Just spotted this, inspired by the Cranes Kilimanjaro bikes. The frames are handmade in the UK by Lee Cooper.
I actually sort of like it but I can't understand who would part with £1300 for one. I'm sure something that looks and performs in a similar fashion could be built from skip and garage finds for under £200 ... okay it wouldn't be handbuilt but who'd know? I think the trick would have been to produce something that looks inspired by the Kili Saracens but has a few modern twists to make it more useable.
It's a lot of money to spend to remind yourself how duff bikes were back in the day!
I know the Rover Mini sold largely unchanged for 40 odd years but that offered something modern cars didn't. I'm not convinced ye olde mtbs offer the same experience. Retrobike might disagree I guess. If you were desperate 1300 quid could get you a genuinely old original.
Not sure what modern twists you could incorporate beyond 29er wheels that wouldn't just single it out immediately as new. Aside from geo & disc tabs have steel frames got "better"?
Steel frames at the cutting edge have got better (853, 931, 953) but I'm not sure that a lugged 631 frame is any better than a '90's 531. In theory it should be better than the original '80's conquests as the butting profiles of the tubes should be more in line with what is required for an MTB. Depends on what the builder specced though.
firedfromthecircus wrote:Steel frames at the cutting edge have got better (853, 931, 953) but I'm not sure that a lugged 631 frame is any better than a '90's 531. In theory it should be better than the original '80's conquests as the butting profiles of the tubes should be more in line with what is required for an MTB. Depends on what the builder specced though.
Would this have to be CEN tested? That was my thinking behind "better". I'm sure my Tange Prestige Explosif was something like 4lbs for the frame but I'm certain it would fold up like a concertina if CEN tested.
