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Retro MTB

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Bill Talbot

Bill Talbot

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The frame is a 23". My ideal road bike size is a 60cm give or take, but I'll ride stuff from 57-62 easily.
Don't forget with the 26" wheels the frame look even bigger!
 
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Bill Talbot

Bill Talbot

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1998 Team Fat Chance aka Yo Eddy...
A true New England Classic!

98 Yo Eddy.jpg
 

Tom K.

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1998 Team Fat Chance aka Yo Eddy...
A true New England Classic!

View attachment 138984

Sweet. Always lusted after a Yo Eddy. Had a friend with an equally cool Ted Wojcik custom.

In the category of what goes around comes around, I just installed a current version of your Z1 Bomber on one of my mtbs. Coil spring superiority in chunk is astounding. Well worth gaining almost a pound.
 

scott43

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Sweet. Always lusted after a Yo Eddy. Had a friend with an equally cool Ted Wojcik custom.

In the category of what goes around comes around, I just installed a current version of your Z1 Bomber on one of my mtbs. Coil spring superiority in chunk is astounding. Well worth gaining almost a pound.
QFT. Coil springs are great for actual suspension.
 

Tom K.

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Lets draw the date line in the mud at Pre 2000.

I'm going to ignore the 2000 line in the mud, and go 2006 because things haved moved so far and fast in the full suspension world that this Turner RFX totally qualifies.

Also, just because Turner, AND this bike sports coil suspension front and rear, which I believe will be appreciated by both @cantunamunch and @scott43!

Tom Drop.JPG
 

Muleski

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1998 Team Fat Chance aka Yo Eddy...
A true New England Classic!

View attachment 138984


I love that color combination. Always have.

My adult son recently scored a mint Fat Chance Buckshaver frame, with a "Big One Inch" fork, in that exact coloring. He's been acquiring components for this project for years, and will be building it up in the fall, as his single speed town bike.

He has a Wicked Fat that was bought new by my brother, completely original. He will never part with that bike. I sold mine when it was about 5 years old and have always regretted it.

So great to see Chris Chance back in the bike game.
 
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Bill Talbot

Bill Talbot

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I'm going to ignore the 2000 line in the mud, and go 2006 because things haved moved so far and fast in the full suspension world that this Turner RFX totally qualifies.

Also, just because Turner, AND this bike sports coil suspension front and rear, which I believe will be appreciated by both @cantunamunch and @scott43!

View attachment 139264

I remember those.
Your Turner is still much closer to where we are now than were MTBs started. Primitive short travel forks were the dawn of the new era/evolution.
That's why 2000 is the realistic cut off. (some designs were already beyond even then)
 

Tom K.

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Primitive short travel forks were the dawn of the new era/evolution.

Primitive is the right word for early forks. I remember going through Rockshox RS-1 forks like tissue paper. We'd drain the oil, laugh at the plastic bits that came out, and RS would send a new one.

Eventually gave up and went Manitou for the unsophisticated, but stone axe reliable, elastomer bumpers. They had their own challenge, in that they'd collect water, so we learned to drill a small hole in the bottom of each leg.

The a Lawill Leader which was astounding, but bushings wore out so quickly. I wonder how well a fork like that could be made today, with modern materials and mfg technology?! I guess Trust at least sorta kinda tried, but folded quickly.
 
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Bill Talbot

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Anyone remember the Lawwill Leader? This was ex AMA championship rider Mert Lawwill's baby.(around '96)

96 Lawwill Leader mtb.jpg
96 Lawwill Leader rear suspension detail.jpg
 

Tom K.

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Anyone remember the Lawwill Leader? This was ex AMA championship rider Mert Lawwill's baby.(around '96)

I owned that fork! Backstory:

I had destroyed several Rockshox RS1s and Manitous. This new magazine came out called Bike (RIP!) and included a review of the Lawill Leader fork. I bought one, and they rode really, really well, the only problem being that the lower bushings -- all 8 of them! -- constantly developed slop. Cheap and easy to replace, but I eventually tired of that.
 
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Bill Talbot

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I owned that fork! Backstory:

I had destroyed several Rockshox RS1s and Manitous. This new magazine came out called Bike (RIP!) and included a review of the Lawill Leader fork. I bought one, and they rode really, really well, the only problem being that the lower bushings -- all 8 of them! -- constantly developed slop. Cheap and easy to replace, but I eventually tired of that.

That was the word about the fork. I wonder if the bushings were replaced by bearings if life could have been prolonged.
 
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Bill Talbot

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The later Yeti DH version with Lawwill kept the same basic rear suspension but you can see what direction the front took.

Yeti Lawwill.jpg
 

Philpug

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It's funny how some complain that the ski industry beta tests product on the consumer...well they got nothing on the bike industry and how they brought all these crazy suspensions to the consumers.
 

scott43

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To me..ski industry is totally lame-street. Bikes man...CRAZY innovation. I can't count the number of different suspensions I've seen...Horst link...MacPherson strut, leader, trailer, coil tube...4-bar..single beam..y-frame... Crazy. Even brifters...think of how HUGE an innovation brifters were. Can anyone even IMAGINE using downtube shifters in anger again??? I raced with downtube shifters..thank god it's flatter than piss on a plate here....
 
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Bill Talbot

Bill Talbot

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It's funny how some complain that the ski industry beta tests product on the consumer...well they got nothing on the bike industry and how they brought all these crazy suspensions to the consumers.

Well most of the early crazy designs were raced before they actually came to the consumer market. Not that it means they are well sorted or durable from the public's perspective. I really enjoyed the period in time. Road cycling gear was so European and conservative. In the USA so much stuff came out of small machine shops/Indie brands and that was great from an innovation standpoint. It all gets sorted by the market eventually when we vote with our buying dollars.
 

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