Photo Epic: 25 Iconic Retro Bikes at The Malverns Classic Retro Show and Shine

 It's OK, John Tomoc won't have missed you

 @rjwspeedjunkie:

 @brajal: ahhh they changed it now

 Not sure what that 2023 Prototype Orange is doing in this post

 If you just go hang out at the Fromme gate for a bit you'll see a lot of these.

 @cyclebean:

 No joke. That Raleigh Lizard was my first mtb in 1990. Absolute trash, but I'm now close to tears.

 @BenPea: that intense, my first DH bike

 @hamncheez: stop chopping, @MindPatterns, we're not gonna cope.

 @hamncheez: That Intense M1 was the pinnacle of drool back in the day.

 @BenPea: I remember so many lizards around my way, most owners saved them off for an even crapper Activator with that awful attempt at front suspension.

 @pourquois-pas: Those Dorado's are so beautiful

 @BenPea: my mate Fat Ste had one in 1990 but I had to settle for an Apollo Blizzard 15 because they were on sale at Halfords. Also the same year I started reading MBUK.
Over the next couple of years I changed literally every part on that bike until I had a complete new one.
Looking at these photos is bringing back a bunch of memories. The Alpinestars Al mega, Halson Inversion forks, Tioga Psycho tyres, the classic Konas and Tioga Disk Drives. Awesome walk down memory lane (and made better because I was too young to afford any of the bikes here at the time - even the RTS2 which was about £900 at the time I think.)
@pinkbike how about a "which would you rather have" poll?

 @pimpin-gimp: "raleigh activator" is not a google image search for the faint-hearted. Remember lusting after Proflex bikes around then. Never saw suspension in real life.

 @jaame: my mate Ste had something blue slightly higher up in the range. Also trash but a bigger number on the derailleur.

 @BenPea: Apollo Eclipse or was that a road bike? Atomic?

 @giantwhip:

i have the the same fork on my Foes Mono DHs 2001

 @jaame: I'm talking Raleigh. Apollos were for scallies.

 @BenPea: Scallies weren’t invented in 1990.
Raleigh Maverick?

 @jaame: They were in the North West. Not a Maverick, no. I have something at home that kooks a lot like an 80s one though. Possibly a Massif? We may never know.

 @BenPea: That could have been it. The well heeled around me rode Marin Palisades, Diamond Back Topangas & Sorrentos. A couple of boys had Saracen Kili Flyers. One of them wore Oakley Razor Blades in red iridium!

 @BenPea: I had an Apollo Kalamunda in about 1991/2 in a nice blue colour. 10 speed I think. That last me until 96 when I got a Giant Boulder, and that was the start of my obsession with spending money I don’t have on bikes I can’t ride very well.

 @pimpin-gimp: Kilimanjaro?

 @jaame: nah, kalamunda. Was bright blue, the following ones were bright fluoro orange and every kid had one.

 @pimpin-gimp: wow I looked it up. Sweet whip!

 @jaame: 1992 me was very happy with it! I stripped it and sprayed it in Ford Tasmin Blue with some Marin and MBUK stickers in about 1994/5 before getting a Giant Boulder for Xmas 1996.

 @pimpin-gimp: remember those Raleigh M Trax bikes like the Ogre? Titanium pipes in cromo lugs?

 @jaame: used to love that stuff! I grabbed a handful of brochures of all manufactures anytime we went near a bike shop back then, it’s all we could do before the internet came along and made it easier to look at stuff like that.

 The only thing that held me off from buying a Klein was the super rigid fork on them... oh and the fact that I was in school and that I had basically no money.

 Amazing stroll down memory lane. Those 90's Kleins are partially responsible for the amount of purple ano on my bike today.

 Lost an entire weekend once dealing with the internal cable routing on one of those Klein. The bike did look amazing though.

 I worked at a big Klein dealer back in the day, and those bikes were beautiful. Big tubes, smooth welds and paint jobs that are still best in the business. They were also OG dentist rides... We sold a lot of them to guys that did 10 miles a year of paved trails on their XTR rigs.

 I remember realizing peak Klein occurred when one of their bikes became the bike that hung on the wall in Jerry's apartment in Seinfeld. My uncle also loved to show off his bright orange Klein that he had absolutely no business owning as @Glenngineer points out (it was full XTR and top of the line...he road it up and down a gravel path a few times a year, lol).

 @Glenngineer: Klein def had the best paint. Still to this day not matched IMO

 They really needed to post pictures from directly in front and directly behind to get the full effect. From those angles it is solid colors. Pretty amazing to see and was always in love with them.

 But then the Night Storm... Had to be their pinnacle because Tinker rode it.

 I still do!

 Some manufacturer needs to re-make those Klein paintjobs, or try to. They are amazing.

 @Kiwijohn42:

holy sht I forgot about that paint job... just beautiful. Yup I'd pay for a sweet paint job.

 @Glenngineer: I did too and remember those people! They made us good money and understand from a business point of view how important that is now .... but back in the day it upset me.

 word

 That's true!!!

 I had the MRD with the integrated stem. Such a great fork. Now I ride a newer 2010ish Pro. I'm so glad they have brand new models out but I'm not sure they're worth the upgrade for me. I still want one though.

 Agreed! Would love to have a breakdown of how these bikes are actually judged... they all seem cool and old to me...

 much different having a short shorter rear end !!! Cro Mega DX owner here

 It can be still done, might just have to settle on brushed alloy frame!

 ...

 I had a Proflex 854 that I bought new in 1994, loved it and rode the hell out of it for years. Sadly stolen a couple years ago. Eventually found it (thief got prosecuted as well) but by then insurance had covered a replacement. Unfortunately elastomers are hard to find, I did find some of the appropriate material finally, and was about to order some when the bike was stolen.

 @EdSawyer: There is a company that makes replacement elastomers for anything you can imagine including proflex bikes. Google suspensionforkparts all one word.

 @mrfrench2013: yeah, I had looked at those a while back, had some at one point. THey are way more dense and not the same material as the originals. (microcellular urethane). I did find a company that made MCU in the right size and durometer, never got around to getting any, but they would sell in 12" lengths of tubing.

 I’m not scrolling up to check, but he was there so it’s quite possible. The event is sponsored by GT.

 2nd vote for Hansy checking out the gear. Sure looks like him to me

 @pimpin-gimp: GT had a bunch of retro bikes exposed as well: www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157950226936932&set=p.10157950226936932&type=3

 Well spotted! www.pinkbike.com/photo/21227910

 Klein and Gt for me...

 I had that bike! Well, not really but I had the Selle Italia Turbo saddle with elastomer bumpers that's on it so close enough. I always lusted after the shiny alu finish one myself!

 Mike Curiak resurrected one and did an interesting write up.

mikesee.exposure.co/the-slingshot-project

 One came through a shop I worked in. Never rode it on a trail, but in the parking lot it felt like any other bike from that Era. Reminded me of a swing bike a bit visually. Did take a bit more edge off stuff than Steel alone, but felt noodley and like something was broken...

 The Slingshot in the background is mine. It was such a fun bike to take to the Malverns as it generated so much interest and “WTF” comments! The front half does move independently thanks to a leaf spring in the top tube but the movement is minimal. In terms of how it rides, it’s pretty subtle but disconcerting as movement is lateral as well as vertical. I’ve not really ridden it in anger (it terrifies me!) but I’ve been told they climb really well under the right conditions.

 @Douggiep: That's rad. Never sell it! I wish we had bike shows around here. Like the NSRA shows there should be NBRA. National bike rod association. There are a lot of cool rare bikes around.

 I had a lot of dream bikes as a kid and that was one of the main ones. But I've read modern reviews of them that they're absolutely terrifying to ride aggressively. Funny because all of the magazine reviews of them at the time couldn't say enough good things. I guess perspective changes, but it's always been a lesson in the power of advertising dollars too.

 I built up a 29er when I got a cheap frame on ebay - about 15k km on it, rode it until the frame got bent in tranit one time - sold it to someone in China for more than I paid for it! I rode it on mainly very tame stuff on paths (training bike). Was very scared of hitting the front wheel with my toes on anything downhill!

 @Douggiep: People don't understand how great those rode. I switched from a Fisher Supercaliber to a Slingshot in 1993, took 2 minutes off my best time on my local 4 mile XC loop instantly. I wish I never got rid of mine...

 @Typo-Knig: Agree on the 'feel'. Very hard to describe, and in a sense counter-intuitive (a bit of flex should be less efficient) but glad you have some numbers to back it up. I was never that good.

 its a signature, Tomac rode rockshox for the early part of the 92 season. strathpeffer XC world cup, houffalize XC world cup, kamakazi dh etc.

 Snowflake lacing - people did it in the 90’s just for the appearance.

 There was talk at the time about it making the wheel more rigid as it would stop the spokes moving against each other (remember rims back then were basically made of tin foil). In reality it made no difference other than creaking a lot, and meant when you snapped 1 spoke, the other one wrapped around it lost all tension as well, making the buckle way worse. They really did look cool though, do that's the main thing.

 It has crow's foot lacing, the Kona beside it has it too, It's just for looks and was quite common back then. No performance advantage!

 @intothewild: no, that's snowflake on the Pace. This is crows foot where spokes aren't twisted but does have one out of 3 at 90 degrees: www.google.com/search?q=crows+foot+spoke+pattern&oq=crows+foot+spo&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0i512j46i175i199i512j0i22i30.6790j0j4&client=ms-android-samsung&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#imgrc=c83nultJnnhQRM

 They can only show them If they own them - I guess nobody has one worth showing off. I know of a few in collections but they are work in progress so aren’t ready for the shows.

 @pimpin-gimp: Some owners in the Sunn Saint Gaudens GB vintage group: www.facebook.com/groups/1665677183704789 next year I will go to Malverns with some bikes of my collection. We had a small retro mtb week-end this year vintagemtb.org

 I think that bike, to me, will always be THE downhill bike of downhill bikes. In the red/ yellow colourway. I think it was probably in its prime around the time I was getting in to the sport and had my head stuck in issues of dirt mag. It was everywhere.

 @joshdodd: the bike I drooled over as a kid was the Red and yellow Giant ATX DH bike

 @giantwhip: Oh shit, yeah! I'd forgotten about that one. I loved those bikes too. They're both right up there in my mountain bike psyche but I think the M1 just edges it.

 Thaaaat is sick then. Not too many of those around. The Alpinestars Al-Mega got robbed from a podium spot. That thing was dope.

 @johnnyboydh:

i got the Cro Mega DX !!!! it briken but i still have it in my garage

i cant throw it


my first "real " bike !!!

 Ball burnished aluminum.

 Looks chrome plated to me

 @ichabodchain: ball burnished, I had one back in the day

 @nojzilla: You are 100% correct.

 one of the best looking hardtails ever. so bad they all cracked at the headtube. so damn beautiful with the square back end. but my all time fave bike of the 90ies is a zaskar. preferable a 93 in turquoise. had a ball burnished one in the late 90ies before gt went bankrupt and went from awesome to sh!t. klein attitude and adroit paintjobs are like art, so nice.

 Iron Horse used to be a good brand. After filing for bankruptcy in 2009, they were bought by Dorel (current owner of GT, Mongoose, cannondale, and schwinn).

Sam Hill used to ride for them

 Yep, they made a big push on the DH scene, with the MadCatz team around 2003-ish. First with a rebranded Intense frame, then with their own "SGS" horst-link bikes. I can't speak to the quality, but they started marketing the SGS line of gravity at SportCheck and other department stores, and that was pretty much the end of the line for the SGS models.

But in the mean time, with Sam Hill and then Brendan Fairclough on board their race team, they had the first iteration of the Dave Weagle dual link, and they produced DH and trail bikes in that form for quite a few years, before disappearing. I had several friends with the famous/infamous Iron Horse Sunday frames, which were absolutely mint at first, but suffered from severe alignment issues once they moved the production to asia.

So there you go.

 They were a bike shop brand when I was a kid and we used to sell their DH bikes in a shop I worked at in the early 2k's. Pretty sure the Sunday, donned some championship colors at one point. That being said, for the purpose of the show, shouldn't matter if it was sold in walmart or not.

 @Mr-Steven-Harper: and used to win for them

 @Mr-Steven-Harper: on flat pedals

 @mammal: thanks, I suspected that was the case

@joebmx: just an honest question re: Iron Horse sales, not a comment on what should be in the show.

 iirc, iron horse had some sort of relationship--distributor, factory, asian sales team, loan broker, i can't recall--with zebrakenko bikes, which were originally distributed in the usa by a bike shop in north haven, ct.

 @Mr-Steven-Harper: Hill rode for them but had the frames changed and rewelded. I miss the days of him on the Horse attacking like crazy

 @giantwhip: Yep, I'm not sure if his SGS frames were modified for him, as he was first year senior at that point, but his Weagle Sundays were definitely customer Sam Hill bikes. That guy on that bike were way ahead of the competition at that point in time.

 SGS DH in it's first (only?) racing year was '03 UCI DH WC overall champ under Rennie, Junior World Champ under Hill (with a crash, good enough for 3rd in seniors - do I sense a theme?). Pretty sure frames were stock. The IH Mad Catz team was stacked that year with Rennie, Hill, Graves, Atkinson.

youtu.be/o-wFPQ0LbqQ?t=1024

www.instagram.com/p/CG06jKnjgLW

 Iron Horse goes way far back.
Here's Dave Cullinan winning the 1992 DH world Championship on a Iron Horse (frame actually made by Verlicchi in Italy,used by a few brands at the time).

youtu.be/KFxL8yQakrk

 @powermutant: Those 03 SGS frames were stock, save for a few in which the upper shock mount had been re-drilled a touch higher up the frame to lower the bb and slack the head angle. I'm pretty sure Rennie ran his that way, but I can't speak with any certainty for the other riders. I don't know if this continued after the e13 replacement linkage kits were released. Thus concludes my weirdly specific piece of bike trivia.

 no, it was built in conjunction with raleigh usa, merlin titanium & easton.

RC I believe did design some frames for Tomac during his time with Giant, but they cracked in pre season testing

 I know this was a joke, but literally none of them looked like sessions

 Hahaha, how unfunny. The appeal of these bikes is precisely that they don't "look like sessions". But yes, it does take some observation powers to see that they are all pedal-powered vehicles with two wheels!

 No Ringlé Mojo (peace and love)?

 there was some there, just not photographed

 It's a Starship.

 I also didn't spot any Cannondale bikes.

 Fat Chance Yo Eddy is Missing!

 @funkzander: There’s one lurking in the background, I think. 12th pic down (yellow hoody on left). The right hand row of bikes goes Manitou, Klein, something, something, Yo Eddy. And the other row has a Ti-Fat.

 Yep, we are so lucky nowadays to have Penny Farthings to ride.

 @MattP76: wait, are people actually riding those now-a-days?!

 Agreed. I rode thru mid 90's and most of the bikes back then. Cool looking, but most are awful even compared to today's mid level machines