OMFG another UPDATE (3) Muddy Fox Courier 1988 in da Purtle
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sausagefingers
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congrats,that looks fantastic - far better than the original pictures made it look.
i'm really chuffed for you,it's obvious in this and your other posts how much this bike means to you - great stuff
i'm really chuffed for you,it's obvious in this and your other posts how much this bike means to you - great stuff
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Wow that looks mint!
It's so rare you get to see these 80's bikes in sizes I could actually ride, looks so much better for it. Just lovely!
How much have you cleaned it? Stripped it down or just a quick scrub? Because it looks marvellous, paint, brakes, decals etc. Seat looks ace too.
I know what you mean by shaking when you pick it up. Even though it might not be mega money when it's something that you used to ride many years ago and it's taken a while to find the excitement is just too much. Picking up my Tequesta was exactly the same. Pity I need another one now!! :roll:
It's so rare you get to see these 80's bikes in sizes I could actually ride, looks so much better for it. Just lovely!
How much have you cleaned it? Stripped it down or just a quick scrub? Because it looks marvellous, paint, brakes, decals etc. Seat looks ace too.
I know what you mean by shaking when you pick it up. Even though it might not be mega money when it's something that you used to ride many years ago and it's taken a while to find the excitement is just too much. Picking up my Tequesta was exactly the same. Pity I need another one now!! :roll:
Thanks for all the comments chaps
i can take no credit for this apart from scouring ebay like a sad 'un and spending 3 days polishing and cleaning Mind if I hadn't had an original I wouldn't have known how fine they are, etc
The frame measures a 16" and abit centre to top tube and 17.75" to seat post. I reckon this is the 16" and my orignal was the 18". Top tube is 21.5" which is ok for me (my elite is 19" with 22" top tube). The seat post (original) is 225 long! so i will swap a 300 in for day to day.
Nearly all the chrome parts have some, mostly superfical, rust and quite a few of the chrome spokes have sufferred. The saddle is superb but faded brown from black. The white of the cranks and the stem has yellowed a bit but the frame paintwork / decals are amazing
Though not bad for 24+ years
It has a Harry Hall's sticker in near perfect nick too.
The plan is to strip / service the bike and replace only those parts that are corroded beyond salvage (washers and cage bolts primarily). Ti on a Courier
As Carl says a true icon of the day and it is dreadful that MF's are basically ignored because of their (much) later and ersatz (tesco) offerings.
This bike has a sloping top tube frame with 70/73 geo and whilst i accept this is partly due to the size, Araya did "deliberately" make two forms of mtb, sloping and flat TT, back in '87-8.
According to Araya data this is 420mm c/tt (which is 16.5") for their sloping frame design (or 18" kona sized!).
A Japanese made Tange Cro-mo frameset (wow! (assembled in taiwan mind)) with mid-range or better components (suntour / sugino / sansin co-op) but a 'british' company and they (he) ride(s) superbly. It has Sugino Cycloidal Rings (aka biopace) too.
and i love it (in case you haven't guessed).
and swaps for Kleins not welcomed
A few with an SLR
<nerd on>I could have sworn i bought mine in the fall of '87 but the paintwork was identical. So although my catalogue had the jam-jar graphics this is the one they were shifting.
Mine had the "fox-prints" in the seat stay tops - but this one doesn't - i recall mine also had the big rim hub - this has a muddy fox by sansin small hub.
Can't see the serial number yet (obscured by the BB 3-cable carrier)
but reckon this one is a true '88 and mine was a 87-8 or from a different factory.<nerd off>
cheers
And
i can take no credit for this apart from scouring ebay like a sad 'un and spending 3 days polishing and cleaning
Mind if I hadn't had an original I wouldn't have known how fine they are, etcThe frame measures a 16" and abit centre to top tube and 17.75" to seat post. I reckon this is the 16" and my orignal was the 18". Top tube is 21.5" which is ok for me (my elite is 19" with 22" top tube). The seat post (original) is 225 long! so i will swap a 300 in for day to day.
Nearly all the chrome parts have some, mostly superfical, rust and quite a few of the chrome spokes have sufferred. The saddle is superb but faded brown from black. The white of the cranks and the stem has yellowed a bit but the frame paintwork / decals are amazing
Though not bad for 24+ years
It has a Harry Hall's sticker in near perfect nick too.
The plan is to strip / service the bike and replace only those parts that are corroded beyond salvage (washers and cage bolts primarily). Ti on a Courier
As Carl says a true icon of the day and it is dreadful that MF's are basically ignored because of their (much) later and ersatz (tesco) offerings.
This bike has a sloping top tube frame with 70/73 geo and whilst i accept this is partly due to the size, Araya did "deliberately" make two forms of mtb, sloping and flat TT, back in '87-8.
According to Araya data this is 420mm c/tt (which is 16.5") for their sloping frame design (or 18" kona sized!).
A Japanese made Tange Cro-mo frameset (wow! (assembled in taiwan mind)) with mid-range or better components (suntour / sugino / sansin co-op) but a 'british' company and they (he) ride(s) superbly. It has Sugino Cycloidal Rings (aka biopace) too.
and i love it (in case you haven't guessed).
and swaps for Kleins not welcomed
A few with an SLR
<nerd on>I could have sworn i bought mine in the fall of '87 but the paintwork was identical. So although my catalogue had the jam-jar graphics this is the one they were shifting.
Mine had the "fox-prints" in the seat stay tops - but this one doesn't - i recall mine also had the big rim hub - this has a muddy fox by sansin small hub.
Can't see the serial number yet (obscured by the BB 3-cable carrier)
but reckon this one is a true '88 and mine was a 87-8 or from a different factory.<nerd off>
cheers
And
Cheers Jon
Anyhow i've spent 20 hours cleaning, stripping, de-rusting (spokes), polishing and polishing again, the wheels.
This is what 24 years of condensation and cat-wee does for Araya rims... :shock:
A shot in progress - the inner rim was cleaned first (under rim tape & clincher edge), using wire wool and then polish, then the rim edge then the braking surface then each spoke (36 x 15 minutes average each) then the flat of the rim and the nipples!
All by hand with ultrafine wire wool, terry cloths and autosol.
And the finished article back in place with a newly cleaned alltrax tyre..
my hands are wrecked
and the family think i'm mad / have OCD / or are a fetishist!
And
Anyhow i've spent 20 hours cleaning, stripping, de-rusting (spokes), polishing and polishing again, the wheels.
This is what 24 years of condensation and cat-wee does for Araya rims... :shock:
A shot in progress - the inner rim was cleaned first (under rim tape & clincher edge), using wire wool and then polish, then the rim edge then the braking surface then each spoke (36 x 15 minutes average each) then the flat of the rim and the nipples!
All by hand with ultrafine wire wool, terry cloths and autosol.
And the finished article back in place with a newly cleaned alltrax tyre..
my hands are wrecked
and the family think i'm mad / have OCD / or are a fetishist!
And
This bike evokes so many memories for me as it's a bike I always aspired to in my teens, one proper cool as f**k bike
Top work in finding one in such good condition and spending the time to make her shine again
If you ever decide to part with it I will most certainly give it a very good home
Top work in finding one in such good condition and spending the time to make her shine again
If you ever decide to part with it I will most certainly give it a very good home
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