Early Saracen Lovers Anonymous......

[Mr Panda]

think there were some farmer johns on the For Sale section a couple of weeks back.......

 

[BarneyRubble]

Re: Anybody wanting to restore an '89 23" Tufftrax?

I recently bought an 89/90 blue Tufftrax off eBay with the intention of stripping it of parts for spares for my own one, and reusing the lovely Tange double butted CroMo frame and forks for my son when he is bigger (than me).

Imagine my dismay to discover that the slightly later incarnation of the Tufftrax does not have the Deore thumbies of my own, but instead gruesome rapidfire shifters integrated with the brake levers. And the classy Mountain LX mechs are replaced by Exage 500 LX mechs, although they at least seem good quality.

Frame and forks are in good order though, but a bit big for me- 22" c-c, 23"c-t.

I'll probably keep it, but as the discerning contributors to this thread appreciate such things I thought I'd offer it up (for a modest price to help recoup my investment, which was £60 by the time I got it sent up- I offered an inducement to forget the local pickup only) as a frame-forks-headset-stem-Kalloy seatpost combo to see if anyone is interested at all.

I'll add pictures if there is a flicker of interest and once I get the brake cable out of the top-tube. The seatpost is free from the seattube, and there are lovely long horizontal dropouts for any single speed fans (and to them I say- get a right bike and just don't change gear).

Cheers
Steven

Could it be, Could it be...? I owned exactly the spec bike you are describing BITD, however the gruesome shifters were not specced, I took them off my then new Saracen Ltd Edition, (1993) and swapped over the Deore thumbies creating a "unique" STI equipped Tufftrax! I then sold the Tufftrax and never saw it again. Could it be that this is my bike, having found it's way from Somerset all the way to Orkney?

Please post some pics!!!

 

[BarneyRubble]

Oh my word, this is an amazing thread. Cant believe ive only just found it!

Saracen are what got me into mountain biking back in 1990, back when they were an awsome bike. Unfortunately they have really gone down hill since, probably something to do with mass production full suss street bikes they released made from crappy parts and weighed a tonne.

I first bought a yellow saracen sahara which some low life pinched not long after, couldnt believe it....cried in my pillow for weeks! This was soon replaced with a brand new 1991 Saracen Limited edition which I still use to this day to commute.

Oh and what a bike, apart from the tyres and back inner tube everything on it are still the original parts. Goes to show the quality of the bike back then which is probably one of the reasons for such a fan base me thinks!

I would love to be able to put some farmer johns nephews back on it but cant find them anywhere. Anyone got any ideas?

I ride a Santa cruz nomad these days but i'll never retire the saracen. To be honest i reckon it will last another 18 years. My wife is using it for work at the moment but when she gets back i'll add some pictures of it (the saracen that is!)

Hope this thread is still going and I havnt missed out.

Carl

Pictures please!

 

[Nomad78]

Saracen Limited edition

Here is my old friend as promised.

1991 Saracen Limited edition, all original apart from tyre's and a innertube. BB,headset,pedals and hubs are all still smooth as a nut. Even the toe clips are still branded saracen. 500LX groupset could do with a little adjusting and the saracen gel saddle is not as comfortable as it used to be but the tioga grips are still almost perfect. Only wish the farmer johns hadnt worn out.

Hard to believe I was bombing around Hamsterely forest every weekend on this very bike all those years ago. Still gets used daily without any hassle.

Ahhh, those were the days!!!

Anyway, I love this thread. Some very nice blasts from the past on here.

Carl

 

[brocklanders023]

Just posted a link on ebay watch to a Saracen that looks like a white version of the Ltd edition above. Think it's an Eiger (if there's any such thing!) and has the funky '91 paint scheme. Starts at £20, BIN £100. Would have it myself if it was a raised chainstay one.

 

[Carlos the Slackal]

Is this the biggest thread on here?

If so, it speaks volumes about how many people had so many great memories of getting in to the sport via Saracen!

Madison (now owners of the brand) - If you're reading......

 

[danceswithferrets]

popular thread

It sure would be nice if saracen brought back some of the old cro-mo frames. I'll never buy another harsh, fragile, overpriced ally frame again now I've rediscovered the joy of a good quality lightweight steel frame.

 

[drystonepaul]

Re: popular thread

It sure would be nice if saracen brought back some of the old cro-mo frames. I'll never buy another harsh, fragile, overpriced ally frame again now I've rediscovered the joy of a good quality lightweight steel frame.

There's no need for Saracen to do so, as there are still loads of nice 90's lightweight and not so lightweight NOS frames knocking around.

But I do agree that if they are serious about relaunching the brand based on the Saracen heritage, then a few high quality steel hardtails in the range, similar to what Orange and Genesis etc are offering, might bring back some of the old and some new customers.

 

[bornagainbiker]

My Saracen Eiger

Sorry for the multiple posts but I kept trying to find the right thread

Another member suggested I post a pic of my Eiger here.

 

[oldave]

My second Kili (a '93 Flyer according to Pip from whom I bought the frame a couple of weeks ago on here). Whatever, the frame is very nice and very light and identical to my geared/'guarded/racked one except for paint job.

This one is s/s for winter. Quick trial build (got frame Monday, wheels - XT on XC517s- Tuesday, and rest of what I had to buy "new" yesterday) but 25 miles extremely nice ride this a.m.

Sort of work-in-progress. Needs a prettier stem. But mainly, once I find one, an Eno rear so that it can run fixed. Could have the drop outs changed but I don't really like chopping a VERY nice frame.