rocks in head 

My first time using Offer Up... I get obsessive sometimes and was tired of seeing the same things on Craigslist, so I was swiping through Offer Up when I came across this ad:

I was intrigued. I know Diamond Back was the follow on to the Centurion frames, and it has that awesome Ironman style paint - bright pink with black splatter. I looked here for some background and determined this one was probably an Master TG.
I offered $110 last night on a whim, and picked it up this morning.
Here's the bigger picture from the ad, all I had to go on.


It's got 105 brakes, 600 tricolor FD, RD, hubs, and I'm assuming 600 tricolor brifters, but since the identifying caps are off, they could be 105. Selle Italia Flite saddle.

It's got a serial number of U10111606
105 brakes have a date stamp OI - Sept '90.
I thought this bike came with DT shifters and all 105. Seller says it's all original. Did the "master tg" ever come with 600 kit?

Been stored outside a while, no rust yet but water poured out of the seat tube when I flipped it upside down in the minivan. I'll take it out at lunch and get some "as-is" shots.

rocks in head 

U - Diamond Back
y - 1
mm - 01
xxx - 116
(xx) - 06

January 1991, frame 116... what's the 06? It can't be the 11,606th frame made in January.

T-Mar

It's a 1991 model, manufactured in Taiwan during January 1991. According to my literature, the Master TG was Shimano 105SC.with brifters. The 600 Ultegra model in 1991 was the Prevail TG. Those are 600 Ultegra brifters. A great deal at $110. FYI, MSRP was $714 US and the TG stands for the TIG welded construction.

T-Mar

Why not? Around that period big manufacturers like Giant were averaging over 100,000 frames per month.

rocks in head 

Thanks T-Mar, you're an indispensable help!
This bike must have been upgraded to the higher level kit at some point, except the brakes. I wonder why? (I'm not complaining). My first PINK bike.
The tubing sticker says "4130 Chomoloy OS"... is this a butted or straight gauge tubing set? It's a pretty lightweight feeling bike overall.

rocks in head 

Wow, Ok... I didn't know they were produced in that high a volume. 1.2 million frames a year is a lot of bikes, but I guess as a percentage of the overall market it's not that huge.

T-Mar

It's a double butted tubeset, however the butts are slightly shorter due to the absence of lugs. The tubing is also slightly thinner but is slightly more rigid due to the larger section modulus of the larger diameter tubes.

As a point of reference, Giant produced 1.4 million bicycles in 1988, at which time world bicycle production was estimated at 105 million, giving Giant a 1.3% global share. China Bicycle Company bought Western States Imports in late 1989 with the specific intention of taking the Diamond Back brand global and using the orders to fill their factory. I don't have any annual production figures for them but have no reason to believe it wasn't in excess of 100,000 bicycles, as inferred from the serial number format.

Fahrenheit531 

Pretty sweet deal at a hundred bucks. One day I too shall own a pink bike!

rocks in head 

I pulled it out and put it next to the van, which is NOT supposed to have a paint job that mimics this bike, that's just dirt...

I figured out there's a few inconsistencies with this bike vs. others I can find here and on Google images.
1) fork... not sure what this is, internally lugged, full chrome... I believe it's got a 1 1/8" steerer tube and an AHEAD head set... pretty early, I'd guess, I don't know when Dia Compe / Cane Creek stopped branding them "AHEAD" nevermind.
https://www.bikemag.com/gear-feature...d-of-its-time/




2) date markings on the 6400 cranks (RK) looks like a November 1993 manufacture. I didn't get into it but I'd assume that all the tricolor 600 components on it are from then.
A 1994 overhaul / upgrade would match the early threadless headset...


3) Sun rims appear to be OEM? ME14A on the rear and M14A on the front, both with same stickers UHA ultra hard annodized. Some rim wear but not a lot. Hubs are 600 though, so rims are probably not original either.



4) The Selle Italia Flite is surely not OEM. In fair to poor condition, leather is worn and coming a little unglued around the back edge.


5) well, that's it. here are the rest of the pictures I took at lunch today.








edit: Those are 700c x 25's. It looks like I can go up to at least a 28, maybe a little higher.

fleslider 

the Fork and threadless headset/stem are not original either.

either way its a nice bike i like the pink also. it would look next to a Miami Vice Ironman!

T-Mar

OEM configuration....

GrainBrain

What an awesome find for $100. Love the mid 90s upgrades, someone put some money and time into that.

rocks in head 

Thanks! I was looking for the catalog, but can only find the MTB version of the 1991 diamond back catalog (so far).

It appears that the only thing original to this bike are the brakes... maybe the brake cable housings (if I were putting those brifters on and not re-using the old housing, I'd go all the same color, at least). The seatpost may or may not be original... but I'm not disappointed as the replacement parts seem to be quality updates. It will be another light project. Clean and grease and set up for my comfort. Nothing new on this one until the bar wrap or saddle gets too far gone. Then new brake housing.

Wait, I still haven't made space by getting rid of my extra bikes yet. Maybe I'd better stash it at the office a while.

ryansu

Nicely done you have to love a poorly written ad Bicicleta DLAMOND BACK could have been a bike for 3 year-old girls not a cool vintage road bike score with nice components

rocks in head 

I think this one will be named D'Lamond. First bike to have a name.... well, I guess Rob Roy already came named.

2cam16

Cool paint job. Yeah bring it back to life and it will be fine.

bdczkdc0803

What about my the serial number is f4084699

T-Mar

Same answer as to the handful of other times you've inquired.

Clang

Are you sure the fork isn't aluminum? I sense some weight-weenie upgrades.