Early Saracen Lovers Anonymous......

[grarea]

My name is Grarea.....
I think i am a saracen lover too.

My mate had one around 1990. Tufftrax, blue. Loved it.

Then I picked this up for my offspring a few years ago and it has been well loved.
(Excues the state of it, it has been in the garage for a year getting sawdust on it.)
I really liked it and it was only when I looked close I realised it was a Saracen.
(Plus checking on here obviously.)

Tufftrax 001 by chuffedas, on Flickr

It has been outgrown so now I need a longer saddle stem and one of those quill stem risers for it to be used again.
(I am tempted to swap it for the next size up, but i would be found out.)
Turns out it is probably a limited edition because it has Exage 500LX front and rear mech. (Thanks dw_uk2000)
Which is quite fun.

So, it just feels good, so I am looking for an MTB frame to use as a roadie and I reckon my first port of call
will be a Saracen I have decided.

 

[OldNickJ]

In case these are of interest - some pictures of a (probably '87) Saracen Conquest still close to original spec. (and currently in Luxembourg)
The bike:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/354 ... erview.jpg

(Tyres are, as far as I can tell, the original Panaracer Ibex 26 x 2.0. I don't use them much, swapping out for Schwalbe Marathon XR for on and summer gentle off road)

Rear frame and Wheel:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/354 ... 0Wheel.jpg
The rack and guards were on the bike when I acquired it in 2010. Derailleur guard is somewhere in the parts box in the UK, I think. To be picked up at Christmas.

Front wheel, forks, and head tube area:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/354 ... 0Frame.jpg
Cables are replacements (Jagwire outers) as the originals had split. This was the best colour match I could manage for the original.

Rear Mech and Cassette:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/354 ... ssette.jpg
A mix of cogs in the cassette now, as several of the originals were quite worn. (12, threaded; 16, which thin cassette bolts screw into; 20; 24; 28; 32)

Chainrings and Decals:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/354 ... Decals.jpg
'Fraid I let that 531 decal decay a bit before applying superglue to put the peeling clear plastic 'skin' back on top :-(

Head tube and bars:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/354 ... 0Frame.jpg
Don't see many head nuts of that pattern.

Front-view:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/354 ... 20view.jpg
When I bought the bike it still had original XT brake blocks. Currently running with M 65T blocks as the closest I can find for regular use.

Brakes, Bars, Shifters:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/354 ... ifters.jpg
Original shifters, levers, rubber 'boots' over adjusters. RHS shifter had an 'accident' when a son of mine was riding it. Replacement original M730 shifter should be on its way to me soon.

Saddle, seatpost, QR:
NOT an original saddle. Damage to black of the seatpost was my fault I am afraid - being in a hurry to raise it to fit me. One day it may be re-finished. The QR is a NOS replacement as the original 'failed' (possibly related to sons' use too).

I love riding this bike (relatively gently) and it is in regular use as a means of transport, as well as for exercise, and for leisure. It came (to me) complete with a light alloy front rack, billed as an 'expedition' bike. For any serious rough road long-distance riding I would replace both racks with something more substantial; but the rest of the compopnents seem to be pretty bomb-proof (though I am laying up a store of M730 parts just in case - as they seem to be getting harder to find).

 

[Rodrigues]

Re:

Amazing stuff. Thanks for sharing Nick. Best of all you still ride it regularly.

 

[brocklanders023]

Re:

That's a belter nick.

 

[legrandefromage]

Interesting bit of info regarding Ribble, Autostrada and Mike Kowel.

I'm sure Autostrada built some of the early Saracens after Blumells.

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=359623

 

[tim75]

Re:

Not sure what year this is, maybe a 95 or 96 Forcetrax.

 

[Kell]

Here's a video I found a few weeks back of me on my old one before it got nicked.

(Both of them were nicked within about 5-6 months of making the video actually...)

https://youtu.be/9mD3LxbNw5Q

 

[brocklanders023]

Re:

My recently acquired 1989 Traverse with my old Tufftrax. Resto needed for the Traverse but it is in good shape under the grime.

 

[Henne]

Re:

Picked this limited edition model up locally a while ago and whilst it needs a clean and a re-grease it is almost all original apart from the saddle. Deore LX groupset, Wolber rims and Farmer John Nephew tyres are still holding up.

 

[Henne]

Re:

My trio of 89-90 Saracens. Tuff Trax, Traverse and Limited Edition.