hello
Have just stumbled across this site and can shed some light on these early MF titanium bikes.
I joined MF in September 1991 as the designer. The company was not in great shape and the recession was kicking in. The 1992-model bikes were dire, too. (We were in hock to the Taiwanese factory, as I recall).
Anyway I pushed ahead on re-working the line-up. The graphic design guy re-did the graphics before he left and I sat down to work on a new basic frame design for MF.
It was my first go at a complete bike, but as I remember it the design had a slightly higher than normal BB, sloping top tube, high-mounted cables and a wishbone stay arrangement. The seat stays also had a gentle curve in them - inwards towards the cantilever mounts and outwards to clear the tyre. I think the seat tube extended past the top tube and that the seat camp was mounted on the front side of the seat tube.
One of the bikes I commissioned for the 1992 bike show at Olympia was a Titanium frame built to this basic design. I can't remember the company name, but it was based in Washington State, US. Much of the transaction was completed by fax...
Anyway, my life's work (up to that point) was never exhibited because the bank foreclosed on Muddy Fox the evening before the show (April '92?) was opening. I never actually saw the titanium frame because it was being built up that day at the MF office in Alperton.
As it turned out I walked away from the bicycle world that evening.
Anyway, MF was bought by Raleigh of India and I have an idea that the 'new basic' frame design was actually put into production on subsequent models. I once saw a pic of Madonna riding an MF and it looked like my frame design. Whoever said the design was a bit like the Orange of the time was right - it was.
I'd say your bike was a variation on that design, without the curved stays because it has hydraulic brakes. The bike in the magazine was a sock Titanium that MF had before I arrived. It was fitted with Suntour XC Pro and was used in Jim'll Fix It. As it happened it was a tiny 17.5in frame.
If I can find the original drawings and faxes I'll post them up here.
Have just stumbled across this site and can shed some light on these early MF titanium bikes.
I joined MF in September 1991 as the designer. The company was not in great shape and the recession was kicking in. The 1992-model bikes were dire, too. (We were in hock to the Taiwanese factory, as I recall).
Anyway I pushed ahead on re-working the line-up. The graphic design guy re-did the graphics before he left and I sat down to work on a new basic frame design for MF.
It was my first go at a complete bike, but as I remember it the design had a slightly higher than normal BB, sloping top tube, high-mounted cables and a wishbone stay arrangement. The seat stays also had a gentle curve in them - inwards towards the cantilever mounts and outwards to clear the tyre. I think the seat tube extended past the top tube and that the seat camp was mounted on the front side of the seat tube.
One of the bikes I commissioned for the 1992 bike show at Olympia was a Titanium frame built to this basic design. I can't remember the company name, but it was based in Washington State, US. Much of the transaction was completed by fax...
Anyway, my life's work (up to that point) was never exhibited because the bank foreclosed on Muddy Fox the evening before the show (April '92?) was opening. I never actually saw the titanium frame because it was being built up that day at the MF office in Alperton.
As it turned out I walked away from the bicycle world that evening.
Anyway, MF was bought by Raleigh of India and I have an idea that the 'new basic' frame design was actually put into production on subsequent models. I once saw a pic of Madonna riding an MF and it looked like my frame design. Whoever said the design was a bit like the Orange of the time was right - it was.
I'd say your bike was a variation on that design, without the curved stays because it has hydraulic brakes. The bike in the magazine was a sock Titanium that MF had before I arrived. It was fitted with Suntour XC Pro and was used in Jim'll Fix It. As it happened it was a tiny 17.5in frame.
If I can find the original drawings and faxes I'll post them up here.
