Retro Bikes of Quality

[hollister]

 

[andrewl]

Also, that maligned Manitou frame was never manufactured to be a 15 years in the stable, ride it hard put it away wet kind of bike. It was designed to be one companies take on the pinnacle of racing technology, and for the competitive cyclist would have been one of a few in the stable of a sponsored season. As long as the head tube didn't explode on TV and the rider was on the podium at the end of the day, then the frame did its job.

Comparison time...

I think we've covered the Manitou FS frames well enough, I have an Answer Mani 2 based FS frame and its nicely made even though its floored in design (my opinion).

Comparing it to my Turner FTF frame which was produced and raced at the highest level (mainly in the US) at the same time as the Manitou frame, the Turner is so much better in build and design that the ride (the important thing) is at another level.

The Turner was also built to last and there are many original frames still in use today. Yes a few early ones cracked around the headtube but they were either replaced or repaired and custom powder coated free of charge by Turner. All the suspension bushings have grease ports and the bushings themselves last forever and are still available from Turner.

The Manitou is nice but the Turner in comparison is real quality

 

[BoyBurning]

Rod:

That's perfect and just what I was looking for - thanks for helping my photo ineptitude...!

Hollister:

That's just showing off - but many thanks for doing so. TBH your collection of Bontragers deserves a thread of it's own...

BB

 

[utahdog2003]

Comparison time...

I think we've covered the Manitou FS frames well enough, I have an Answer Mani 2 based FS frame and its nicely made even though its floored in design (my opinion).

Comparing it to my Turner FTF frame which was produced and raced at the highest level (mainly in the US) at the same time as the Manitou frame, the Turner is so much better in build and design that the ride (the important thing) is at another level.

The Turner was also built to last and there are many original frames still in use today. Yes a few early ones cracked around the headtube but they were either replaced or repaired and custom powder coated free of charge by Turner. All the suspension bushings have grease ports and the bushings themselves last forever and are still available from Turner.

The Manitou is nice but the Turner in comparison is real quality

The original Manitou design predates the Turner by a generation, and benefits from many advancements that the Manitou did not. I agree tha the Manitou was functionally a pile of crap compared to the Turner (which you are right, is still relevant today!) but Give credit where credit is due...Dave Turner had the benefit of looking at that Manitou and saying,"OK, that's how NOT to build mine!"

Turner has a Horst Link, right? So it post dates the AMP, which was preceded by the Manitou. That poor Manitou is out of its leage in company with a Turner Burner.

 

[CTK]

The Manitou is hardly a eureka design is it? Suspension forks on the back with a pivot near the BB. I think Horst Leitner, Paul Turner et al would have come up with someting better even if the Manitou never existed.

 

[utahdog2003]

The Manitou is hardly a eureka design is it? Suspension forks on the back with a pivot near the BB. I think Horst Leitner, Paul Turner et al would have come up with someting better even if the Manitou never existed.

I wouldn't disagree with that position, but I don't think I'd completely agree either. I'm guessing Manitou was considering how to develop something to compliment what they already made, promote the core product and offer a new twist on it at the same time. Its easy to look back after nearly 20 years and evaluate a design based on an unreasonable level of expectation gleened from today's technology. For example, that Trek donut bike was a "good idea" according to many, back in the day. History is littered with bad ideas that were once considered good.

Either way, I don't think Manitou FS was ever designed to be as year-after-year durable as a Phoenix or a Grove, which was my original intended comment.


PS...Keep an eye on your Turners...

Paul Turner = Rock Shox
Dave Turner = Turner Bicycles

 

[CTK]

Forgive me for getting my Turners mixed up my other half is just starting her 3rd night of contractions I am a bit tired + I didn't know the was a difference in the 1st place.

Heres a link to Manitou history at Mombat. The FS bike gets a fairly decent review from MBA. http://mombat.org/Manitou.htm

The obvious way to improve anything in 199x was to make it lighter- I think a lot of products suffered.

 

[kase1983]

well ill have to add another i suppose!

 

[andrewl]

The original Manitou design predates the Turner by a generation, and benefits from many advancements that the Manitou did not. I agree tha the Manitou was functionally a pile of crap compared to the Turner (which you are right, is still relevant today!) but Give credit where credit is due...Dave Turner had the benefit of looking at that Manitou and saying,"OK, that's how NOT to build mine!"

Turner has a Horst Link, right? So it post dates the AMP, which was preceded by the Manitou. That poor Manitou is out of its leage in company with a Turner Burner.

The Bradbury Manitou FS frames predate the Turners this is true but not by much - although with the pace of development in the early 90s 2 or 3 years could be seen as a generation.

Horst Leitner and Dave Turner both worked together at AMP Reseach when the HL was developed. To cut a long story short DT left and set up his own bike company produsing race prototype frames (ie the Ritchey painted one shown previously) in 1993. In 1994 Turner went into production using the HL which is about the same time the AMP rear end became available to the general public to buy on the back of a Fat Chance etc etc.

So time wise all three suspension setups were available for us all to buy with our hard earned cash in 1994.

The Turner FTF design with the placement of the shock in front of the seat tube still lives on in the current Specialized range today, so the design has also stood the test of time.

Anyway I may be biased but in my opinion compared to everything else available in 1994/95 I think its a quality bike and other biased owners who bought theirs new and won't ever give them up are happy to agree.

 

[andrewl]

well ill have to add another i suppose!

I don't know much about the RC500, but was it actually a successful DH bike?