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BarneyRubble":34t5tn5a said:neilll":34t5tn5a said:
YES!
Indeed
:xmas-cool: 
Early Saracen Lovers Anonymous......
- Thread starter Carlos the Slackal
- Start date
Indeed
:xmas-cool: 
Hello all! firstly can I say what a cool site/forum. I only new it existed 4 days ago.... I decided I wanted a new bike and had a measly £400 to spend and we all know you get what you pay for.
Anyway, I was avidly into my mtb when in my teens in the late eighties. My old man got me a basic peugeot lazer from Halesowen cycles in the west mids. It lasted about 3 years and was robbed. I was told in 1992 that with the insurance money I had a max of £400 to spend...
The quest began and ended again at Halesowen cycles. I entered the shop and was shown a lovely Saracen in a sky blue colour with minimal decals. The frame was oversized and aluminium. The guy in the shop told me that due to their relationship with Saracen they had these special edition bikes equipped with dx throughout and at £300 was well within my budget. I asked if I could reserve one until my dad was available to come and look.
3 days later on a Saturday in august 1992 I entered the shop to be told that the 3 they had were now all sold. Needless to say I was immediately gutted but within 5 mins all was well... The chap said I remember you had a budget of 400 quid so was happy to let them go in mind that you could have one of these..
Out he rolled a 92 purple traverse 17". Initially I was quite happy but them noticed it was no ordinary traverse as it was completely xt equipped the same as the grey/black traverse elite. I was promptly told this was the case and that there were only 2 of them and at £400 they were a steel.
The bike was immediately mine and I was to be riding it the 5 mile home. I new immediately that for me I had something special. It was so effortless on the xt hubs. I flew up the hills that were usually a chore and enjoyed every minute!!
The traverse I had was the following spec.
Wheels - XT M730/732 hubs and the original rims with ritchey megabites
Brakes - XT BL 733 2 finger levers, XT thumbies. BR - M734 silver cantis
Everything else was all the usual stuff from the XT M735 set
Unfortunately I have no pics of it that I know of but have asked my mom to look through all the old family stuff.
Just typing this has made me feel like the day i described was only yesterday and as it was one of the best days of my life at the time. The bike was eventually stole in 1997 and was kept standard apart from onza bar ends. Now about a month after I purchased my traverse my brother who was about 14 then got himself a red kili racer in a 15.5" frame from the same shop, although his was standard I think. I have contacted him as he lives abroad now and he says I can have it..
Sorry to bore you all with the above in my first ever post on here. But I can't help but thinking why spend £400 on the rubbish of today when I can fix up the kili. It will never be my old Traverse as that is something I would do anything to have back. Especially after seeing all the Saracen stuff on here. I must stop now or else I think I may cry
firstly can I say what a cool site/forum. I only new it existed 4 days ago.... I decided I wanted a new bike and had a measly £400 to spend and we all know you get what you pay for.Anyway, I was avidly into my mtb when in my teens in the late eighties. My old man got me a basic peugeot lazer from Halesowen cycles in the west mids. It lasted about 3 years and was robbed. I was told in 1992 that with the insurance money I had a max of £400 to spend...
The quest began and ended again at Halesowen cycles. I entered the shop and was shown a lovely Saracen in a sky blue colour with minimal decals. The frame was oversized and aluminium. The guy in the shop told me that due to their relationship with Saracen they had these special edition bikes equipped with dx throughout and at £300 was well within my budget. I asked if I could reserve one until my dad was available to come and look.
3 days later on a Saturday in august 1992 I entered the shop to be told that the 3 they had were now all sold. Needless to say I was immediately gutted but within 5 mins all was well... The chap said I remember you had a budget of 400 quid so was happy to let them go in mind that you could have one of these..
Out he rolled a 92 purple traverse 17". Initially I was quite happy but them noticed it was no ordinary traverse as it was completely xt equipped the same as the grey/black traverse elite. I was promptly told this was the case and that there were only 2 of them and at £400 they were a steel.
The bike was immediately mine and I was to be riding it the 5 mile home. I new immediately that for me I had something special. It was so effortless on the xt hubs. I flew up the hills that were usually a chore and enjoyed every minute!!
The traverse I had was the following spec.
Wheels - XT M730/732 hubs and the original rims with ritchey megabites
Brakes - XT BL 733 2 finger levers, XT thumbies. BR - M734 silver cantis
Everything else was all the usual stuff from the XT M735 set
Unfortunately I have no pics of it that I know of but have asked my mom to look through all the old family stuff.
Just typing this has made me feel like the day i described was only yesterday and as it was one of the best days of my life at the time. The bike was eventually stole in 1997 and was kept standard apart from onza bar ends. Now about a month after I purchased my traverse my brother who was about 14 then got himself a red kili racer in a 15.5" frame from the same shop, although his was standard I think. I have contacted him as he lives abroad now and he says I can have it..
Sorry to bore you all with the above in my first ever post on here. But I can't help but thinking why spend £400 on the rubbish of today when I can fix up the kili. It will never be my old Traverse as that is something I would do anything to have back. Especially after seeing all the Saracen stuff on here. I must stop now or else I think I may cry
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drystonepaul":j5ntkuky said:BarneyRubble":j5ntkuky said:neilll":j5ntkuky said:
YES!
Indeed
Excellent work
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dendy":upa4idek said:
Hi Dendy and welcome,
Was this the Blue Saracen? If it was sky blue it may well have been a 91. Are you sure it was Aluminium though and not Chromoly Alloy (like all steel frames). Aluminium frames in 92 were rare and very expensive.
dendy":upa4idek said:
But i'm certain this is your Traverse.
I had the Tufftrax elite, which was essentially the same as the Traverse on with mainly DX and LX rather than XT. Fantastic bikes and i really miss mine.
Full 1992 Catalogue here http://www.retrobike.co.uk/gallery2/mai ... emId=59674
Excellent,thank you for the link to the catalogue. It really does bring back memories.lol
No I don't think the bike I was originally offered was a Tufftrax. The reason for this is because I had a conversation with the guy in the shop about the alu frame and how much stiffer it would be. This was one of the reasons he gave to let me down lightly. Then he showed me the traverse and all was well again. Now he may well have been telling porkies, however I studied the Saracen brochure at the time and the bike was not in it.
When I was told about my purple traverse sporting the xt groupset of the elite version he went on to say that Saracen offered the shop special one offs especially when a new range was due. The reason for my traverse sporting the xt groupset and maybe this mysterious blue bike?
On the other hand I was young and maybe It wasn't how I see it 17 years on. I have confirmed I am picking up my bros old estay kili. I am 5' 10" so am slightly worried I may be to big for it as it is only the 15.5" frame. They were short frames that year weren't they? I will post pics when I get it
No I don't think the bike I was originally offered was a Tufftrax. The reason for this is because I had a conversation with the guy in the shop about the alu frame and how much stiffer it would be. This was one of the reasons he gave to let me down lightly. Then he showed me the traverse and all was well again. Now he may well have been telling porkies, however I studied the Saracen brochure at the time and the bike was not in it.
When I was told about my purple traverse sporting the xt groupset of the elite version he went on to say that Saracen offered the shop special one offs especially when a new range was due. The reason for my traverse sporting the xt groupset and maybe this mysterious blue bike?
On the other hand I was young and maybe It wasn't how I see it 17 years on. I have confirmed I am picking up my bros old estay kili. I am 5' 10" so am slightly worried I may be to big for it as it is only the 15.5" frame. They were short frames that year weren't they? I will post pics when I get it
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legrandefromage":y2wnirye said:
Isn't that a Sahara Elite :? same frame though tbh. And you got the original forks. '93 model i believe, '92 elites didn't have suspension just better specd groupset.
A keeper?
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Easy_Rider":2xao2gsh said:
Duh... edited
dunno yet, Tange double butted tubing decerves better parts.
watch this space
no, THIS space, just here.
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Agree on some upgrades, they were low spec'd because of the suspension.
I'm currently building up a '93 Tufftrax elite with a set of Quadra 21's, think they suit it perfectly and they are an underrated fork, just need to find that massive 220mm steerer tube
Your frame is identical to the higher models, so treat it and she will pay back i'm sure
I'm currently building up a '93 Tufftrax elite with a set of Quadra 21's, think they suit it perfectly and they are an underrated fork, just need to find that massive 220mm steerer tube
Your frame is identical to the higher models, so treat it and she will pay back i'm sure
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