I think they were built up with very short stems so the steering would be spot on.....remember the repack gang used to race simillar down down a twisty mountain.
Red and Black is an 1987 Ozark and Red and White is 1988. I have a 1987 Avanti in the loft too.
In the interests of good karma the 1988 one is available free if anyone wants to collect it from me in Sussex. It's complete and 90% original - just needs cables and tyres. Sub-Deore (this was pre-Exage) group with XT lookalike thumbies, U-brake, biopace chainset. It needs a respray but isbasically sound. PM me if you're interested.
Just picked this one up locally. Naturally, I bought it under the impression that it was one of the elusive early Klein steel-framed prototypes in the uber rare Derelicte colourway ...
Now, I'm coming around to the idea that it may just be an interesting early UK (Euro?) mountain bike.
Anyway - re-reading this thread, it struck me that we could do with jotting down a few more details to try and bottom out what many of these bikes are and how they fit into the timeline.
How about a few more specs? Here's a first stab at a list of details that help identification:
Manufacturer (if you're sure): ? Tubeset (if you're sure): ? Year: 1985? Construction: Lugged Steel Frame Number: P M 850 334 Seat post diameter: 27.0mm Seat stay design: Concave not wrapped round; tubular canti bridge Braze ons: Single front @ dropout; rear pumppeg; twin rear @ dropout (not original) Lug style: Semi tapered with a detail Chain stays: 17"; curved; kinked Wheelbase: 44" Dropouts: No name Significant Components: 22mm bullmoose bars; Shimano deerhead group; wolber canyon rims; Madison saddle; high flange hubs
I really bought this for the hubs, bars and brakes, but the fact that it's got a 27.0mm seat post; is sub 30lb clobbered up and has nifty pumppeg braze on has got me all interested in what it could be. Anyone recognise the frame number configuration?
Unhappily some cruel miscreant got creative with a welder and bodged a repair on the rear dropouts. If it rides well or turns out to be by an interesting builder, I'll get it back to its former glory.
The solid rear tyre :shock: wrong way round brake levers, wolber rim and creative sticker work also give it a European flavour. Any ideas?
That is very close: yours looks a finer specimen with the campy dropouts (that's a clue we need to add) and thinwall tubes: is it definitely a Ridgeback?
That is very close: yours looks a finer specimen with the campy dropouts (that's a clue we need to add) and thinwall tubes: is it definitely a Ridgeback?