Deep dive into the history and background of some of my favorite builders
I’ve been restoring vintage mountains for over ten years now, and through that time have been exposed to many new brands and builders I never knew existed. While a few of the old classics remain as personal favorites I’ve developed an appreciation for several builders whos bikes I’ve proudly added to my collection. I hope that this page serves as hub for information for a few of those amazing people who have not only contributed to the development of mountain bikes but also made a personal impact on me and my life.
Bradbury Manitou
Most people are familiar with the Answer Manitou line of suspension forks and frames, but few know the full story of the Manitou brand and it’s founder Doug Bradbury. I hope the following section will provide a some background and history of one of the more iconic brands of early days of mountain bikingMost
Mantis
Many people are familiar with Richard Cunningham as the recent technical editor of PinkBike and the former editor of Mountain Bike Action. Fewer people know that RC once ran one of the most famous brands in the early days mountain biking. Mantis was an early entrant into the sport and quickly became one of the more innovative companies out there. I hope to tell a little bit of that story and illustrate some of the many contributions RC made to the sport.
Yeti Cycles
Yeti cycles was and continues to be one of the powerhouse mountain bike companies. Started in 1985 by John Parker with Chris Herting and Frank The Welder With a team roster including names like Tomac, Furtado, Giove, Rockwell and Deaton to name a few they were a dominant force on the race circuit in XC, DH and even dual slalom. Their bikes are still some of the more unique and desirable among collectors, many of which are still actively ridden.
Fat Chance
You can’t talk about steel mountain bikes without including Fat Chance. As far as I’m concerned, Klein, Yeti, Fat Chance and Merlin are the quintessential mainstream brands from the early days of mountain biking. Fat Chance stands out for their unwavering commitment to making high quality steel bikes and staying true to classic design elements accentuated with amazing paintjobs and aesthetics.
Titanium
Rather than focus on a specific builder I wanted to devote a section to all of my favorite Titanium bikes. Brands I intend to focus on include Merlin, WTB, Ibis, Willits and maybe an occasional oddball.
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