988-brodie-romax.483473/

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Going to be hard pressed for anything to beat this beauty.

 

[KayOs]

Going to be hard pressed for anything to beat this beauty.

Especially with all the work that went into it.

 

[Scott-S]

Going to be hard pressed for anything to beat this beauty.

Especially with all the work that went into it.

Completely agree with both of you, it certainly has the WOW! factor in abundance.

 

[adiwin]

@adiwin 1990 Kuwahara Gepard.
Build thread : https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/1990-kuwahara-gepard.492200/

 

[Once A Hero]

Once A Hero’s 1992 Merlin Titanium

Build thread here;

Thread '1992 Merlin Titanium'

Aug 30, 2024

I've just picked up a '92 Merlin Titanium which is in need of revival. Early 7,000's frame number so squarely in the '92 build range.

Need to decide which way to go on specification. It's mostly Deore XT currently but with XT parts across a couple of years rather than a consistent groupset, plus the STIs pods have been swapped out with STX RC pods.
Looking at the '91 catalogue (there doesn't appear to be a '92 catalogue in the archive) the spec looks like Suntour, can anyone confirm?
https://www.retrobike.co.uk/archive/1991-merlin-catalogue.160/
A quick measure of the current quill...

• Once A Hero
• Replies: 36
• Forum: Reader's MTBs --> 1997

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[Silverfish]

Withdrawn
Looks like I already entered the Crosstrac Sonoma

 

[Silverfish]

probably my favourite build of the last couple of years, certainly this one or the San Andreas…

Silverfish 1993 Manitou FS

Bonkers expensive BITD but also so so cool. They actually rode phenomenally well, one of the best of the early design FS mountain bikes and crazy light considering the travel. Which is why not many of the earlier ones have stood the test of time - Manitou FS bikes were pretty prone to cracking. I think they probably built them a little too light...

Here is one of the few that didn't crack

Build thread here

https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/silverfish-1993-manitou-fs.473982/