Hey there, Chris! That's a Nice sa!

- Slim

Slim's head is going to explode...

Thank you, I don't need much prompting to post photos of it

Sixty, mine is a 1987 model. I agree about the touring influence in the early days of MTBs, it seems like the bigger manufacturers (Schwinn, Ross, and Raleigh come to mind) didn't quite know what these bikes would be used for, and I'm grateful for that. That's how I got lowrider mounts and clearance for 2.5" tires

must.... Categorize... All... The... Bikes...

Yep!..Remember___!

- Slim

This is where the great appeal lies in these mid eighties mountain / all terrain bicycles as their design was so versatile; you can run slicks and road gearing as they usually have the chain stay clearance for larger chain rings or run wide knobbies and low gearing for off road riding and everything in between.

The geometry is well suited for road riding and loaded touring and you can run flat bars, drops, or trekking bars and they can handle some pretty rugged terrain due to their robust construction.

Used to ride my Cascade as a stock ATB and could roll with guys riding modern hard tails and full suspension bikes and most often out climb them and destroy them when the road was straight and flat. The lack of bottom bracket clearance was probably the biggest issue when you were trying to clear larger obstacles like logs.

Once upon a time I only owned one bike (shocking huh ?)... a Trek 6700 hard tail which had two sets of wheels so that I could run slicks for commuting and heavier duty wheels and knobbies for off road racing and weekend carnage. Also had a rack and fenders that could be quickly installed / removed much like the current set up on my Moulden.

My primary commuter is my 1987 Kuwahara Shasta which is also tour and trekking worthy and shares the same frame geometry and colour of my Cascade but is fitted with trekking bars and tyres that are better suited for rougher terrain and urban assaults... I have 17 bikes but that Shasta does the lions share of the work around here.

Yet again, I feel the need to tell you that your bike is all kinds of awesome. The dual roller-cam brakes is just extra special, in a good way.

WAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! AMAZING!!!!!

don't see too many MTB's in the TDF either do we Slim!

what kinda tires are these ???

Don't try this at home... or on your CF road bike.

Chris in Miami: That bike is very eye-catching, I like it.

A g r e e d !

- Slim

You seem bitter.

Wow!

Thanks for this, Sixty!

...These bikes are truly amazing...

...Whatever, you call 'em!

- Slim

The rider (Danny Macaskill) is amazing... he is the best trials rider in the world and believe he is the same rider in the video you posted with the Raleigh carbon fibre bike.

One can see how much more a purpose built trials bike can take and do... they tend to be exceptionally strong and freakishly lightweight.

I'm going to try some of those moves on my ride home tonight.

Call an ambulance.

Nobody's seen the video of the guy doing crazy stunts on a carbon road bike, then?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z1fSpZNXhU&noredirect=1

It starts getting interesting about a minute in.

Already posted... hence my response above.

Pretty freaking amazing anyways.

Better pack some extra band aids...

While the videos you posted show some magical stuff, this one is probably more indicative of of what to expect if an ordinary mortal were to try riding a carbon road bike...or any skinny tired road bike... off-road. It's probably pretty indicative of what most mere mortals can expect if they go hucking their bikes off of 20 foot drops too. To get to the level of skill that the trials guys are at, you have to have eaten enough dirt to have a gizzard

The best riders in the world are the ones who have survived the most crashes... have taken some big air on some rides and lived to be here to talk about it.

That's interesting, because your comment above ( 'Don't try this at home... or on your CF road bike.' ) is what reminded me of this video...

Damned Video Gave Me A Freaking Headache!

Thanks, Sixty!

- Slim

Wonder how many casualties Danny Macaskill is responsible for, when people like you feel overly inspired?

- Slim

PS.

I'll keep you in my prayers, Alan...

Perhaps you're right, given your bikes and their particular geometries. I find that I'm about 3 mph slower on either my R20 or Caldera vs. my Surly Crosscheck or Trek 300 series. It probably has nothing to do with wheelsize or gearing. The Caldera has the widest gear range of the four, followed by the Crosscheck, the Trek, and lastly the R20. Riding position probably plays into it, but my Crosscheck is about as upright as the Trek and only slightly less upright than the other two. I nearly always ride in the hoods, not in the drops. The Caldera is the most upright, yet I'm just as slow on it as I am on the R20. For me, the thing that makes the biggest difference seems to be crank arm length. My Crosscheck and Trek have 175mm crank arms, while the other two have 170mm crank arms. I feel like I get more out of each pedal stroke with the longer crank arms.