The European resistance: 1996 Genius OR + Sachs Quarz

[Obi-Juan]

I was sitting in 1995 while reading Velo Tout Terrain Magazine and I realized that everything had already changed. Indeed the UCI declared MTB a new sport, the discussion between international federations had been lost by the French and the official name would no longer be VTT nor would the official language in competitions be French + the language of the organizing country.
The magazines showed us a lot of wonderful North American bicycles and magnificent components from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. My beloved Reynolds were changed for great True Tempers and there was no sign of Campagnolo or Mavic anymore
Our national brands had to put a sticker with the stars and stripes flag on their paintings or hire North American designers to be able to carry out good sales marketing.
Could Europe really not compete with the USA/Canada/Japan? Where were all the big brands and our magnificent European designers?
I got up and looked for a magazine where I had read something about Sachs announcing a new group: El Quarz.

 

[Obi-Juan]

Life sometimes gives you pleasant surprises: a few days later they offered me a Columbus Genius OR series. I was only missing the craftsman.
Cosme was a magnificent frame builder who started as a welder at Ciclos Macario (Macario is now a large distributor of components and bicycles, as well as an official Shimano distributor, but his fame began many decades ago for his magnificent handcrafted road frames, some of which have appeared here).
Cosme later set up his own store and continued manufacturing custom frames. Its magnificent polished welds without fittings, its 753 silver solders, the lightness of the bicycles and its innovative ideas gave it well-deserved fame, especially in the northern area of Madrid. It was a pleasure to talk to him, always optimistic, it seemed like you were talking to a teenager. He was a master.
Almost all customers wanted a road bike so I manufactured very few MTBs.
He liked the idea, he took my tubes and a while later he gave me the bicycle as I requested: Short horizontal tube (57.5 mm), short chainstays (41.5 mm.) seat tube angle of 73º... I wanted a light and aggressive bike for climbing.
In the end I changed the chainstays and stays for Dedacciai tubing because he didn't like those Columbus tubes. We put a Ritchey bottom bracket as well as the dropouts (I know, it wasn't European, but it was safe and light). I had it painted with an inspiration from the '93 Moser Equipe Ti pro (I still have the catalogue, it would be better to have kept the bike, but you can't have everything, Jjjj). The bike was very collected and light. I only have a photo of the original

 

[Obi-Juan]

The rear derailleur Sachs Quarz arrived shortly after, it was already '96. But the front derailleur took a long time to arrive. In fact, very few Sachs Quarz groups arrived in Spain (I think they were imported by Velimsa or Casa Masferrer, although I don't remember that well).
I ordered the headset with a thread and it was very clear to me: Mavic
The brakes are the fabulous Campagnolo Record OR (good brakes but difficult to adjust. If it were simple it wouldn't be Campagnolo, Jjjj)
In Madrid another genius had started with bicycle components: Enrique del Rey, his EDR components are gaining a good reputation and today are coveted by fans of classic bicycles.
Its cranks, its aluminum stem and its titanium seatpost.
The handlebars are a magnificent 3ttt O2 Pro bar
Also EDR gave me some very nice brake levers.
The truth is that I was a road bike and I used the MTB basically in winter, in races mainly, with mud and rain... I gave it a bad life and I was also very bad at the MTB.
Anyway, that changed when in '99 Giant supplied me with an incredible ATX 800, but that's another story (and I also keep that bike)

 

[Obi-Juan]

The brake levers cracked (they were a prototype) and I replaced them with Avid Ultimate ones. I changed the connecting rods for Middleburn ones, which I always liked better.
The handlebar was bent in a fall and I changed it for a 3ttt Pro Compe, and in general until '99 it underwent several modifications.
I never really got a 100% European bike, Sachs or Mavic cassettes worked, but far from the quality of Shimano's Hyperglide. the chain was a Sachs M-90
The group worked wonderfully, nothing to envy Shimano. I fell in love with it and used it until I broke it in a race.
Afterwards the bike was disassembled and I basically sold everything but kept the frame.
Years later I painted it red and used it to walk my children (yes, you guessed it, in addition to the frame, the girl in the first photo also stayed with me, I still don't know why, Haha). In 2010 I recovered it, Cosme exchanged a dented tube for another Genius OR tube, I painted it in matte blue and decided to recover it. After many years, 2 weeks ago I got a 3ttt Pro Light NOS (I've given up on the O2 pro bar).
Of the frame, highlight the clean and eternal welds, the reinforcement of the seat tube and the seat collar so characteristic of Cosme bicycles.

 

[Obi-Juan]

On Saturday, after several years, I finally changed the handlebars. I also got a Sachs Quarz derailleur, but in the end I didn't put it on, I needed a down pull adapter (I had it) and a 28.6 clamp and when I put it together everything looked very ugly. In reality, I never carried a Quarz derailleur because it never arrived, so I always used it with a New Seccess that frankly worked very well and in the end it is the one I put on
Middleburn cranks + Hope titanium bottom bracket, Hope also puts the quickrelease that I have ever liked the most in titanium, Sachs M-90 chain, Avid Ultimate levers, Campagnolo record OR brakes, 150 mm EDR titanium stem (sic), USE seatpost (I love USE, I think I'll soon put an Alien that I have saved in some project), Middleburn + TA chainrings, Hugi hubs (incredible how they sound), Mavic headset, Flite saddle, Velo grips and of course rear derailleur Quartz.
For the tires I thought of a pair of Hutchison Rock x country Paola Pezzo style (the ones in the first photo), but I preferred to save them and put on a pair of Nokian Boazobeana X. Look SL 3 pedals
The cassette...XT 11/28 (the rear derailleur its short cage).
Well, this is my European resistance, the last attempt to compete with Shimano. And really, Sachs had it, but Sram wouldn't be what it is today if it hadn't bought Sachs.
I hope you like it.
I have photos of the weights of almost all the components, I will post them in case they may be of interest.

 

[Obi-Juan]

 

[foz]

You can't get a much better build or story than that!

 

[joglo]

indeed a great story and nice read, thanks for sharing this

Just browsed my archives, but only found a small article in the German Bike Magazine, July Issue 1994, introducing Cosme,
with a similar nice blue bike:



I've tried to translate it using, but Google translate wasn't doing a very good job


And, hey with regards to your build, any chance to replace the few non-European pieces?
I do see Ultimate levers from Avid, definitely nice, but what about Sachs, Campa or any other good local source?

The New Success brakes from 1994 are quite nice

 

[Obi-Juan]

You can't get a much better build or story than that!

Thank you so much.
The truth is it's a shame not to have more photos of the bicycle in the '90s, but at that time we didn't carry our phones with us when we went out pedaling, haha

 

[Obi-Juan]

indeed a great story and nice read, thanks for sharing this

Just browsed my archives, but only found a small article in the German Bike Magazine, July Issue 1994, introducing Cosme,
with a similar nice blue bike:

View attachment 856329

I've tried to translate it using, but Google translate wasn't doing a very good job
View attachment 856330

And, hey with regards to your build, any chance to replace the few non-European pieces?
I do see Ultimate levers from Avid, definitely nice, but what about Sachs, Campa or any other good local source?

The New Success brakes from 1994 are quite nice
View attachment 856338

Wow!
You have good files.
I could swear that was German's bicycle, a mechanic that Cosme had in his workshop. Afterwards he went to work at Dirt Racing, which at that time imported Manitou, Hayes, etc. for Spain.
Incredible!

As you say, the Avid levers are superb, but I'm still looking for a European alternative. The Sachs don't catch my attention much, but I don't rule it out.
I'm more looking for a Skrol or TTP (very inspired by the Grafton). They are difficult to get. The EDRs are more original, and they are also the first ones I put on the bike (although as I said they were in the prototype phase). Very few were produced and sold and in these years I have only seen the ones in the photo that I include, not one more!
Lately I've been looking for something in X-Lite, it could be very good.
On the cassette I want to be honest: I have located a Sachs Powerglide and it is possible that I will buy it in the near future (now I have spent excessively on another project that I will present), but I will put it only for the photo, really the powerglide was not At the same level as Hyperglide, I already tried it at the time.
Another alternative would be a Mavic cassette, but its operation was horrible, very rough. I had the chance to try it with a Mektronik...unfortunately I was quite disappointed.
Miche was an economical alternative although it had the advantage of being able to offer a wide variety of crowns, but I wouldn't want to put one on.
But I do want to finish that crazy idea that occurred to me almost 30 years ago.
It was a shame that European component brands abandoned the MTB market. At least small builders made good parts
I have a very curious rear derailleur from Regina stored there...
By the way, the Sachs cantilevers are really elegant, I love them, but I find it impossible to resist the Campagnolo Record OR from '95. I have another game saved for anything in the future.