Vintage Funk Scans

Next up in the snowed-in-scanathon is Funk. Full set of scans HERE but here are a couple of samples.

It appears as if Funk may be back making bikes again so maybe we can get a little more info for the web site. Don't have one of the bikes in the collection but we do have a couple of the suspension forks.

Retro Bontrager scans

As the year starts off, we often find that we have a little extra time on our hands. The rush of Christmas is past and inventory is finally behind us. This is a great time to do a little work on the MOMBAT web site so I am getting back in the swing of scanning some literature. Started out with 50+ pages of Bontrager literature dating back to the late 1980's and going through 1999. The composite fork manual is an interesting read. You just don't find info like that any more. Here are a couple of pages but for the complete scans, go to the MOMBAT Bontrager page.

Trimble 140 Unlimited w/ Campy Record OR

The original Trimble Carbon Cross frames were not very durable since the bottom bracket wasn't reinforced. Brent added an additional brace which made the frame stronger and was called the Inverse 4 frame since the new frame shape looked like a "4". In the early 1990's, suspension was becoming more common and required a revised geometry to maintain the handling while coping with the additional length of the fork legs. Trimble used the same main frame but revised the dropouts to accommodate the new suspension forks. Weights were also becoming more important so lightened frames were offered. The model names reflected the maximum recommended rider weight: 140, 160 and 180. There was Unlimited versions of each model which lightened up the aluminum frame bits and added $400 to the cost. This frame is a 140 Unlimited which should have been the lightest version. the serial number is 0001 so this may be the first production 140 Unlimited model. We received this bike with a more modern parts kit so we replaced it with a period Campagnolo Record OR parts kit. More pictures and details on the MOMBAT web page.

1990 Pinarello resto-mod

The resto-mod has taken root in vintage car circles. They take an older car, gut it and install modern running gear and interior. You end up with the best of both worlds. Vintage style with all of the modern conveniences. We recently acquired a 1992 era Trimble mountain bike that was done this way. It had a Shimano Deore XT 9 speed drivetrain with Rapid Fire shifters, Hollowtech cranks and V brakes. Pretty current technology on a vintage platform. We really wanted to put the Trimble back to being era-correct since it is an early 140 Unlimited model (serial in actually 0001)and fairly rare. This left us with an entire drivetrain.

Looking around the shop, we didn't have any frame of the appropriate era for the parts. What we did find, was a couple of NOS Pinarello frames from around 1990. These are cool frames that we picked up several years ago. This seemed like a good match and the parts fit nicely on the frame. We capped off the build with our own Goat Horn handlebars, Grab-On MTN-1 grips and Ritchey Z Max tires. Ended up as a pretty nice riding bike. Since it doesn't really "fit" in the museum, we are offering it for $999 (frame alone sells for $650).









More here

Purchase info here

Trimble

I always thought the Trimble frames were pretty interesting looking and a neat idea. When Brent Trimble was working on his "new" frames, he decided to clean out some of the older frames that he had laying about. He sent us pictures of 5 or 6 of the frames but we never ended up with any of them. I am pretty sure this frame was one of those. The original owner purchased it from Brent and they build it up with the (then) current Shimano Deore XT stuff. Not sure whether to leave it as it is or try to put more period correct parts on it. Anyway, neat looking bike with a "giraffe" motif paint. The dark spots are just the natural frame fiber with a red metallic clear coat over it.

Ritchey Z Max Evolution Pro skin wall tires

We finally just received our Ritchey skinwall tires! These are the Evolution Pro with a Kevlar bead. Weight is in the 475 +/- gram range which is about 80 g lighter than our Timbuk II tires. If you want some nice high performance tires for your vintage ride, these are a great choice. They also would set apart your more current bike if you want to stand out from the crowd. To purchase them hit the MOMBAT web site.

1983 Mantis Sherpa

Mantis was the original bike company what was owned by Richard Cunningham from the early 1980's through the mid 1990's. RC went on to become the long-time editor of Mountain Bike Action and just recently stepped down from the position. The first Mantis bikes were fairly conventional frames but Mantis quickly became know more for their wilder designs including the multi-tubed Valkyries, monocoque framed Screaming Vs and full suspension Pro Floaters. It seems like we see quite a few of the later bikes but don't run across the early bikes too frequently.

This bike was obviously used quite a bit but was used for its intended purpose. Components are fairly straight forward Shimano Deore XT (deer head) parts with Phil Wood hubs and Specialized crank. The Mantis stem is interesting with the 3 bolt removable face plate that also has the front brake cable running through it.

More details @ the 1983 Mantis Page