San Andreas - how old is mine?

[BigSud]

My First Post!!

I've been lurking as a guest for a couple of years, and have finally got myself sorted and registered.

A quick intro/background: I started racing XC MTBs in the early 90's, after a BMX background, then realised that speed was really where I got my biggest buzz and became a DH thrasher. Retired from that in 2000 when work became more important, and body became more broken.

I rode and raced a few cool bikes in that time, and have ended up with some "leftovers" that might interest the community. I'll fire some pictures through once I've taken them :?

Bikes:
1994 Answer Manitou FS
1993 Carerra Team (Tar Baby)
2002 Santa Cruz Bullit

AND - the new arrival, a bike I've always wanted since I first rode one in 1993 - a Mountain Cycle San Andreas. It's very cool indeed, came built up as a rideable bike (just - 9sp shifters, 8sp cluster, 7sp mechs )and will slowly be restored to its former glory.

Perhaps some of the MC gurus out there could help with a couple of things that aren't very clear - on this side of the world anyway?

Firstly, and hopefully the picture comes through, can anybody make an educated guess as to what year's frame this is? My best guess is that its an R8, from 1996 at the earliest (no canti cable hanger pivot thing on the swingarm = V-brakes???) but that's from lots of sifting through posts on RetroBike. The number scratched into the BB is 11339, it has a 1.25" head tube, and I think the Noleen shock is original.

The second mystery is the stickers. There seem to be many different "standard" stickers, and hopefully if the picture comes through OK the forensic experts could identify which flavour it is/was. My years of lurking have suggested that there's at least one sticker genius on here somewhere

Thanks to all in advance,
Chris

 

[Alex Creasey]

An early one looking at the seat pillar... Mines a 94 so around that time at a guess?

Theres far more knowledgeable peeps on here about these so will no doubt help far more than me... But welcome!

Alex .

 

[nutcase-retro]

San Andreas

I would agree with Alex it's 94 or older, maybe as old as 92 as it has the original front mech tube but second stage swingins arm pivot clamping system but you say its 1 1/4 head tube. The decails are the second type and my favourite which i am in the process of try to get some made. My mate has the first model and its 1 1/4 head tube as my 2 are 1 1/8 and i know alex is 1 1/8 also as i had the syncros ahead off his when it was Salty's. Pictures show 1st and 2nd Generation. The above is what i beleave to be correct.

Ian

 

[longun]

way ahead of their time,love these,paul smiths in mbuk was one of my dream bikes when i was a youth,would love to ride one in anger

 

[BigSud]

Thanks for the replies - they're fascinating bikes

I'd like to ride one in anger too - all I've done so far is a big nose wheelie (in 1993 - love those discs!) and a quick carpark ride to check my current one was all present and correct. So, I'm very keen to get it back out there on the trails.

Given the apparent discrepancy between the "frame" and swingarm, I wonder if the swingarm's been replaced at some point with a later model one? That would explain quite a bit, if you're right about the seat pillar Alex.

The bike I rode in '93 had the first generation decals, so I naturally prefer those (you can guess it made quite an impression on me... :shock: ). Ian, do you have any idea who I might wave my money at to get some first gen ones made? The (much) later types come up on eBay occasionally, but I've never seen the earlier ones

Chris

 

[nutcase-retro]

Seat section,swinging arm , mech tube and decail i would say all match up to be early mark 2. With the decails, we are working on both mark 1 and 2 but we are a bit slow. check out ebay usa, a guy selling a san andreas and all the decails and lots more. let me know if you would like in if we do a run of the decails.

 

[BigSud]

Ah, brilliant - thanks for that. I saw that US eBay ad a while ago, but never looked any further than the first pic

Looks like he's not keen to split, and is US-only. Nice bike though, apart from the RockShox It has M900 XTR too, which helps with my spec (one of the reasons I'm keen to know the age of mine)

So if you're making some Gen1 and/or Gen2 decals, yes please, I'll be in with bells on. PM me with details and the ransom demand

Cheers!!
Chris

 

[MCsanandreas]

1.25" headset? got to be a very early one. i have a MohoHT with 1.25" headset and John who works for MC cant find records for them but says they must be pre96.

 

[BigSud]

What a fantastic resource this forum is!

Thanks for the additional info on the age. Does that 11339 scratched into the BB help in any way? I assume that's the serial number.

It's beginning to look like mine is:
DEFINITELY pre-96;
MAYBE as early as a 1st Gen one (back to 92) from frame features
MOST LIKELY an early Gen 2 one, from the decals still on it.

Hence, around 1994.

Despite that, I think I'll still go for the Gen 1 decals, and M950 XTR

Chris

 

[MCsanandreas]

What a fantastic resource this forum is!

Thanks for the additional info on the age. Does that 11339 scratched into the BB help in any way? I assume that's the serial number.

yep,one(of the three)of mine has a serial number that looks like it was written by a drunken spider under the bottom bracket. that one has a 1&1/8" headset tho.
i have also tried to find the date mine was made but records at the factory have been lost.