Classic steel

[Err]

Got to have some criteria to separate wheat from chaff; each nomination has to have a reason over and above 'I've got one and really like it':

So ...

1. Winners: frames that have won races (or come close)

2. Custom with a claim: e.g. what is it about a Potts or Roberts that makes them so spesh?

3. Important innovations: superlight? awesome detail? clever stays? wowy geometry?

4. Industry Icons: they might not be race winners but they set the standard for what the people bought: Stumpjumper? Bridgestone?

5. Yeoman marvels: beer-money bikes that punch their way to iconic status. Be prepared to make a good argument.

Agree the rules and then let the games commence ...

Instead of someone deciding what criteria are important and grouping accordingly, it might be better to list details for each in a table and let people make their own decisions.


Maker
Model
Tubeset/steel type
Origin (Fabricated)
Origin(design)
Construction tig, Fil brazed, lugbrazed
Small Builder/Volume
misc features
Rarity
Place in lineup at release (ie hot is 1 explosif 2 kilauea 3)

But it makes it a big job for one person. Maybe if we had a wiki we could have a good bash at this though?

 

[Wold Ranger]

Missed one

To my mind there is one crucial frame missing, mega rare ,was used to anhialate all other competitors in races World wide in the early 90's and resulted in the evolution of the sport, before it was totally destroyed through boredom. DH and XC were then born as seperate disciplines and the hill climb event was banished to the history books. David Baker and Tim Gould rode them, the hand built Look Grisley Mi range!

 

[Corduroyboy]

OK, without wanting to get in to categories; and playing devils advocate with a big stirring stick, here's my take on a long list.

Salsa a la Carte
Bontrager OR or RL, less so the Race
Mountain Goat WTR
Ibis Mojo
Ritchey P whatever
Fat Chance Yo Eddy
Yeti FRO / Ultimate
Steve Potts
Serotta T-Max
Breezer
Stumpjumper / Rockhopper

Brodie
RM Blizzard / Alttitude
Off Road Toad
Kona Explosif
DeKerf

MF Courier
Orange Clockwork
Zinn 753
Roberts Dogs Bolx (which led Yates and Lloyd to follow with their own interpretations)


...For me that's a long list of what were "lusted after" steel bikes from the US, Canada and the UK that were available / marketed in the UK (I should knock Potts off on those grounds). I've also added a couple of "market makers" (the MF Courier, Specializeds, Kona and Clockwork) from the mid 80s to roughly 94 (the period I like, so I'm being biased).

There are lots of other good bikes in that period, but using that monster list as a starter, here's a refined one for you to take apart

and look - no Fuquay Max :shock:

Greg Fuquay learned his craft at Serotta...

 

[doctor-bond]

The last few posts prove the point: you've got to have criteria or it's just "Boo, Hurrah" ...

 

[MJN]

Re: Missed one

To my mind there is one crucial frame missing, mega rare ,was used to anhialate all other competitors in races World wide in the early 90's and resulted in the evolution of the sport, before it was totally destroyed through boredom. DH and XC were then born as seperate disciplines and the hill climb event was banished to the history books. David Baker and Tim Gould rode them, the hand built Look Grisley Mi range!

I was always led to belive that the Peugeot team bikes were built by Roberts?

 

[Wold Ranger]

Peugeot

Peugeot were not seen as a sexy enough Brand and nor was anything built in the UK for that matter, (nobody wanted to know, had to be US or Canadian brands) so Peugeot who owned Look, decided they wanted a bigger slice of the MTB craze action, so offered Paul Grisley a big wedge to buy him out and manufacture handmade mtb frames under the Look name.
They went on sale at silly high money and didn't sell that well. but the famous twosome had massive success on them.
They were no superlight race bike, as they were also designed to take the abuse of the downhill event too, as you had to do all three disciplines on the same scoot, the tube butts were cut into each other then fillet brazed, making a very neat and strong join. Tube sections were relatively oversized too and custom drawn for Look to their own spec.
The commercial frames were available double, triple and quad butted depending on the depth of your pockets, frames started at £995 and that was in 1990-no wonder they didn't sell too swiftly and are rare today!

 

[Err]

Re: Peugeot

Not quite with you on the 'tube butts cut into each other' point, but interested to try to understand.

 

[Wold Ranger]

Butts

The end of each tube is inserted into an aperture cut in the tube, it is to be joined with instead of just butted up against it. Makes for a much stronger joint, but very time consuming and takes a lot of skill, less weld is also required, so it looks a lot neater.

 

[Benandemu]

Can't believe nobody has mentioned...

The Grifter

All the Burner range

and the Chopper

They are all classic steel bikes.







When I was 10!