Marinoni Special Mountain Bike

[OldSkoolReTool'd]

Here is a Marinoni ‘Special’ Mountain bike (19 inch) , I’m not sure of the year as there were not many made and not much info on them.
Cycles Marinoni was started in 1974 in Quebec, Canada by master frame builder Giuseppe Marinoni, who was originally from Italy and trained at the Rossin bike factory in Italy. He mainly built road bikes but made a few mountain bikes along the way.
He also built all of Team USA’s bikes in the 1984 Olympics ( rebranded these ones as Raleigh for some reason ).

This bike has been for sale, hanging on the wall in a well know recycler bike shop in Vancouver for at least 2 years with no takers. The price was reduced recently to the point that I couldn’t resist. It needs a bit of TLC - surface rust on the nicely chromed chainstay and dropouts and scratches on it, but I think it will clean up nicely.
The other Marinoni mountain bikes I have seen all had standard raked forks, unlike this one.
It has serial # 10694 on the bb and on the fork tube, so the fork was specifically made for this bike.
It also has has #4090V & T0020473 & 19 on the bottom bracket ( Lots of numbers )
If anyone knows how to decipher what year this is, please let me know.

 

[OldSkoolReTool'd]

More photos

 

[Canuckbiker]

More photos

I own two Marinoni Road bikes, one frame was build in 84' and the other I ordered custom in 90' when I lived in Calgary. Giuseppe is a Canadian frame building legend, I highly recommend watching his documentary.

I love, love this MTB frame/fork. I'm guessing late 80s early 90s due to the decal/graphics, love the Marinoni signature on the TT.

Cycles Marinoni is still up and running, I would email them with your details. I did this myself a few years ago and they emailed back PDF scans of the original paper/handwritten order forms for both frames. There is a good chance they will have yours still on file

What's the build plan?

 

[OldSkoolReTool'd]

Thanks, I will contact Marinoni. I'm guessing 1989-90 based on the serial number and other years similar bikes were made. I'm not sure on the build yet. I have a Suntour xc pro group I could use if the frame cleans up well. I already have the chrome back to looking new. ( 000 steel wool and metal polish took the surface rust right off - with no signs of it now )

 

[vtwinvince]

Which shop did you find that at?

 

[OldSkoolReTool'd]

Which shop did you find that at?

I sent you a pm with the details.

 

[Guigui58]

@OldSkoolReTool'd I just bought a very similar Marinoni mountain bike. It has the same serial number pattern as the one on yours and the same tubing, add ons etc.

Did you get in contact with Marinoni? I know they imported some of the mountain frames from Asia. I'm curious if ours were imported or if they were made by Marinoni himself!

 

[OldSkoolReTool'd]

No sorry, I haven't had a chance to look into it yet.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Lovely finds. Is the chain stay chromed? I know he did that on the earlier Columbus tubed ones, along with the dropouts, for additional hardness. I've been curious about these for a while, would love to see a comparison between Eastern and Western Canadian geometry of the era.

 

[Ingola]

Heres mine