Hi All.
Not much progress on this as of late. I began to strip the paint at the same time as the "O" - got sidetracked with non-bike related projects, then picked up momentum to finish the "O", bought a dynatech in the meantime, then changed focus into getting a Cannondale project finished in readiness for summer holidays. (Hence the Headshok comparison pic!)
Still in the research stage on this one at the moment. You know you're onto something pretty rare when you put 'Browning Suspension Fork' into the search engine and most of the pics that come up are your own!
Stick Legs":4940dahu said:
Brilliant. Like these.
Thanks Stick Legs. It will look good again, even if it's not at the top of the project to do list yet!
rrrroberts":4940dahu said:
I bought one of these brand new in late 1991, but it was a 1992 model. Orange and black but the black zolatone style paint was barely textured and came off easily. Full DX with RM17s. It did have a Tange Prestige sticker but the frame weighed around 5 lbs in a 17.5" - hardly a lightweight. Headset was a steel YST unit. I think the stem was fillet brazed and painted gloss black and the paint fell off the fillets early on. As for the frame builder I have read that the run of around 100 that were made were built by Chas Roberts, but I only read that in the last couple of years somewhere on here. I don't recall whether my frame was fillet brazed but I don't think it was. My forks seized up after less than a year, and were returned for a warranty repair. When they came back the shop demanded fifty quid which I didn't think was fair and left them there. I fitted a pair of Suspenders with a Pro Stop bought from a DHer called Elwyn Roberts and eventually added a 1.25" Manitou 1, repainted it and sold it in 1994 to a guy in Bournemouth for about 400 pounds. Back then it was great because it had suspension adjusted geometry, which apart from a Fisher Mt Tam was incredibly rare. I doubt I have a picture either.
Thanks for adding to the thread. Great to hear other owners stories. Some useful info there too. Interested to find out more about the Chas Roberts link - That would make it a truely 'British' Marin with the Browning Fork up front and it's engineer links to Concorde.
If as you say, it's possibly from a run of just 100, it would make sense that the Pine Mountain and Team variants use the same Tange Prestige frame construction - especially with the suspension adjusted geometry. The frame number seems more like a 'low volume' serial number rather than mass produced. M91060050 (On the seat tube)
Any Marin experts able to shed some light on this? Is it the same as the normal Pine Mountain serial numbers?
My guess is -
M = Marin
91 = 1991
06 = Jun
0050 = 50th made
I've added some pics of the Browning shock out of the frame. Someone was asking about dis-assembly. I think reading the sticker, i'd be very hesitant to start taking the actual shock apart. The steerer is 1 1/4" threaded lower down. The top section is not threaded but grooved to grip the 1 1/4" ahead stem. 2 setting and 'lockout' adjuster remains part of the shock assembly.
I've added a pic next to a Cannondale Headshok fork as a comparison - like a evolution of the browning fork in a way (and probably a nightmare to dis-assemble too!)
Hotwheels.":4940dahu said:
Cool bike and props for removing the US flag sticker as it was the wrong orientation for that side of the frame.
Didn't have to do much! - It was already stickered with the flag on just one side! - someone must have known what they were doing at the time!
Cheers.
boy"O"boy