My Bike is 21 years old. LOL

[buster]

http://public.fotki.com/VintageMTBR/1988shogunprairiebr/

Still in great shape. During the 80's, my dad was working in California where mountain biking started. He kept two of the earlier bikes for himself, one being a DB. He gave this one to me. You can tell it's very 80's/90's looking in the color scheme. I should paint it. I want another bike eventually. I plan to start riding again with a friend of mine.

 

[rpn453]

If that's the original paint, keep it. It's so ugly that it's cool!

 

[aquariuscsm]

I still have my 1st generation Diamond Back BMX from around 1980 or so. It`s candy apple red with gold anozided alloy parts and yellow Tuff Wheels.

 

[rpn453]

Here's what I was riding at around that time:

I believe it's a 1989 Robinson MX Pro

 

[buster]

Sweet.

 

[Kestas]

I still ride the 10-speed Raleigh bicycle I bought 31 years ago. At the last rebuild I noticed half the bearings were spalled, but it still rolls fine. For the little I use it, I'll continue to ride it. I can't justify the expense of buying a new one. It's hard to find a bike with a 37" frame.

 

[rpn453]

What part of the frame is 37" long?

 

[tom slick]

I ride a Schwinn "Racer" built in Chicago in 1974. One company still makes tires for a size (S-8) that was once very common.

 

[Kestas]

The frame size denotes how high the top bar between the seat and handle bar is. I don't know what exactly is measured. Popular adult sizes for the old Schwinn bikes are 34" and 36". Smaller sizes for me mean than I need a long steering tube and a long seat tube. Even the 37" frame requires that I max out how high I can raise the handlebars and seat. Bicycles are made for small people.

 

[wavinwayne]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
...Even the 37" frame requires that I max out how high I can raise the handlebars and seat. Bicycles are made for small people.


My vision of Kestas on his bike:

 

[jimvegas]

I have/ride a old '64 Huffy "Open Road" mens 26" 3-speed. Love it!
It even has it's old Sears speedometer that goes all the way up to 50mph!!

 

[Kestas]

Pretty accurate picture, ww, right down to the scowl... except I have more hair!

 

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
The frame size denotes how high the top bar between the seat and handle bar is. I don't know what exactly is measured. Popular adult sizes for the old Schwinn bikes are 34" and 36". Smaller sizes for me mean than I need a long steering tube and a long seat tube. Even the 37" frame requires that I max out how high I can raise the handlebars and seat. Bicycles are made for small people.


That's 37" from the ground to the top tube? Dang, you must be tall! I've never seen a frame that big.

Standard frame measurement is from the center of the bottom bracket to the top of the top tube, measured along the seat tube. So it's probably about a 25" frame by that method.

 

[rpn453]

Buster, the one thing I might change on that bike if you're going to ride it is the stem. A really long stem is good for climbing, but not ideal for handling or descending. Unless the frame feels cramped, a shorter stem may be better, especially if it feels like you're reaching too much. The stems on my bikes range from 90 mm to 110 mm. But if it feels like it fits, keep using it.

Like the rest of the bike, that is a quality stem; made in Japan with Tange Prestige tubing. I had a 135 mm Tioga T-Bone on my first mountain bike for quite a few years. It was an aftermarket upgrade to the cheap, extremely upright stem that came with my '93 Giant Rincon. That bike now stays clean as my indoor-only mag-trainer bike:

 

[rpn453]

Aside from the frame and fork, the only original part on that Giant is the headset. It has received quite a few hand-me-downs!

 

[mpvue]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
I still ride the 10-speed Raleigh bicycle I bought 31 years ago. At the last rebuild I noticed half the bearings were spalled, but it still rolls fine. For the little I use it, I'll continue to ride it. I can't justify the expense of buying a new one. It's hard to find a bike with a 37" frame.

your 37" doesn't equate to any standard accepted measurement on a modern bicycle. as was mentioned, real bike frame sizes are measured from the center of the crank spindle to the center of the seat tube/top tube junction. the largest easily obtained frame sizes top out at 64cm or so, w/ many brands only going to 60cm.
your 37" would equal 94cm; that's unlikely, unless you are 8ft tall.
for comparison, I ride a 54cm frame and I'm 5'9".
also, when people say they have "a 26" mtn bike" they are referring to the wheel size. cheap dept store bikes don't come in different frame sizes like real bike shop bicycles. most real mtn bikes are avaialbe in 5-6 sizes, something like 15", 17" 18" 19" 21" (you get the idea).
btw, mtn bikes are usually measured in inches, and road bikes in centimeters.

 

[oilboy123]

That bike is Kool Buster....

I gave away my first ten speed to a neighbor about 5 years ago. It was one my Sister had from about 1973. It was pretty decent and had sew up tires. I bought better Motobecane road bike in San Diego. I have 1993 Diamond back mtn bike I just got put together in the spring of this year. I rode it in the lower Cascades this summer by myself. It was a blast. I was a little concerned when I saw watch for Cougers poster on the trail after I was done riding.........

I would love to go up with a friend. But I think now it is too muddy for the trail to be open. It is used for horses as well. I think I could really love riding in the mountains. Road bike riding is OK but it get's old when people try to be jerks on the road and play power games with their vehicles.

Wavin wayne that was a good sketch.........Don't think Kestas looks like that, but it made me laugh anyway............

 

[Kestas]

I measured my bike to see where the "37" figure came from. It's the distance in inches from the ground to the top cross tube.

Though the accepted modern nomenclature may be the distance from the crank spindle, in my day - about 30 to 40 years ago - measuring from the ground was the standard way to refer to a bicycle size.

 

[Oldwolf]

I ride a Trek 830 Antelope. Still works great, I bought it in 94.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
I measured my bike to see where the "37" figure came from. It's the distance in inches from the ground to the top cross tube.

Though the accepted modern nomenclature may be the distance from the crank spindle, in my day - about 30 to 40 years ago - measuring from the ground was the standard way to refer to a bicycle size.


I thought you had a typo, because I know that my father has a 27" road bike, bought about 30 years ago. But 27" is the wheel size, nothing to do with the frame...