Re:
Even today, I don't think I would do anything different despite all the bikes that I have and have seen.
One bike ticked every Box and still does,
Bontrager OR, (santa Cruz- Frame only, Not trek) Excellent Steel do anything frame, lightweight quality tubeset, Handbuilt, American made, Fixable, Fantastic handling, Dialled Geometry, Retro Looks, Suspension compatable, and what ever you hang on it, looks right and works well.
Easy frame to refinish, restore, when it gets used and abused, if you wanna freshen it up, powder coat and re-sticker £80.
Back then, it was Silver with blue Decals and silver panels, I had a custom Sid fork in the matching blue, XTR950 throughout, Bontager Ti Bar and Saddle, with a Salsa Stem, Mavic Ceramic rims etc.
I Lived on it, Work, Weekends, Raced..., If im honest it was the one bike I should never have parted with, it was truly that good.
The best part of it is, you could now pick one up for a few hundred quid in good order, if it needs a powdercoat get it done for not a lot 40? Gil for decals £40?......it looks like Brand new, you can fit your XTR950 on it, You haven't spent Boutique Money, and yet you have a bike more than worthy of the Group you have been given and you can hammer it to within a inch of its life, and it still wont let you down. And its FFFFFin COOL.
