Captain Cowell's '94 Marin Indian Fire Trail

[Dan_Trials]

Thanks Dan! Cracked me up there,great selection!
The proper build is complete,but the build thread still pending,just need to get myself into gear for that one.I do get there......in the end!

Does a build have to be complete before you start the fred? Just do it as you go along, take a picture here and there, and up load..... Maybe I've been doing it wrong

This one should be with the new owner any day now,for the record it went for £470 on eBay.Will be living the high life on the tropical isle of Guernsey.
The buyer had seen one in the LBS window,but at 13 and on paper-round income,could never afford it.27 years later,dream realised.Love it!

You could spend it on the not-so-tropical island of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. So far today we have had sun, rain, wind, patchy cloud, and my computer tells me "16° with rain coming", a typical day, if a little warm. On the way to work this morning I had to wear sun glasses and have the windscreen wipers on at the same time. We had curry last night, so it was just as windy inside the car as it was outside. I remember chatting to someone who had cycled up through Skye, Uist, Harris and Lewis, then back to Ullapool. They were telling me how they couldn't keep up with constantly having to change their clothing between wet weather, dry with wind, or just dry and bloody hot. I used to do a 1.5 hour cycle commute to my Saturday job and I just wore "clothes" . I once cycled from Uist to Callendar for the opening of that part of the Scottish Cyvle Network, cracking scenery but the weather stayed the same . Anyway, I digress (and I'm not even from down your way).

 

[captaincowelly]

I'm sure you'd be grateful for not being from down my way .And digression is usually to be found on one of my threads,so feel free!Nice to know it's not just me.
The changeable weather/clothes thing made me laugh.Very pleased to hear you wore clothes on the Olympic commute.Posh kid eh?That's some going though
The changeable weather/clothes thing made me laugh.I imagine there are a lot of jokes about weather there.Just like there are a lot of jokes about fish,hookers and crack here.I'm sure you're a bit more hardy than us southerners/mainlanders.Here in Lincolnshire we tend to miss the worst of it really.And down the coast it's so flat you can look out of your door on Monday and know the weather for Friday.
Must be stunning up there,and some fantastic riding.I do like my summers though,the longer/warmer the better for me.That's what I would miss.
Regarding the build thread,you're exactly right.For some reason I decided to 'build and show'.Was always like it as a kid with Lego creations/drawing etc.Didn't want anyone to see it till I was finished.And I was happy with it!
I do follow threads here and there but personally I prefer to read a build in one hit.If I had the choice of watching a blockbuster at the cinema or a week of Eastenders,I know where I'd be.Don't really have an interest in reading updates of postal deliveries.But then it's highly likely I've bored more than one person to tears myself.Thankfully,something for everyone here!
I'll get my arse into gear and sort the next one.
Welcome to the forum by the way!Hope you have as good an experience as I've had.I'm pretty sure there's a few members on here from the Islands.And through the magic of text,we can all understand each other!Well,most of the time.God knows what we'd all be like on Zoom.Hope you're enjoying it so far,highly addictive stuff in case you haven't been warned.Sold my Gran last week for a pair of inner tubes.But it's all worth it!
Plus,it's weeks since she passed.

 

[Dan_Trials]

I'm sure you'd be grateful for not being from down my way .And digression is usually to be found on one of my threads,so feel free!Nice to know it's not just me.
The changeable weather/clothes thing made me laugh.Very pleased to hear you wore clothes on the Olympic commute.Posh kid eh?That's some going though
The changeable weather/clothes thing made me laugh.I imagine there are a lot of jokes about weather there.Just like there are a lot of jokes about fish,hookers and crack here.I'm sure you're a bit more hardy than us southerners/mainlanders.Here in Lincolnshire we tend to miss the worst of it really.And down the coast it's so flat you can look out of your door on Monday and know the weather for Friday.
Must be stunning up there,and some fantastic riding.I do like my summers though,the longer/warmer the better for me.That's what I would miss.
Regarding the build thread,you're exactly right.For some reason I decided to 'build and show'.Was always like it as a kid with Lego creations/drawing etc.Didn't want anyone to see it till I was finished.And I was happy with it!
I do follow threads here and there but personally I prefer to read a build in one hit.If I had the choice of watching a blockbuster at the cinema or a week of Eastenders,I know where I'd be.Don't really have an interest in reading updates of postal deliveries.But then it's highly likely I've bored more than one person to tears myself.Thankfully,something for everyone here!
I'll get my arse into gear and sort the next one.
Welcome to the forum by the way!Hope you have as good an experience as I've had.I'm pretty sure there's a few members on here from the Islands.And through the magic of text,we can all understand each other!Well,most of the time.God knows what we'd all be like on Zoom.Hope you're enjoying it so far,highly addictive stuff in case you haven't been warned.Sold my Gran last week for a pair of inner tubes.But it's all worth it!
Plus,it's weeks since she passed.

Ah well here’s the thing, well two things actually: Lincolnshire isn’t that far south really, not like proper south. The other thing is although I live on a Scottish island now, I am not an islander, I am from the West Midlands. The good old Black Country, Stourbridge. Although I have lived up here for well over half my life, so I guess I’m acclimatised to the conditions. As for the Olympic commute, that’s just part of it up here too, everything is chuffin far away so you’d better get going. It does make it a pain when you see something you want and the seller won’t post though! Two ferry trips and a few hours drive to collect a frame or some forks can really ruin a potential purchase. But hey-ho, that’s what you get for living here! I guess the views are okay, I’ve never really been one for “views” or “scenery” so wouldn’t know a good one if I saw it. The riding tends to be a bit different up here, it’s mostly peat and moor land so usually wet and boggy unless man-made. There are some very good walking routes, and there’s a good selection of trails in the Lews Castle Grounds. Anyway, I’ve rambled on enough. Get that build thread up!

 

[acute]

Beautiful work!

 

[roger_beerman]

Around 5 years ago I was working away on a particularly long shift and spotted this on eBay.Already had most of the components I needed to recreate the '94 IFT of my youth but lacked a nice set of Rockstar forks.Paid around £150,planned to pick it up on the drive home,Ramsgate to Grimsby.
Then we got the call to take the boat up to Barrow in Furness,left my car in Ramsgate,chucked my Stumpy on the boat,hit bad weather and ported in Newhaven where I somehow managed to leave my car keys at the hotel.
A few weeks later,finished my last night shift,taxi to Manchester airport,wandered around with 2 large holdalls,a daysack ,laptop bag and my bike,waited 1.5 hours for a hire car,next stop Birmingham.
Fellow called Kim,lived on a narrow boat in an idyllic little haven,was like stepping into middle earth.Quick test ride,was only really interested in the forks of course,packed it in the car then drove to Newhaven.Receptionist hadn't been willing to post my keys to me so added a lot more time/mileage to the trip.
On to Ramsgate,took an hour or so to get security to let me collect my carloaded my car up,dropped off hire car,and drove home.Couple of naps along the way,got back 22 hours after finishing my shift.
So,although the journey would have happened without the bike,it was still a bit of an effort for a pair of forks.But I'm sure there are more extreme testimonials out there!
After 7 years of harvesting I finally built my bike.Build thread for that still to come.Decided to give this bike a pair of forks,quick spruce up and sell on to get a bit of money back,was thinking around the £150 I paid.Had chucked a pair of champagne Rockstars on temporarily.
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Customised '93/'94 style decal mix,Rolls saddle,Club Roost bar ends.Otherwise original spec.Had a previous restoration,possibly in the 00's.Lacquer removed,a good shine to the ally but a lot of fine abrasive marks up close.A couple of the welds had been smoothed out slightly from agressive polishing but mainly good.
View attachment 552958View attachment 552959
My meticulous nature took over and couldn't stop myself from minting it,knowing full well the extra time/effort would never equate to £££'s.But there's a lot of enjoyment in restoration,as I'm sure many will agree.And it gives me a lot of pleasure to know that someone is gonna be over the moon with this.
So I went to town!
Stripped to every component part (barring removing spokes/stripping the shifter mechanisms themselves.
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Controls - Fully stripped,soaked for two days,cleaned to the nth degree,regreased.Function like new.Slight ano rub on levers,can be touched up or polished up.Housings virtually unmarked.8 speed indicator window was broken,rubber cable grommets were missing.Replaced with NOS items.
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These are actually a set of combis I sold on here but same condition/level of refurb.

Frame - Degreased/soaked the frame and rinsed out any dirt thoroughly.Dried for a few days.Treated internally with Quiksilver Corrosion Guard.Great product,similar to Waxoyl.Have used it in a marine environment with great success.
Manually rubbed down with 600/800/1000/1500/2000 grit wet n dry with some slightly soapy water.Back yard,sunshine and music with a good polishing BPM.The 600 was probably the most labour intensive,was very thorough with that,each stage after was a little easier.Worked all the way into the corners,avoided the welds,wanting to keep them intact.Fibreglass pen to work into the welds.Multiple (8-10+) applications of White Diamond Metal Polish/High Shine,all hand polished.Applied using cotton wool pads,buffed with a yellow cotton dusters.
Can't remember who recommended White Diamond on here but it totally knocked socks off Autosol (been a life-long fan).Fantastic product,best shine I've ever seen on ally.Really comes up like chrome. I'm sure @Matttymm can vouch for that.From certain angles it's possible to see the remains of tiny pit marks up close,but invisible from a foot or two away.One very slight indentation under downtube and a faint scrape mark.All threads/rivnuts fine.
View attachment 552962
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Forks - NOS.They are made by Spinner but are not Rockstars.They're slightly fatter at the bottom than the originals,suit the frame very well I think.Added a spacer to headset to leave as much steerer length as possible,190mm-ish.
View attachment 552964

Wheels - Excellent shape,virtually unmarked.Braking tracks very good,minimal wear on front,even less on rear.

Rear wheel - One or two nipples are a couple of mm longer,rear wheel has one spoke with thread showing,I assume someone has replaced it previously.Runs straight n true,new hub bearings,internally was like new,also freehub.Super smooth.Slight tear to rubber boot,superglued.

Front wheel - RH hub race had slight dulling to polished surface,also to cone.Fitted new identical axle/cones/seals from an unused M750 hub and new bearings.It's not quite as smooth as it should be but perfectly rideable.A mm or so of wobble on front wheel.

Tyres - I have the tyres this bike came with (Kevlar bead Marin Lite) but they're not mint so fitted these wire bead versions.No noticeable wear,fantastic condition,logos have slight discolouration but still bright and clear.

Drivetrain - One LX crank arm has been replaced previously.One has stamped markings,the other embossed.Logos polished away previously,cranks are now unmarked.NOS LX 44t chainring,it's the type with 4 extra holes for a chainguard so technically lighter! .Took decal from old chainring and applied.Original vgc middle ring,barely used granny.NOS crankbolts.
When LX looks this good,who needs XT?
View attachment 552965

NOS HG71 chain,VGC M737 11-32t cassette.

Original LX UN51 BB was smooth but had slight play.Fitted a very smooth,play-free XT UN71 BB,using Shimano anti-seize.

Mechs - FD has had the XT logo polished away previously but is in great condition,minimal wear to shift plate,no play.Rear is VGC,have resprayed the inner cage,jockeys good.

Brakes - Excellent condition.Fitted NOS LX pads/polished pad carriers.Touched up a couple of small scrape marks.NOS hangers/straddle cables.

Bars - Original bars had the logos removed,were slightly crimped.Fitted NOS 94 bars,560mm.Original grips.

Stem - Original stem,original paint/decals.Touched up in a couple of places but very tidy.Original top cap.Resprayed bolt.

Headset - Original had slight pitting to crown race and slight damage to top nut/seal.Fitted an identical NOS Ritchey Logic.

Bar ends - Bike came with aftermarket,I resprayed an original pair I had,original end caps in good condition.

Bottle cages - 1 original,1 identical I already had.Resprayed,stainless bolts,polished spacers for seat tube cage.

Original seatpost,resprayed clamp bolt.Seat from a '95 Nail Trail,slight tears stuck down at back,resprayed seat rails to match catalogue spec.

Cables all new,Shimano M System/SP41.Glued nipples for a neater look.

Pedals - Original VP..Lightly polished the bodies,packed with fresh grease,small ammount of play but plenty of life left.Minimal scrape marks.Have grease nipples.

New Nitrile o rings for QR's.Chrome is slightly pitted in places but still good.

NOS Sharkfin. New tubes.

Top/downtube/7005 decals courtesy of Ian at dnfive graphics.Very nice,helpful chap,thoroughly recommended.All other decals are genuine NOS,thanks again to @whayne .The blue 'Race Proven' seat tube decal still to be applied (NOS).

Painted items had 600 grit rub down,then 2 coats etch primer/3 of basecoat/3 of lacquer,flatting with 800 grit/wiping down with brake cleaner between each stage.Good quality auto paint.Always use the local auto trade supplier.Seemingly infinite range of colours/finishes to choose from,aerosols or pots filled to order (100ml-1L), the cans spray like a dream.Around £12-£14 for a 400ml can.Took an hour going through sample books but was very happy with the match,checking indoors and outdoors.Very difficult to match these paints.
I used (STD) (BSB 488/92) Renault Bleu Alpine Irise'
If anything I would say the original finish (stem on right) is a little more turquoise,just a shade.Hard to see the difference in this pic.
View attachment 552966


Spent a long time making sure everything is set up to the highest standard both aesthetically and functionally.Brakes are sharp,gears smooth,bearings well adjusted,cables as neat as possible.

To protect the finish I used o rings on the top tube cable instead of the original plastic sheath.Fitted more than needed so excess can be removed.

Chain length is good,all works fine on the stand but it’s possible it may need a link taken out if it seems slightly slack on the ride.New owners choice.Can supply a new Shimano joining pin in case.


Bought originally for £150,drove a good distance to collect,spent 3 days+ on the frame,3 days+ building (conservatively).

Forks£60 Headset£25 BB£20 Chainring£25 Chain£15 Brake pads/carriers£15 Cables/hangers£30 Crank bolts£5 Tubes £10 Decals £20 Paint£20 I make that £395 and 6+ days labour,not including tyre upgrade,fuel,bearings,missing shifter items,consumables.
Oh,and £12 for the sharkfin.
But all worth it.....

Just Stunning,Beautiful restoration.