The 'My First Bike' Thread

[Chriso_29er]

First bike that was not hand me down was about a 87 BMX of some description. All I remember is it had an unusual oval frame that I broke at the head tub after practicing endo's by riding it into a low brick wall!

First MTB was a 1990 Shogun Trailbreaker 2 in gunmetal grey. That bike got ridden everywhere and was jumped until the front rigid steel forks started to bend out forwards.

2nd MTB I still have, 97 Mongoose

And still goes trail riding from time to time.

 

[downunderdallas]

Not a picture of my bike, but this was my first MTB. A Diamondback Sorrento. First bike was a mongrel BMX of some sort.

Mine was also I Diamond Back Sorrento, maybe the year before this one, I have no pics of it, went from that to GT Karakoram (sunrise paint job) still think that looks cool, back to Diamond Back Axis TR (which I still have in the shed!) that was back when I changed bikes every year!

 

[Haakon]

Holy shit, wish I’d stocked up on them...

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=394071

Loved those tyres - soft as hell, short life and awesome grip. Great tarmac tyres when the knobs wore down.

 

[Mr Crudley]

Mine was also I Diamond Back Sorrento, maybe the year before this one, I have no pics of it, went from that to GT Karakoram (sunrise paint job) still think that looks cool, back to Diamond Back Axis TR (which I still have in the shed!) that was back when I changed bikes every year!

The tequila sunrise Karakoram was one of GTs finest works IMHO. We will never see bikes as wacky cool and out there as they made in that era.

 

[AaronM]

After the Maddison I got a Firenze MT505 which I rode until 1993 (when I moved to Canberra for uni)

 

[link1896]

Second, real MTB was an Apollo Enduro Comp, bought it maybe 1992.


Enduro before it was a thing.

1-2” of shitty elastomer rear travel, and just as bad “fast trax” front elastomer suspension.

 

[link1896]

One of the bonded on dropouts came loose on the forks. They were a shitty Asian copy of manitous.

 

[Calvin27]

This was more or less my first bike.

 

[Lazmo]

This was more or less my first bike.

Ah the old living in an inverted parallel universe trick...

 

[Lazmo]

First bike was so long ago, in the early 60's, that all I know is that it was a hand me down 24" boys bike, with back pedal rear brake, and it got parked, other than riding our mile and half long driveway to catch the school bus, as soon as I got my first motorbike.

First "mountain bike" was a Kmart Northern Star. I tossed the ridiculous skinny flat bar with bar ends and installed a set of "downhill" bars and it went on a million camping trips, before we discovered actual mountain biking in 2003. On its final camping trip, I donated it to a mate who lived on Kangaroo Island, so I would be forced to buy an actual mountain bike when we got home.

 

[Flow-Rider]

Found some photo's of the original bike online (hanimex), they didn't have a layback seat post originally and had the bright yellow vinyl pads. @Mr Crudley & @Scotty T

 

[Scotty T]

YES, HANIMEX! They were nice bikes, between the k-mart red devil and the pro bikes. I loved them, the anno bling. I had a Raliegh with oval tubes that snapped at the head tube when I was 15 or so, after replacing most of the parts with freestyle bits. That snap led to the Repco mtb.

 

[Flow-Rider]

YES, HANIMEX! They were nice bikes, between the k-mart red devil and the pro bikes. I loved them, the anno bling. I had a Raliegh with oval tubes that snapped at the head tube when I was 15 or so, after replacing most of the parts with freestyle bits. That snap led to the Repco mtb.

I still remember the freestyle era phase, the first goose necks with the centre bolt that you could put the front brake cable in and the foot pegs that every doubled on.

 

[Scotty T]

I still remember the freestyle era phase, the first goose necks with the centre bolt that you could put the front brake cable in and the foot pegs that every doubled on.

I did the whole lot on a high end supermarket bike, Peregrine 48 spoke wheels and all. No wonder it broke. Can still do a bar ride.

So glad i went to the MTB though, it was a new thing and I was looking at "racers" as road bikes were known to me then. The LBS guy had gone to school with my dad so I got a good deal and later went on to work at the shop. Good times.

 

[Mr Crudley]

I still remember the freestyle era phase, the first goose necks with the centre bolt that you could put the front brake cable in and the foot pegs that every doubled on.

The Hanimex rings a bell now. I never had a freestyle bike. Those gyro things that let the bars spin without twisting up the cables were a stroke of genius.

Many of those freestyle bikes weren't too pretty but kudos how they adapted the humble BMX to its new surroundings without a different wheelsizes, bb sizes, hub sizes, brake standards and other semi throwaway stuff that MTBers seem to have to endure every few years.

Behold the 1989 Haro Master in all of its flatland glory.

 

[Elbo]

My first bike worth mentioning was a Raleigh RS5000. I rode it rigid for 2 years, then spent a year mowing lawns saving for a pair of Rockshox Judy's for it.

 

[Mr Crudley]

I rode it rigid for 2 years, then spent a year mowing lawns saving for a pair of Rockshox Judy's for it.
View attachment 357658

I remember spending almost a full pay packet on those Rockshox Quadra 5s. Still was underwealmed afterwards.

 

[rextheute]

I have no recollection at all of this bike, but it appears to be called a Flipper, c. 1980

It has however inspired a lifelong lack of effort in tidying my brake and shifter cables.



View attachment 357597

WoW we must be related ! I had a blue one - it did everything - even folded up randomly...I was so jealous of the kids next door as they got actual bikes - a ‘ Grifter ‘ and a Mongoose BMX .
I still have my first mtb from 1986 a Univega - and my 2nd a Giant cadex ... scared to ride the carbon as I am a bit heavier now and 30 yr old carbon scares me !

 

[Flow-Rider]

WoW we must be related ! I had a blue one - it did everything - even folded up randomly...I was so jealous of the kids next door as they got actual bikes - a ‘ Grifter ‘ and a Mongoose BMX .
I still have my first mtb from 1986 a Univega - and my 2nd a Giant cadex ... scared to ride the carbon as I am a bit heavier now and 30 yr old carbon scares me !

There wasn't the money around then like there is now and prices of those bikes were quite expensive, I always wanted a Red Line and my friends had bikes like PK rippers and Gt's. Did you happen to get an Italian built Univega, I've always lusted for one of those ?

 

[fatboyonabike]

first bike was an Apollo BMX, first MTB was some POS Repco, but first proper bike was a Shogun Trail Breaker 2.
saved up for months then had it stolen about 6 weeks after I got it!...then I moved into the weird and wonderful world of raised chainstays circa 1990.