Here's a fun one. What was the first mountain bike you owned? Second bike?

First bike was an old stock 1994 Norco Kokanee rigid with STX group from Fraser Cycle. Obsessed over it for months and months as a grom. She was ridden, every part upgraded as I raced her XC throughout high school. I'd have to dig through my archives to try and find a pic of me xc racing her at Sunpeaks

Left the sport for a few years then my 2nd bike was a huck to falt Friday nigh turban special Voodoo Shango from Airbomb, that eventually got 1st generation Formula disc brakes -- disc brakes and horizontal drops back them sucked --- scratch that disc brakes back then in general sucked.

1991 Norco Kokanee that saw a lot of dirt/forest/fire roads and then became my commuter for a couple of summers before I sold it to a friend.

In 1993 I upgraded to a Mongoose IBOC Comp. I had been lusting for a Stumpjumper FS, but by the time I had my money together, there were none to be had in New Brunswick, so I went with the rigid Mongoose. In retrospect, it was a great choice.... possibly the best ROI I've ever gotten from $1,200. I still use it for commuting, and it was a great kid hauler. The Deore LX shifters & derailleurs are still the originals, it's amazing how long that stuff lasts. If I had gotten the Stumpjumper, I suspect it would have died a long time ago.

Second bike. Fisher Montare. Then I had no Mountainbike for a few years. Some cheap yellow BRC, Ritchey Enduro, Specialized Stumpjumper Team Issue, Kona Hei Hei, Klein P1, Norco Team Issue, Norco Torrent, Santacruz Heckler, Santacruz Superlight, Santacruz Blur, Santacruz BlurLT2, VP Free, Santacruz Blur LTC, Nomad, Nomad Carbon, Ibis Tranny, Giant XTC 29, Highball, Bronson, Chameleon, Trek Remedy 9.9. 

There. Now don’t ask any more. Hahaha

92 Brigestone mb-3 that I bought a size too big because I might "grow into it". I never did. My next bike was GT Avalance LE and it fit great!

1989 Atlas 1000 with Deore components and under-stay U-brake.

Best thing about this bike is I sold it to my friend's dad when I bought a RckyMtn Hammer. Buddy's dad still has the bike, and keeps it in prime condition, cleaned, greased, and tuned. 

One day, I may try to buy it back from him.

Posted by: T-mack

Posted by: DemonMike

1992 Giant ATX 660 Bought it new , had a 50mm RST fork.

Did you buy it at High Gear??

It seems to me like there are so many (old) Woodlot / Bear Mtn / Red Mtn / Burke and etc mountain bikers around and yet Floyd / High Gear are all but forgotten, which is sad to me. Basically, all the bike shops from out that way that I frequented as a kid are gone: Cyclepath/BlackDog, High Gear, The Ridge, AKA The Bike Shop, Overtime hell even Cap's Westwood. I ran into the Dan Sedlacek, previously of OnTop, the other day and it's easy to forget how many genuine folks have simply moved on to other things, even here on the Shore. 

Anyways, before I start crying into my beer, I didn't know Floyd at High Gear as a person (separate from the High Gear experience), but I wrote a little something about him on my personal blog if you're interested.

- - - - - -

So I'm not being a thread-ruiner.

If you ask me today, my first real mountain bike was a 1995 Iron Horse, fully rigid in metallic blue and sporting a full Shimano STX-RC build. BUT, if you'd asked my at the time my first mountain bike was a neon-green-and-black hi-ten steel Raleigh with SIS friction shifting, and steel rims. Perception right?

I'll provide a contrasting story to most of you -- I just started riding in the summer of 2017.

Back then, in a kneejerk reaction to suddenly having the funds, I bought a basic Cube hardtail -- 3x8, 70° HA, quick releases. Relatively quickly I killed the fork and replaced it with the cheapes airsprung RS model that fit, and continued to kick the shit out of the thing, until the wheels couldn't be trued anymore, the mech exploded on a rainy nightride, and I got a taste of singlespeeding in a magic gear for two weeks, at which point the cassette also exploded. A few months on low-end SRAM gear later, I invested my savings in a modern FS, which I still ride with bunch of modifications, but it got company from a 160mm steel singlespeed hardtail, and I don't intend to get rid of either for the foreseeable future.

I sometimes regret selling the Cube (don't worry, the buyer got a complete introduction to all the flaws and issues ;), with 100 mm of travel, flared drop bars, and relatively big 650b rubber, I'd be a few years ahead of the curve on the gravel market.

My first mountain bikes were a series of Free Spirits from Sears. Of course, these were terrible bikes with ornamental suspension and cheap components. I finally convinced my parents to help me buy a 2004 Giant Rincon, which was then upgraded for a 2006, I believe, made in Canada Oryx T-Line 125. Got out of the sport for a while during high school, but in University I bought a Devinci Wooky XC race bike, which still serves as my gravel bike.

Posted by: AndrewMajor

Posted by: T-mack

Posted by: DemonMike

1992 Giant ATX 660 Bought it new , had a 50mm RST fork.

Did you buy it at High Gear??

It seems to me like there are so many (old) Woodlot / Bear Mtn / Red Mtn / Burke and etc mountain bikers around and yet Floyd / High Gear are all but forgotten, which is sad to me. Basically, all the bike shops from out that way that I frequented as a kid are gone: Cyclepath/BlackDog, High Gear, The Ridge, AKA The Bike Shop, Overtime hell even Cap's Westwood. I ran into the Dan Sedlacek, previously of OnTop, the other day and it's easy to forget how many genuine folks have simply moved on to other things, even here on the Shore. 

Anyways, before I start crying into my beer, I didn't know Floyd at High Gear as a person (separate from the High Gear experience), but I wrote a little something about him on my personal blog if you're interested.

- - - - - -

So I'm not being a thread-ruiner.

If you ask me today, my first real mountain bike was a 1995 Iron Horse, fully rigid in metallic blue and sporting a full Shimano STX-RC build. BUT, if you'd asked my at the time my first mountain bike was a neon-green-and-black hi-ten steel Raleigh with SIS friction shifting, and steel rims. Perception right?

Dealt with all those shops. Made many friends through them as well. Floyd was the best. Great guy he is missed. Troy at Maple Ridge Cycle is there still. Hes just behind the old store.

Posted by: DemonMike

Posted by: AndrewMajor

Posted by: T-mack

Posted by: DemonMike

1992 Giant ATX 660 Bought it new , had a 50mm RST fork.

Did you buy it at High Gear??

It seems to me like there are so many (old) Woodlot / Bear Mtn / Red Mtn / Burke and etc mountain bikers around and yet Floyd / High Gear are all but forgotten, which is sad to me. Basically, all the bike shops from out that way that I frequented as a kid are gone: Cyclepath/BlackDog, High Gear, The Ridge, AKA The Bike Shop, Overtime hell even Cap's Westwood. I ran into the Dan Sedlacek, previously of OnTop, the other day and it's easy to forget how many genuine folks have simply moved on to other things, even here on the Shore. 

Anyways, before I start crying into my beer, I didn't know Floyd at High Gear as a person (separate from the High Gear experience), but I wrote a little something about him on my personal blog if you're interested.

- - - - - -

So I'm not being a thread-ruiner.

If you ask me today, my first real mountain bike was a 1995 Iron Horse, fully rigid in metallic blue and sporting a full Shimano STX-RC build. BUT, if you'd asked my at the time my first mountain bike was a neon-green-and-black hi-ten steel Raleigh with SIS friction shifting, and steel rims. Perception right?

Dealt with all those shops. Made many friends through them as well. Floyd was the best. Great guy he is missed. Troy at Maple Ridge Cycle is there still. Hes just behind the old store.

For whatever reason I never really clicked with that shop. Have a great Troy experience though:

I was sitting at the top of Switchback/Eric Dunning (Sp?) at Mike Lake in Golden Ears when it was it very new and he comes pedalling up the fire road on an orange Norco Bomber leading a shop ride. 

Looks at me. 

T: “Did you already ride upper Incline? Was it greasy?”

A: “Upper Incline?!”

T: ~ “Just keep going up, you can’t miss it. The best trail around here!”

After they passed I sat for a bit and then finally convinced myself to ride up and see if I could find it. Easily the nastiest, greasiest, rooted jank I had ridden to date. Walked half of it. Crashed hard twice. Went back for more the next time I was up.

Posted by: AndrewMajor

Posted by: DemonMike

Posted by: AndrewMajor

Posted by: T-mack

Posted by: DemonMike

1992 Giant ATX 660 Bought it new , had a 50mm RST fork.

Did you buy it at High Gear??

It seems to me like there are so many (old) Woodlot / Bear Mtn / Red Mtn / Burke and etc mountain bikers around and yet Floyd / High Gear are all but forgotten, which is sad to me. Basically, all the bike shops from out that way that I frequented as a kid are gone: Cyclepath/BlackDog, High Gear, The Ridge, AKA The Bike Shop, Overtime hell even Cap's Westwood. I ran into the Dan Sedlacek, previously of OnTop, the other day and it's easy to forget how many genuine folks have simply moved on to other things, even here on the Shore. 

Anyways, before I start crying into my beer, I didn't know Floyd at High Gear as a person (separate from the High Gear experience), but I wrote a little something about him on my personal blog if you're interested.

- - - - - -

So I'm not being a thread-ruiner.

If you ask me today, my first real mountain bike was a 1995 Iron Horse, fully rigid in metallic blue and sporting a full Shimano STX-RC build. BUT, if you'd asked my at the time my first mountain bike was a neon-green-and-black hi-ten steel Raleigh with SIS friction shifting, and steel rims. Perception right?

Dealt with all those shops. Made many friends through them as well. Floyd was the best. Great guy he is missed. Troy at Maple Ridge Cycle is there still. Hes just behind the old store.

For whatever reason I never really clicked with that shop. Have a great Troy experience though:

I was sitting at the top of Switchback/Eric Dunning (Sp?) at Mike Lake in Golden Ears when it was it very new and he comes pedalling up the fire road on an orange Norco Bomber leading a shop ride. 

Looks at me. 

T: “Did you already ride upper Incline? Was it greasy?”

A: “Upper Incline?!”

T: ~ “Just keep going up, you can’t miss it. The best trail around here!”

After they passed I sat for a bit and then finally convinced myself to ride up and see if I could find it. Easily the nastiest, greasiest, rooted jank I had ridden to date. Walked half of it. Crashed hard twice. Went back for more the next time I was up.

Shhh...

Posted by: AndrewMajor

Posted by: DemonMike

Posted by: AndrewMajor

Posted by: T-mack

Posted by: DemonMike

1992 Giant ATX 660 Bought it new , had a 50mm RST fork.

Did you buy it at High Gear??

It seems to me like there are so many (old) Woodlot / Bear Mtn / Red Mtn / Burke and etc mountain bikers around and yet Floyd / High Gear are all but forgotten, which is sad to me. Basically, all the bike shops from out that way that I frequented as a kid are gone: Cyclepath/BlackDog, High Gear, The Ridge, AKA The Bike Shop, Overtime hell even Cap's Westwood. I ran into the Dan Sedlacek, previously of OnTop, the other day and it's easy to forget how many genuine folks have simply moved on to other things, even here on the Shore.

Anyways, before I start crying into my beer, I didn't know Floyd at High Gear as a person (separate from the High Gear experience), but I wrote a little something about him on my personal blog if you're interested.

- - - - - -

So I'm not being a thread-ruiner.

If you ask me today, my first real mountain bike was a 1995 Iron Horse, fully rigid in metallic blue and sporting a full Shimano STX-RC build. BUT, if you'd asked my at the time my first mountain bike was a neon-green-and-black hi-ten steel Raleigh with SIS friction shifting, and steel rims. Perception right?

Dealt with all those shops. Made many friends through them as well. Floyd was the best. Great guy he is missed. Troy at Maple Ridge Cycle is there still. Hes just behind the old store.

For whatever reason I never really clicked with that shop. Have a great Troy experience though:

I was sitting at the top of Switchback/Eric Dunning (Sp?) at Mike Lake in Golden Ears when it was it very new and he comes pedalling up the fire road on an orange Norco Bomber leading a shop ride.

Looks at me.

T: “Did you already ride upper Incline? Was it greasy?”

A: “Upper Incline?!”

T: ~ “Just keep going up, you can’t miss it. The best trail around here!”

After they passed I sat for a bit and then finally convinced myself to ride up and see if I could find it. Easily the nastiest, greasiest, rooted jank I had ridden to date. Walked half of it. Crashed hard twice. Went back for more the next time I was up.

LOL

Yay the incline was a nut kicker in spots. Had a couple bad crashes on it.

Troy still has that Bomber , and the yellow one.

Oh my 2nd bike was a Kona Kileau? , the burgundy color yr 93?94? I also had a Marin Zig Zag Trail at the same time. Think it was a 94.

THIS THREAD IS USELESS WITHOUT PICS!

(Says the guy who can’t access his pics right now)

First MTB: Neon green w/ black splatter Atlas 500 - way too big.

1992 Specialized Rockhopper comp. Orange, full LX parts. Killed almost everything on it in the years I had it. Sold it to my mum who left it unlocked outside Fairway Market and it got jacked.

1994(?) Stumpjumper M2 w/full LX. I stared at this thing for ages at Russ Hays, never thought I’d be able to buy it but somehow I did. Purple to green fade and the M2 was hot shit.  Was running Manitou 2’s by the time I Cracked it, got a (beautiful) red Kona Hot frame, tore a dropout out before warranty specialized could arrive...

The Hot was awesome, and so was Kona - I broke it again and they gave me an awesome Chute with a “team only” black paint job. Jr.T’s, Magura rim brakes, riser bars, Kujos, that thing was awesome until someone stole it - but at least insurance bought me a sweet creamsicle Stinky Dee-Lux that i “downgraded” to 8-speed XTR, Hugis to 321’s...

I gotta dig up some pics

First: a Diamond Back Topanga, with the splatter paintjob

Second: Kona Explosif, Blue.  

Would love another steel hardtail.