The Saracen Conquest ?

[silverclaws]

With interest I was surfing around trying to find out what I could about Nick and Dick Crane's expedition up Kilimanjaro in aid of promting the very worthy charity Intermediate Technology. I already knew they chose or maybe were supplied Saracen Conquests, but I began to wonder about the name; Saracen Conquest and wondered what it was that inspired the name Saracen as a manufacturer name.

A Saracen is an old name for people who came from the area between Syria and Saudi Arabia and the Saracen Conquest was a very real event culminating in the Crusades and undoubtedly centuries later much of what we see today in world politics.

So, for the educated and politicaly aware, the cycle manufacturer name of Saracen might not be a politicaly correct name in this present day and age, and only hope prospective purchasers of the new Saracens marketed by Madison see the bike before the name, either that or just don't care about politics and the repercussive actions there of.

But has anyone any idea why Saracen cycles was called such ?

 

[passiflora]

Im sure Iv'e got this article in one of my mountain bike magzines from the 90's

Don't have a scanner @ moment though..


Passiflora

 

[brocklanders023]

I think I've got it too. It was in MBUK. Do you need a copy of the article mate?

 

[02gf74]

Saracen name not being politically correct?

I'd best keep quiet about my Specilized Stalin FC and Bianchi Pol Pot bikes then. :roll:

 

[mikee]

my mates got a garry glitter black inbred nuff said


saracen kinda evokes a brave fearless warrior type thing no ?
there was a saracen AFV as well

just a bastadisation of our language

 

[drystonepaul]

I'd be very interested to see that article too.

 

[silverclaws]

I have some of the article in the book; The Ultimate Bicycle book by Richard Ballantine and Richard Grant, which someone has so kindly converted to pdf and posted on the net;

http://icelord.net/bike/TheUltimateBicycleBook.pdf 7.54MB

Look under Kilimanjaro, page 34 of the pdf.

Some details there, saying the bikes were standard production Saracen mountain bikes without modification or extras.

The book published in 1992, there is a fair smattering of retro bikes in there and things concerning cycling at the time. definately worth a look.

But as to any more information on the subject, I am finding very little on the net apart from bits of information from other cycling forums, although from those forums, I am aware there was a book written about the Kilimanjaro expedition.

But, as I am a person who must understand the origin of things, I still wish to understand where the Saracen cycles name came from.

 

[lewis1641]

awesome pics in the book

 

[legrandefromage]

I've got that book and the bike he's holding is a possibly Carrera of some sort with DX whilst the bikes they took were Saracens with M700 Deerhead and modified cassette with a huge climbing ring.

 

[one-eyed_jim]

the bikes they took were Saracens with M700 Deerhead and modified cassette with a huge climbing ring.

Indeed. You can see the huge big sprocket of the modified freewheel in this picture:

They called it "the winch".