Bike Manufacturer Identification
03-04-14, 07:59 AM
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Bike Manufacturer Identification
Hi All! I've just joined the forum and have just started learning bike repair. I've purchased an MTB that had been sitting in a barn for some time and there is no manufacturers name on the bike frame, just a symbol on the head tube. Anyone know who the maker might be? I'm guessing someone like REI? The frame appears to be a chrome moly with a clear coat over it and has Shimano Alivio components (just a captiol A on the parts).
Thanks for any info you may have!!
Mark
Thanks for any info you may have!!
Mark
03-04-14, 11:13 AM
#2
Banned
previous owner may have added the head badge logo themselves.
Last edited by fietsbob; 03-04-14 at 12:31 PM.
03-04-14, 11:25 AM
#3
Mechanic/Tourist
If you don't find out the manufacturer it's not that important. The components would have come on many other bikes, and the frame could well have been identical to other brands as well.
03-04-14, 12:26 PM
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Oops, just glanced at girlfriend's 95 trek 820 with under bb shift canle routing. Maybe more like 96 or so.
Last edited by LesterOfPuppets; 03-04-14 at 12:45 PM.
03-04-14, 02:20 PM
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My '92 Trek 7000 MTB had the same over-the-toptube cable routing for both brake cables and both shift cables. The front derailleur cable ran down the seat tube and anchored to a bolt just above the bb shell and the housing stopped at the bottom pull fd with a adapter to let it push down on the operating arm. The rear derailleur housing routed down the drive side chainstay to the final loop to the rd itself. A bit awkward but it all worked.
03-04-14, 03:20 PM
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2003 Specialized
2011 Specialized
But other companies do it differently
1998 Moots
1997 Trek
1998 Nashbar (probably Kinesis)
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03-04-14, 03:21 PM
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Yeah, the 95 trek 950 had cables running up top too. 800 series must've been too low end to enjoy mud free derailer cables 
Specialized designers just don't ride mud, apparently
Specialized designers just don't ride mud, apparently
03-04-14, 03:30 PM
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Now back to the OP. The welds look too thick for CrMo. Have you tried to magnet test the frame?
If it is CrMo there shouldn't be many steel bikes with such thick stays. Marin had constant diameter steel stays but their head tubes were externally butted IIRC.
As for the REI guess I don't remember that head badge on their Novara line. As another poster said that sticker may not be original. And I don't have encyclopedic REI bike knowledge...
If it is CrMo there shouldn't be many steel bikes with such thick stays. Marin had constant diameter steel stays but their head tubes were externally butted IIRC.
As for the REI guess I don't remember that head badge on their Novara line. As another poster said that sticker may not be original. And I don't have encyclopedic REI bike knowledge...
03-04-14, 06:29 PM
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Yep, you're right! It's not CrMo, just checked it with a magnet, no stick! Thanks for the feedback all! Guess it doesn't really matter. It would have been nice to know when I go to sell it. Most people looking for a $100 bike won't care about the frame type, just that it looks and runs well.
Sorry, one more question, and I can post it elsewhere if needed, but what model Shimano derailleurs have a capital A on them? Alivio, Acera? The bike, I'm guessing is from the early 90's.
Thanks!
Mark
Sorry, one more question, and I can post it elsewhere if needed, but what model Shimano derailleurs have a capital A on them? Alivio, Acera? The bike, I'm guessing is from the early 90's.
Thanks!
Mark
03-04-14, 06:40 PM
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I've always guessed that the ones with the A were part of all 3 A_____ groups - Altus, Acera, Alivio.
I'm gonna see if I can get to the bottom of that, since I have some free time.
I have one that's RD-MC16.
It's shown here as part of Alivio, but that doesn't mean it wasn't also in the other A-groups.
https://www.golinski.se/shimano/alivio.html
I'm gonna see if I can get to the bottom of that, since I have some free time.
I have one that's RD-MC16.
It's shown here as part of Alivio, but that doesn't mean it wasn't also in the other A-groups.
https://www.golinski.se/shimano/alivio.html
03-04-14, 06:43 PM
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A-ha, just subbing in the altus and acera at that site returns pages that show that they had different RDs, with their group names spelled out for the 1997 model year.
https://www.golinski.se/shimano/acera.html
https://www.golinski.se/shimano/altus.html
https://www.golinski.se/shimano/acera.html
https://www.golinski.se/shimano/altus.html
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