Jake Khuon's Casual Ponderings and Pontifications: Nishiki Fandom

Sun, 31 Jul 2005, 09:24:45 UTC-08:00

Nishiki Fandom

I used to own a 1990 Nishiki Ariel. It was my first raceable MTB and absolutely loved it. I had it for ten years and used it for everything. I regret the day I gave it away. Up until lately, I assumed I was the biggest fan of the old Richard Cunningham designed Nishiki bikes of the early 1990s. However, I recently received an email message from someone who puts my fandom to shame.

Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2005 20:41:31 -0300
From: j@bogus.email.dom
To: khuon@NEEBU.NET
Subject: from Brazil (Nishiki)

Dear Jake Khuon,

Are you there?

Was that you that back in October 2002 (or so) had a Nishiki Ariel Mtb ?

If so, PLEASE reply. I just need to quickly talk to you by e-mail.

Thank you very much for any attention from you.

Sincerely,

ANONYMISED

From: "Jake Khuon" <khuon@NEEBU.Net>
To: j@bogus.email.dom
Subject: Re: from Brazil (Nishiki) 
Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2005 10:12:04 -0700

### On Wed, 27 Jul 2005 20:41:31 -0300, j@bogus.email.dom casually decided
### to expound upon khuon@NEEBU.NET the following thoughts about "from
### Brazil (Nishiki)":

j> Are you there?
j> 
j> Was that you that back in October 2002 (or so) had a Nishiki Ariel Mtb ?

I used to have one.  Unfortunately, I no longer do.

j> If so, PLEASE reply. I just need to quickly talk to you by e-mail.

Certainly.  Do you have a question?

j> Thank you very much for any attention from you.

No worries.

--
/*===================[ Jake Khuon <khuon@NEEBU.Net> ]======================+
 | Packet Plumber, Network Engineers     /| / [~ [~ |) | | --------------- |
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Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2005 17:45:41 -0300
From: j@bogus.email.dom
To: Jake Khuon <khuon@neebu.net>
Subject: from Brazil (Nishiki) - the reason !

>j> If so, PLEASE reply. I just need to quickly talk to you by e-mail.
>
>Certainly.  Do you have a question?
>  
>

Dear Jake Khuon,

Thank you very much for your reply.

The thing is: let me, please, tell you a short story.

Since 1990, for some reason, I like the Nishiki bikes very very much.
I have a lot of material, magazines, pictures, etc, from those bikes 
designed by Mr. Richard Cunningham.
Today I have several Nishiki bikes, including 3 Alien (XT), an FS-2 (XT) 
and a Cascade (LX).

Back in 1990 I saw a picture in the magazines from the Ariel.

The thing is: I NEVER SAW an Ariel in front of me, although I´ve 
visiting many many bike shops. I know they are not so common (they were 
a kind of expensive on those days...).

For some reason, I started to think about the Ariel, more and more but, 
again, never saw another picture, different from that I saw in the 
magazine. Not a single one!

So I decided then to look closer in the internet !

If you type "Nishiki Ariel", there is ONLY ONE PICTURE that you get: 
YOURS !!!!!!

For some particular reason, I started to have more and more interest in 
finding one. After some time (months) I finally find one here in Brazil !!!
After 15 years !!!!
And, believe or not, it was on super marvelous shape !

Well, I don´t have to tell you that I bought it, of course !!!

I am extremely happy with this bike !
It rides just wonderfully (after I have adjusted a little bit the cockpit).

NOW, the reason I am writing to you, is because I just did something in 
your honor.
That´s because I understand that your picture FOR SURE gave all the 
inspiration, encouragement and very very strong wish to have an Ariel.

So, I took this picture from myself, in a similar way you took yours.

PLEASE ACCEPT MY BEST GRATITUDE FOR SHOWING ME THAT PICTURE !

Very sincerely,

ANONYMISED

Now here's the picture to which he was referring. This was taken moments after I brought my bike home back in 1990.

I then proceeded to ask him for permission to post our emails.

From: "Jake Khuon" 
To: j@bogus.email.dom
Subject: Re: from Brazil (Nishiki) - the reason ! 
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 06:25:22 -0700

### On Thu, 28 Jul 2005 17:45:41 -0300, j@bogus.email.dom
### casually decided to expound upon Jake Khuon  the
### following thoughts about "from Brazil (Nishiki) - the reason !":

j> >j> If so, PLEASE reply. I just need to quickly talk to you by e-mail.
j> >
j> >Certainly.  Do you have a question?
j> 
j> Thank you very much for your reply.
j> 
j> The thing is: let me, please, tell you a short story.

Wow!  That is exactly like my old bike.  I'm very honoured and happy that I
inspired you to seek out an Ariel.  That was one of the best bikes I've ever
had and have been mourning its loss for quite a number of years.  I bought
it right before I left for college and used it for everything including
racing and commuting as it was my only bike.  About five years ago, I gave
it to my brother after I had purchased a new full-suspension bike thinking
that I was "upgrading" and no longer needed my old Ariel.  I couldn't have
been more wrong.  Riding FS isn't necessarily better.  It's just different
and I should have kept my full-rigid Ariel.  To top it off, while I took
immaculate care of my Nishiki, my brother did not.  He abused it by leaving
it out on his front porch unlocked where it promptly got stolen so I can't
even ask for it back from him.  I also had one of the best cycling computers
on that bike when I gave it away... the CatEye CC-8000 ATC which has also
been discontinued long ago.

I have to admit that I am a little jealous you were able to find one in such
great condition.  Now I am compelled by the results of your own personal
quest to go out and re-acquire a 1990 Nishiki Ariel.

I hope you enjoy your bike.  As you've already discovered, it's a wonderful
machine.  I have always loved Richard Cunningham designed bikes and felt
they exhibited the epitome in XC handling.  I purchased the Ariel because I
could not at the time afford a Mantis.  The Nishiki being a mass-production
version of the Mantis XCR was much cheaper, and I didn't have to sign up for
a two-year backlogged waiting list to get one.  Some other bikes I really
dreamt of having were the Nishiki AlienACX, its sister, the Mantis Flying V
and the full-suspension thermoplastic carbon fiber Mantis Screaming V. 
Apparently these are very rare bikes.  And in the grand scheme of things, I
believe even the Ariel was a pretty rare bike despite being mass-produced.

May I ask a favour of you?  May I have permission to post our email exchange
in my public blog?  This is a wonderful story.  I will of course anonymise
your name and email address.  I will also blur out your face in the picture
if you want.

--
/*===================[ Jake Khuon <khuon@NEEBU.Net> ]======================+
 | Packet Plumber, Network Engineers     /| / [~ [~ |) | | --------------- |
 | for Effective Bandwidth Utilisation  / |/  [_ [_ |) |_| N E T W O R K S |
 +=========================================================================*/

Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 16:50:51 -0300
From: j@bogus.email.dom
To: khuon@neebu.net
Subject: from Brazil (Nishiki Ariel)

Dear Jake Khuon,

Thank you very much for your attention and for accepting my considerations 
about your Nishiki Ariel.

Also, thank you for all your explanation and the story about your Ariel; I am 
sorry to know that it was gone. I had a Trek 970 stolen a few months ago I 
know how you feel.

Well, I have to tell you that it seems that we have some similar feelings 
about bikes; I have a full suspension bike (the Nishiki FS-2, full Y2K XT 
components) and, yes, for some reason I usually prefer to ride the hardtails 
that I have.

Let me tell you that I DO HAVE A RED ALIEN ACX!
The problem is that, unfortunately, the 7000 series aluminum frame cracked. 
Really really too bad. I love that frame and I still have it with me.

Another point is that, me too, I tried for many years to put my hands on a 
Mantis Flying V. I still have the Mountain Bike Action magazine (1990) that 
brought its picture in the front page, plus a nice report about it. I also had 
a significant chance to buy a full suspension Mantis Screaming V thermoplastic 
frame (black) but unfortunately it was gone before I reached the store (and 
also it was too expensive...).

Well, I also agree with you that, although the new bikes (like yours) are 
incredible machines, those 90's cromoly hardtails had such a special handling. 
I feel this, including at the Ariel.

Now, as far as the posting of my message in the public blog is concerned, IF 
YOU THINK that it is worthy, although I was not expecting that, I don't see 
major problems. You can leave my face in the picture if you want, but I would 
ask you, please, to do not post my name and e-address for now. Also, I would 
appreciate if you could correct my English mistakes.

Let me also take this opportunity to send you another picture from the Ariel; 
I hope you enjoy it.
This is a 17" one; it seems from the picture that yours was one size larger, 
i.e., the 19".

Once more, thank you very much for reading my messages and for all your 
attention with me.

And, again, thanks for posting that Ariel picture !

Sincerely,

ANONYMISED

P.S. I actually do not wear glasses; I just put one to get closer to your 
picture !

Posted by khuon on Sun, 31 Jul 2005, 09:24:45 UTC-08:00

Comments

Hello Jake and anomynes. Here's another Ariel addicted, this time from Holland. I used to have an Ariel in 1992 and was riding it's wheels of in those day's. Then I sold it and always felt bad about that day. Now I am a proffesional bikerepairman and hoped to find back the bike I used to like so much. Also I started lookin on the internet and there's only one picture to find: yours. Very small and the bike is hardly visable but it's an Ariel!
I continued to search and recently I found a frame on eBay America. Cracked on one chainstay but further in an excellend condition an most of all: My size like I had back then and in the right color too! I continue my search and so far I found another frontfork. Hard to find since most forks are bended. I'm also looking for the original DX brakes, so far I found one pair on eBay. The rest of the groupset I have around and should be in good condition; I fitted the set on a friends bike and did not see that bike for some time. Must be ok and otherwise I will make it ok.

At this moment I am hunting on the seat, Selle Italia Turbo Gel and I am looking for the original rims. Here's my problem: I don't remember the type. I believe it is a Bontrager rim and for those day's the lightest on earth but what was the type? I hope you can give me this answer and maybe even more information.

I hope you can help me out. If you let me know how to load you some pictures I can send these to you.

Ariel greetings from Amsterdam, Holland.
Nanne Faas.

Posted by: Nanne Faas on August 16, 2005 12:27 PM

Nanne,

The original stock rims on the 1990 Nishiki Ariel were the Araya RM-20. They weren't especially lightweight rims but they were pretty strong and pretty durable. I'm not sure what rims came on the 1992 model though. You can find out more information about older Araya rims from Bike Pro.

Posted by: Jake Khuon on August 16, 2005 06:43 PM

Dear Jake and Nanne,

It seems that, somehow, it could be useful posting my name and e-address just in case someone could need information related to the models of the Nishiki bikes that I own. These bikes are:

1989 17" Cromoly Nishiki Alien, white, XT components, 100% original, bought new

1990 18" Cromoly Nishiki Alien, XTR/XT/LX components, building-up from new frame

1990 20" Aluminum/Cromoly Nishiki Alien ACX, red, XT components, bought new, frame cracked

1990 18" Cromoly Nishiki Cascade, blue, LX components, bought new

1990 17" Cromoly Nishiki Ariel, Blue/Black Zolotone, DX components, about 90% original, bought used

1993 18" Aluminum/Cromoly Nishiki FS2, XT components, frame bought new

Sergio
Brazil

Posted by: Sergio on August 18, 2005 08:21 AM

If anyone has a picture of a nishiki cascade I would love it. I rode mine in the ground and miss it so. I just want a picture!

Posted by: Adam on November 9, 2005 02:41 PM

Hi, Jake!
Just to let you know: your domainname (neebu) means in Russian "I don't f@%k". Nothing personal, just be informed.
Regards,
-- Leon

Posted by: Leon Koll on March 7, 2006 02:51 AM

thanx for posting all this info. I just happened on a Nishiki FS1 frame in excellent condition a while ago and this helps on my history of it. It's orange with the logo in blue letters. It looks pretty sharp. I was going to single speed it, but I'm getting inspired to go more retro with it...thanx again, Stan "stan4bikes"

Posted by: stan milstid on May 28, 2006 11:42 PM

Hello all,
has been some days since my last post but lots of things has changed since. The Ariel is still in bits but welded and the fork in color. I found the original rims from Bontrager and these are laced to a set of DX hubs. And than everything went wrong! The rearframe seams to be twisted and almost impossible to true this without dammaging the frame more. So here I am with all my parts. I also changed job twice since my last post so I have had a busy year. But I will find my Ariel, I will have one in my shed!

How are you guys doing? Everything save and sound?
I will keep you updated more often, this break was a bit too long.

Regards, Nanne Faas.

Posted by: Nanne on August 9, 2006 12:56 PM

I'm sorry to hear that your Ariel's frame is misaligned. I guess it saw some trauma as you mentioned there was also a crack in the chainstay. Have you tried to determine if the whole rear end is warped or if it's just a localised section? Perhaps, if you can't coldset that section back into alignment, you can have a welder cut out the relevant section and weld on a new one. Obviously that's a lot of work and I wouldn't blame you for not wanting to sink the investment.

Everything is okay with me. I'm also beginning to hunt for an Ariel. I'm hoping to luck into a 1990 model one like Sergio since that's the model I had originally.

Posted by: Jake Khuon on August 16, 2006 05:55 PM

good to read you're fine. I'm fine too again since a miracle happened. Surfing the net I ran into a advertisement from a guy selling his Ariel, located in Holland and in almost mint condition! So I bought the bike of course. Now this bike was bought later than mine but the color is a perfect match. Groupset in this case a complete LX set. Mine was DX so I had to rebuild it al a bit. No problems of course.

I made my first ride last weekend and I have to say I was a bit surprised the way it handled. A bit direct and at the same time poor handling. The tires are not in a very good condition so I blame them most of all.

But after a couple of miles I got more used to the feeling and all went better.

I got some pictures but I first have to downsize them. Keep you updated!

Posted by: Nanne Faas on September 19, 2006 12:59 PM

I have a Nishiki Cascade Ex Blu 18" designed by Richard Cunningham that I would like to sell if any body is interested. I have pictures I can e-mail.

Posted by: Sayle on October 7, 2006 02:44 PM

Hey all, I have an ariel for sale on Craigslist, SF Bay Area, see the url...

Posted by: Scott on January 24, 2007 03:13 PM

The URL for the Ariel for Sale is:
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/bik/267718405.html

Posted by: Scott on January 24, 2007 03:16 PM

Hi, Jake and everyone. Just bought a '90 Ariel in blue/black zolotone with much of the original equipment. I'm wondering if my shock fork and grip shifters are original, and if not, what was used instead? Also, what about the saddle? The photo of the '90 Ariel posted by Jake was very helpful, though its fork looked mighty thin for off-road use.

This is going to be my everyday/mtb, but if it doesn't work out, I'll consider selling it. Would re-painting the frame keep anyone from buying it? The zolotone paint scheme must hide paint chips very well, but for me, it doesn't accentuate the frame's unique design, if that makes sense.

Larry (Oakland, CA)

Posted by: Larry on February 16, 2007 08:53 AM

Congrats on your "new" Ariel, Larry. The GripShift and front shocks are definately not original. OEM spec was Shimano DeoreDX througout (including the shifters which were 1st. gen. RapidFire) and the fork was essentially a rebadged Tange straight bladed steel fork. The OEM fork may look thin but remember that it's made of 4130 cromoly. One advantage to steel forks is that they offer a bit of shock absorbance. While they couldn't be considered anywhere near as compliant as even an eslastomeric suspension fork, they did take the edge off some hits. Plus they tracked really well. As for the saddle, mine originally came with a Selle Royale Gel saddle.

Posted by: Jake Khuon on February 18, 2007 11:31 PM

anyone want to buy mine? i have an ariel and i have an extra alien al frame...

brain@greyscapes.com

Posted by: brian on June 19, 2007 08:50 PM

For what it's worth, apparently Nishiki still sells bicycles in Scandanavia. (ie. Denmark, Norway, Sweden & Finland). Here's their website

http://www.nishiki.com/

chimayy AT yahoo.com

Posted by: Peter Piper on August 8, 2007 07:28 PM

I have an Ariel as pictured only the frame is a little larger and it's in mint original condition except I recently put on new tires. I've considered selling this bike but don't know what it's worth. Does anyone have any ideas on this?

Posted by: Mark on September 7, 2007 10:42 AM

I am looking to purchase a nashiki alien with shimano deore xt rapid fire set up and a small frame. I used to own one and would like to again. I had a black and white model that could have been 1989 or so, just prior to the ACX model. Anyone out there that could come up with one of these bikes, I sure would be interested. my contact is gotaviation@hotmail.com and cell number is (562)833-7951

Posted by: joe turner on September 19, 2007 04:07 AM

Hi! I'd like to introduce myself to (quite possibly) the world's smallest community! I bought a new Nishiki Ariel ('90 model like the one pictured above) when I was 15 years old and owned it for approx. 2 years. As is typically the case when you're a student, I had to trade it in to get my next bike and always regreted having to do so.

17 years and around 60 bikes later, the Ariel is the bike I regret letting slip through my fingers the most! A couple of years ago I started looking for another Ariel to add to my vintage MTB collection and until a short time ago, was under the impression that the search was futile. Much to my surprise I found one! Granted, it was in another Country (and a remote area at that!) and took quite some organising but i'm delighted to say that I have purchased it and it's now in transit to me (it is in New Zealand and i'm in Australia). As you can imagine, i'm excited!

When I take delivery of my new 'pride and joy' I will promptly overhaul it and return it to it's former glory before taking it out for a trip down memory lane!

I actually have 6 other elevated chainstay bikes including a '90 Nishiki Alien ACX (new, never ridden!) and another in a '91 model (with an original RockShox RS-1 and an M900 XTR groupset). The Ariel I had in '90 sparked an obsesion with elevated chainstays that will stay with me always. I honestly don't know why the conecpt died!

Here are some images of the bike I recently purchased and a magazine scan of an ad for the '90 Ariel for you!

Kind regards,

Arran.

[IMG]http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h207/Arranandnat/50795906_full.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h207/Arranandnat/50795680_full.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h207/Arranandnat/ariel2.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h207/Arranandnat/ariel1.jpg[/IMG]

Posted by: Arran on October 20, 2007 05:26 AM

Sorry, looks like the links didn't work. You'll have to 'cut 'n' paste'!

Posted by: Arran on October 20, 2007 05:28 AM

Hi, everyone in the "world's smallest community"? I have been puzzled about how to mount a rear rack on the Ariel (aside from using the seat post). Strange that there are eyelets near the rear dropout, but there are no brake bridge and/or braze-ons for attaching the top end of a typical rack. Anyone have any ideas? Currently, I have two types of Blackburn racks, the EX-1 (which attaches at braze-ons) and another that attaches at the bridge. Is there some kind of adapter add-on?

Posted by: LARRY on November 12, 2007 09:05 AM

Hello Nishiki Fans:
Can anyone tell me the correct way to thread the front derailer cable on a Nishiki Alien ? Does it pass under the bottom braket or through the stays? I just bought a clean steel framed Nishiki Alien in good condition...no rust.I think the way cable is threded is not correct. Any info. would be of value .

Best Regards
Wayne

Posted by: Wayne on August 19, 2008 10:08 PM

i own a nishiki
triathalon seires
international

i converted it to a fixed gear
and im ready to paint it
i love the original look
i havnt even seen the same bike
layout

anywhere

BUT i need decals to keep it looking like it does now

ive looked for months with no luck
because the stopped producing
this bike waaaaay back

ANYONE THAT HAS ANY IDEA OF WHERE TO GET THEM
PLZ EMAIL ME
WITHOUT HESITATION

skeetalicious@yahoo.com

Posted by: zach on August 30, 2008 02:29 PM

Hi Wayne,

I bought a brand new 1989 Alien about 5 years ago.
The way the FD was connected, it was virtually impossible to use. It was very hard to shift. The cable housing stopped right at the FD and the cable itself continued to be fixed at the bottom bracket shell. I did change that. I did installed a cable stopper above the FD, had the cable housing stop there, and the cable itself to continue going down to the bottom bracket cage where, at the same hole that the original cable was fixed, I did install a pulley, so the cable could turn 180 degrees and go back up to be connected to the bottom pull derailleur.
The shifting is now much better this way.

Hope this helps. If not, please write again.

Cheers,

Sergio
Brazil

Posted by: Sergio on September 28, 2008 04:20 PM

Save a Cascade from the breakers but can't figure out the age. Doesn't have the raised chain stays as the ones found in this site, rather they are normal. I am thinking that's an even older frame, probably pre-1989 based on an example of an '89 found online. Here are some pix of mine:
http://www.cyclesnack.com/2008/11/nishiki-cascade.html
If you look at the stripped frame, I would say that it's a very early model because it looks essentially styled off of a road frame.
Let me know what you think.

Posted by: Mark on November 23, 2008 05:52 AM

I would guess it's a little older based on the bullmoose handlebars. I think manufacturers stopped putting those on as OEM sometime around 1986-1987. You can probably narrow down the date of the bike based on the Sugino cranks if you can find the datecode. Check out the Sugino section in the following webpage to decode the date codes.

http://www.vintage-trek.com/component_dates.htm

Posted by: Jake Khuon on November 25, 2008 12:51 PM

I love Nishiki MTBs also but due to my recent job loss, I have to part with two beautiful 18 inch MTBs which I have on Craigslist, Los Angeles. If you are interested in adding to your stable, please send me an email. jptowne@yahoo.com Thanks!

Posted by: Jordan Towne on December 9, 2009 09:40 PM

Would like to get more info on the Nishiki Ariel. Mine does not have the elevated chain stays. it is red body with white forks.

Posted by: Mauricio ORANTES on April 26, 2010 12:51 PM

You have an older pre-Cunningham Ariel. In 1989, Nishiki hired Richard Cunningham (of then Mantis Cycles) to design the Alien (aluminum racing frame) that was based off the Mantis Valkyrie. Nishiki introduced the new Cunningham-based Ariel as a 4130 cro-mo version of the Alien the very next year. It was the same design but used different material meaning it was heavier than the Alien. It was spec'ed one step lower than the Alien and sold as the second from the top model.

Posted by: Jake Khuon on April 26, 2010 04:33 PM

Hi Again,

An update from my 2007 post:

After more than 5 years of searching I have finally taken posession of an original Mantis XCR-EC. Very happy! Now the elevated chainstay component of the stable includes: '90 Nishiki Ariel (like the ones pictured), '90 Nishiki Alien ACX, '91 Nishiki Alien ACX, '91 Haro Extreme Team, '91 Kirk Revolution, '92 Mantis XCR-EC, '92 Funk Pro Comp, '94 Haro Extreme. I really must stop clooecting as I now have 20 bikes!

Posted by: Arran on May 6, 2010 04:58 AM

Great site! It is really hard to find any info on these bikes. I was in the market for a bike to tool around with my kids and I saw a Nishiki Ariel come up for a low price. I wasn't expecting much from a 20+ year old bike. Wow! This thing is so nice and well made. After all this time it rides very smooth and is just great fun. I plan to replace a few items that have worn-shift cables, etc. but again, I am amazed at the build quality. Here is my bike.
http://home.pacbell.net/cclary1/Ariel.jpg

Brad
San Diego, CA

Posted by: Brad on June 11, 2010 08:44 AM

Wow, can't believe I found a little nest of enthusiasts here! I just got my two Nishikis out of the shop for their yearly tune up. One's a Cascade, the other's a Manitoba. All core elements are OEM, but there's also a ton of extras. The pic does NOT do them justice. The color is SICK and they're both in AMAZING condition. And note the 2009-edition Camelbak bottles, and the 2010 WTB Speed-V seat on the Cascade, so I'm not posting an 18-year old pic here. ;)

http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/5246/nishiki.jpg

Time to ride, have a great day!
-V
New York

Posted by: V on June 13, 2010 07:49 AM

Hello to the web's smallest community! In 1991 I bought a brand new ariel that was collecting dust in the shop for a few years. I think it must be 89' model. It has straight chain stays, is baby blue,white, and black in color. Full dx groupo with thumb shifters which I adore ever since I bought a cheaper nishiki backroads with the first version of rapidfire shitters. I used to carry a paper clip shoved in the end of the handlebar grip to use to unjamb them which was about ten times per ride. And the frame on my ariel says cunningham design on it as well. Someone mentioned the thin forks. Do not worry I used to load mine up with over 90 lbs of gear and slam through singletrack. You could look down and watch the forks flexing all over the place. Steel is indeed real afterall. I just got mine back from my brother after several years of neglect and I am refurbishing it to better than new. I am even considering adding disk brakes and relocating shifter cable so it doesn't have to go under BB shell. I have already done this to an early peugot mtb and love the results. Yes I could have bought a whole new machine for the $$ I have invested, but the old "air" as I call her has taken me all over in class and style. She deserves it.

Posted by: bruce on July 8, 2010 10:12 AM

What a crazy thread... I was just looking for more data on the Mantis XCR-EC that came to me as trade for some work done on another bike.

It has an odd components mix too in my opinion: Deore XT shifters, derailleurs, and rear hub. Suntour XC-Pro crankset and front hub. Ritchey seatpost and headset. XTR canti brakes.

I'm 5'11" and the frame (polished alu/chromed rear) is big... too big for me.

Here are some pics.
http://s554.photobucket.com/albums/jj406/MrCookie1/Bike%20Parts/Frames/

Posted by: Mike K on August 9, 2010 12:11 AM