In conversations with people, Mantis seems to be one of the most sought after classic brands, along with Yeti & Fat Chance. I suppose it makes sense geographically, and with respect to their focus. Mantis being the cool west coast builder making wild innovative strides, Fat Chance being the east coast builder making traditional, almost puritanical, but equally masterful bike art, and Yeti, right in the middle, offering a (possibly more) stable balance of innovation and quality.
Well, it only seems fitting, we have good Yeti & Fat threads, and I know there are a few members here who have Mantiss, and many others who like em. Plus, there's the small matter of my friends polished one, which is up on ebay at the moment, due to a suprise addition to the family...
A photo of my own work in progress, which I'll update as it nears completion...
__________________
Nothing left to lose, & half mad.
[size=2]Yep, I know, I have some explaining to do. I figured seeing as how it's a 2nd generation Mantis (full aluminum), it was okay to build & ride it, after 10 years of waiting patiently in its box. Of course, it was horribly tempting to go crazy with Record OR and Grafton & Ringle bits, but I got to thinking, I'd sure like a bike I could actaully ride without worrying about. An xc softail with discs, a sturdy front end, but still light enough to climb, for colorado trail riding. I love to climb, but all the light climbing bikes I've had never descend worth a dang, and are even pretty scary in singletrack at speed. Usually it's due to the flimsy rockshox & superlight wheels. More than anything, I hate a wandering front end. The Mavic XL's are plenty light, with alum spokes, but excessively strong and stiff, with the straightpulls & 20mm thru, and the Marzocchi is built like a battleship. The fork rides about 1/2 height under sag, which doesn't screw up the geometry TOO bad, and has a quick lockout valve which settles about there and then locks in for long climbs. The rest of the build is a straightforward xc setup. So, it's a bike built to serve a specific purpose. Call it XC+. Not quite freeride, cause I don't jump off things, but should be good going fast for long periods at a time, over whatever comes up at fruita this year...
fsp
[/size]> Subject: New Skool!
> Pete,
> New Pro-Floater with big time fork, Shimano dual
> control, carbon riser bar? How can you call yourself
> Old Skool? Where are the thumbshifters? Where is the
> 2" of front travel? Where's the campy?
> Enjoy the freeride,
__________________
Nothing left to lose, & half mad.
In conversations with people, Mantis seems to be one of the most sought after classic brands, along with Yeti & Fat Chance. I suppose it makes sense geographically, and with respect to their focus. Mantis being the cool west coast builder making wild innovative strides, Fat Chance being the east coast builder making traditional, almost puritanical, but equally masterful bike art, and Yeti, right in the middle, offering a (possibly more) stable balance of innovation and quality.
Well, it only seems fitting, we have good Yeti & Fat threads, and I know there are a few members here who have Mantiss, and many others who like em. Plus, there's the small matter of my friends polished one, which is up on ebay at the moment, due to a suprise addition to the family...
A photo of my own work in progress, which I'll update as it nears completion...
this would be it..
did you machine a disc tab on rear?
this would be it..
did you machine a disc tab on rear?
Yep, had it cnc'd from 7075. 4 parts, 2 adjustable blocks on the inside, and two side plates to sandwich it all together around the hollow triangular dropout via a pair of chainring bolts, and the brakes own 2 mounting bolts. Allows for a bit of adjustability, and directs the load vertically onto the lower, more horizontal surface, instead of the thin angle brace above. Goes something like this...
__________________
Nothing left to lose, & half mad.
I have a late 80's x-Framed Valkyrie that I would love to show off but how do you post pics here? Any help would be appreciated. I tried to upload them as an attachment but I don't know if it will work.
Well I guess it did work. I will have to post some more pics. Unfortunately this frame has sat as a frame for the past 5 years after having a cracked stay repaired by Wade from Vulture Cycles. I think that she is starting to feel a little neglected.
I have a late 80's x-Framed Valkyrie that I would love to show off but how do you post pics here? Any help would be appreciated. I tried to upload them as an attachment but I don't know if it will work.
The Mantis Valkyries was one bike I definitely lusted after, mostly due to the looks, the trendy elevated chainstays and the promise of more standover height for my short self. If you get it built up, please post a pic and if anyone else already has one built up, likewise, let's see that beauty!
The Mantis Valkyries was one bike I definitely lusted after, mostly due to the looks, the trendy elevated chainstays and the promise of more standover height for my short self. If you get it built up, please post a pic and if anyone else already has one built up, likewise, let's see that beauty!
In conversations with people, Mantis seems to be one of the most sought after classic brands, along with Yeti & Fat Chance. I suppose it makes sense geographically, and with respect to their focus. Mantis being the cool west coast builder making wild innovative strides, Fat Chance being the east coast builder making traditional, almost puritanical, but equally masterful bike art, and Yeti, right in the middle, offering a (possibly more) stable balance of innovation and quality.
Well, it only seems fitting, we have good Yeti & Fat threads, and I know there are a few members here who have Mantiss, and many others who like em. Plus, there's the small matter of my friends polished one, which is up on ebay at the moment, due to a suprise addition to the family...
A photo of my own work in progress, which I'll update as it nears completion...
Hangin' out with Richard C. back in the day was one of the highlights of my MTB experience! Going out on our trice weekly rides was often spectacular.
RC built frames for me, and I managed to break 'em from time to time. He considered me his "big test rider". At 6'5" and currently 238lbs. (200 at the time) I have no chance to disagree. Just one of those times in my life I would certainly like to re-live.
Those were the days, my friend!
Rolled down white sox, Tomac hi-top shoes, clips and straps......wow. And a double chainring to boot.....
Holy smokes. You know, I used to dream about your life, whilst poring over mba's woefully in my Wisconsin ice-cave 9 months at a stretch. I'll bet you have some interesting pics...
Nice Photo, I'd frame that too! Tanks for the Mamries!
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Nothing left to lose, & half mad.
I'm intrigued at your post, don't know whether to say thank you or QQQQ.
Mateo
Quote:
Originally Posted by flyingsuperpetis
Holy smokes. You know, I used to dream about your life, whilst poring over mba's woefully in my Wisconsin ice-cave 9 months at a stretch. I'll bet you have some interesting pics...
Nice Photo, I'd frame that too! Tanks for the Mamries!
For those of you that requested em, here they are. I'll delete this post within 24 hours, cause such a big pile of graphics will likely choke the thread, & needlessly take up a bunch of space on mtbr's server. In the mean time, here it is...
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Nothing left to lose, & half mad.
The ProFloater era arrived, and Mantis, as we knew it....ended.
Quote:
Originally Posted by flyingsuperpetis
For those of you that requested em, here they are. I'll delete this post within 24 hours, cause such a big pile of graphics will likely choke the thread, & needlessly take up a bunch of space on mtbr's server. In the mean time, here it is...
What? Seriously? I kinda thought it was an extension of where he was going with the stiff front/ soft rear theory of the beautiful xcr & flying v frames. Kinda suprised he reverted back to tubing for the proflo's front triangle though. Seems like the flying's monocoque front would have slipped right into place. That'd have been one wild looking bike. Can you imagine a more expensive bike to make?
...Shayne, don't you have some pics to post, to fill us in in the middle era?
I thought the end was when the fellas who snagged critical racing and (joes or crystal?) bought em, shut em down, and subbed out full alum copies instead.
__________________
Nothing left to lose, & half mad.
For those of you that requested em, here they are. I'll delete this post within 24 hours, cause such a big pile of graphics will likely choke the thread, & needlessly take up a bunch of space on mtbr's server. In the mean time, here it is...
Man, that's still the profile that I expect with a XC-FS machine to this day. Would love to see/ride one of 'em, but living in Indiana makes that next to impossible.
Wooooah, that is one wild ride Andrea! Is that finish original? That is spectacular. I'd be curious to see the componentry rundown. Ird brakes & Cooks cranks? Very cool indeed.
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Nothing left to lose, & half mad.
Wooooah, that is one wild ride Andrea! Is that finish original? That is spectacular. I'd be curious to see the componentry rundown. Ird brakes & Cooks cranks? Very cool indeed.
Hi Pete,
The fork is Tange,
king headset
Ringle post and stem
Cook F crank
Paul brake and lever
Sram shift and rear der.
XT front der
Hyperlite bar
ringle ? wheel set with Salsa skewers, but I would change it with Machine Tech
Onza porc's tires
As promised, here's the catalog from 1995. I still laugh when I read where it says the Screaming V will be available 4/95. Try late summer '96, and I got one of the first ones.
As promised, here's the catalog from 1995. I still laugh when I read where it says the Screaming V will be available 4/95. Try late summer '96, and I got one of the first ones.
There were prototypes in spring of 1994 that were 95% the same as the production version. I wonder why it took 2 years to start churning them out.
I wish I had more on the earlier bikes. All I got is this Screaming V stuff, so here's some more. The review is from Bike magazine, and the photo is from the MBA review of the SV.
I wish I had more on the earlier bikes. All I got is this Screaming V stuff, so here's some more. The review is from Bike magazine, and the photo is from the MBA review of the SV.
Woah, SkullCrack, another beautiful post. Thanks! I know Shayne must be itchin like mad now, with Screaming fever... Seeing as how we still don't have any photos from the man himself, here are a few pics of my ultimate dream bike. Not exactly my favorite finish, but still neat to see in such detail. & that's not the first one of these I've seen done similar to this either...
__________________
Nothing left to lose, & half mad.
...so I think that's still cooler. As are Kleins early 90's masterpeices. Anybody can ship their frame to a custom painter and have something neat done. This Flying-V and the stars and stripes XCR-EC are neat but I could send my Huffy to CycleArt or the like and have a frame that's just as purty.
Ok, ya got me. I should have seen that one coming. Especially cause I used to have one too... South Club being nearby was pretty cool.
Looks like I was wrong, this is the same frame as the one above, looks like an earlier stage in the process is all. I still dig the solid green. Or solid blue... Hm, seeing as how we're in a posting mood, and we all like pictures...
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Nothing left to lose, & half mad.
WHOOOOoooooly mackerel. I just bought that polished one (way above) back from my friend. Looking at your white one, makes me think maybe I should keep it...
The XCR is a beaut too. Campy Brakes & Suntour transmission?
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Nothing left to lose, & half mad.
WHOOOOoooooly mackerel. I just bought that polished one (way above) back from my friend. Looking at your white one, makes me think maybe I should keep it...
The XCR is a beaut too. Campy Brakes & Suntour transmission?
Suntour trasmission and Grafton brakes.
In few week I hope to post my valkyrie and my Flying V, but I have a lot of things to do!!
Wooooooah, yes, you've got a Flying!? I think that and the Trimble are my two favorite bikes of all time, ever, period. . So totally out on a limb pushing materials to their capacity, yet so beautiful, it's like watching form & function tango till they're sore...
I acquired the Polished ProFloater back from my friend, and have it scheduled to be listed on ebay tonight starting at a far more reasonable price. We'll see...
Drooling in anticipation of seeing your Flying.
__________________
Nothing left to lose, & half mad.
Woah, SkullCrack, another beautiful post. Thanks! I know Shayne must be itchin like mad now, with Screaming fever... Seeing as how we still don't have any photos from the man himself, here are a few pics of my ultimate dream bike. Not exactly my favorite finish, but still neat to see in such detail. & that's not the first one of these I've seen done similar to this either...
Wow!!!!!!!! Where can I get one with that paint job? I like that a lot!
Pics of the 93 ProFloater
Go to town man!
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