Okay all, I've spent a good deal of time trying to gather info on this bike and I have little to show for my efforts. I recently picked up a Nashbar Terra XT trail bike and appears to have been a high end model for its day, similar to my Stumpjumpers and Cimarrons from the same period. Here are some highlights:

Lugged CrMo frame, nice lug work with gold metal flake paint and cool Made In Japan decal
Lugged fork with nice brazing on the crown and drop outs
Tange Levin MT-225 "Sealed Mechanism" headset, similar to the Shimano 600 on my '85 Cimarron
Nitto Dirt Drop stem
Nitto alloy riser handlebar
"red cap" foam grips, just like my early Stumpjumpers
Shimano "Deerhead/Stag" 1st gen. XT group, just like my '85 Cimarron
SR Laprade seatpost, just like my early Stumpjumpers
Suntour XC-II pedals, just like my '85 Cimarron
High flange "Sealed Mechanism" hubs laced to Araya 26x1.75 hoops, just like my '85 Cimarron
Vetta saddle
Continental Navigator Pro (f) and Cross Country (r) tires
(3) water bottle braze ons



Sorry for the filthiness, with today being Father's Day, I had no time to clean it up. As far as the Shimano BioPace crank, the VeloBase site lists 1986 as the year BioPace was introduced. I would assume that to be correct but I am no expert. Does that make this Terra XT a 1986 bike? Didn't Shimano intro the XT group in 1987? I gotta say one thing for the people at Nashbar, they added some nice little details, like "the finest bicycles in the world!" Obviously they weren't but adding little extras couldn't hurt, it didn't put a dent in the hard core crowd, but probably sold quite a few recreational riders. Anyway, any info would be very much appreciated, thanks!

-D-

I know deerhead was around in 1986.. i think in 1987 they introduced indexed shifting with a new RD.. M730. i'd guess 1986 production year

cool bike.. digging those nitto bars

I think dearhead was around as early as '83? and the green/blue deore was before that? Or the other way around? Anyway,,, that bike looks really clean. Nice score!

BioPace and Deore XT both came out in 1983 but your Terra XT is a very good match for the 1986 model. The only exceptions are the tires, bars and stem. Original price was $435 US. Definitely not 1984 or earlier as there was only the Terra (no XT) and the color is wrong. Shouldn't be 1987 as deore XT was redesigned that year. Only other possibility is a 1985 model, which I have nothing on. Serial number may supply a clue.

Thanks frantik and cyclotoine, I appreciate the kind words and I'm definitely feeling lucky about scoring the bike! Good timing too, I'd have had a hard time explaining another bike to my wife but since it was Father's Day I got off easy. I don't need another bike but I couldn't pass it up either.

T-Mar, do you have a catalog for everything? I'm thoroughly amazed at the catalog references you've come up with on nearly every bike I've posted this year, I gotta tell 'ya, it's pretty awesome! Given the original price, it seems like the buyer got a lot of bike for $435, especially given the $700 to $900 price tags of similarly spec'ed bikes. I'd like to see the '86 catalog info as I turned up zip, zilch, and zero in my searching.

Thanks again guys, I really enjoy the helpfulness that goes on in the C&V forum!

-D-

What are those cranks? FC 6206?

So, if it's a knock off of a stumpjumper, does that make it a knockoff of a knockoff?

Actually, Nashbar was comparing it to $599 models. Still, it is apparent that they cut some corners to save money:

1, Nohere in the literature does it mention butted tubing, so presumibly it's only plain gauge, which would be a step down from other models in the $599 range.

2. The hubs are only nutted, no quick relase. On top of that they're out-of-style large flange modes. They probably got a really good deal on these.

3. The rims are the single wall Araya 7S as opposed to the box-section RM-20/RM-25 that would have been found on most other XT equipped bicycles. Taken into consider with the hubs, they proably got a really sweet deal on some excess wheelsets.

4. A CrMo bullmoose stem/bar was OEM. This was another old fashion component that they would have gotten a good deal on.

5. Nashbar could always undercut a bit because they didn't have the up-front labour intensive operations of fitting and assembly.

BTW, yours is definitely a 1986. I noticed in the literature that the overall picture had a standard fork crown while the detail picture showed a unicrown and the copy stated "new Uni-Crown fork (not shown above)". This implies that a unicrown, like you have, was a 1986 feature. The picture also shows a dropout stop, as opposed to adjusters, like yours.

Yes.

i was wondering about the tubing too.. says made in japan but no other tubing sticker, made me suspicious

according to the March - April 1986 Mountain Bike magazine, the XT equipped Diamondback Apex sold for $520, so there were other options below $599

I also think Nashbar was pushing it with "fastback seat stays"..Still a good looking bike with good components..

touché

SBI was offering the Rockhopper with a DB frame and Deore XT for $399 in 1986.

what did the stumpjumper have if the rockhopper had XT?

You're right 20grit... Mike Sinyard undercut the Marin builders... why shouldn't Nashbar undercut his pricepoint?!!!


T-Mar and frantik, you're right about the tubing, I forgot to upload the photo of the frame sticker that indicated the frame was CrMo and stated straight gauge or something like that. Again T-Mar comes through with the catalog info, man your catalog collection must fill rooms of your home! The thing that intrigues me is the lack of use on the bike since there is no wear on the teeth of the gearing and the brake pads are basically new but it has aftermarket period correct parts. My '85 Cimarron came stock with a Nitto MT-1 stem and similar (if not exactly the same) Nitto handlebar. Upgraded parts on a bike that never got ridden? Seems odd, I know plenty of people with good intentions bought bikes and the bikes died a slow death in the garage but someone took the time to upgrade the steering and then let the bike sit... bizarre! Hey T-Mar, what about this idea that Nashbar could have run out of Bullmoose bars and the Nitto stem and bars was a standard replacement? It doesn't seem likely that Nashbar could replace a generic Ritchey Bullmoose copy with premium Nitto parts and keep the same price the same. I know that I'm certainly pleased to have the Nitto bits over the Bullmoose set up!

Thanks again!

-D-

p.s. The lugged unicrown fork is really nice! Not saying that I'm going to but if I were to part out the bike, the fork would definitely be one of the parts that gets saved for a later build!

The same XT components but a frame made with double butted Tange Prestige CrMo tubing. Right?

Sorry, no. That would be the 1986 Stumpjumper Team. That year the plain Stumperjumper was Prestige with SunTour XC shifting system and a Deore XT brakeset.

As usual, I 'm in an old thread: I've an opportunity to resurrect a Nashbar terra 'xc' .
It appears to be one of the very early hardtail MBs, May even predate the stumpjumper.
I"m guessing late 70s, maybe even older? Can't seem to find any info. From what I can
read of a frame sticker its EXO quad-butted chromo. Does this ring any bells for anyone?
The frame's nicely lugged, a bit heavy, but has potential if converted to a distance
tourer. At $50, but basically sound, I think it would make for a cheap 'long haul trucker'.
cleaned up, lubed, and with a few upgrades. The pic appears to show a Suntour xc
with a 28/14, can't tell about the chainrings, etc. Input?