# 1985 Otis Guy Fillet Brazed Custom #056



## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

I haven't made a post like this in a while, but I think this bike should have one.
I've built and ridden a lot of vintage mtbs, but I've really gravitated towards Otis Guy bikes. I admire him and his bikes for various reasons, so when I initially found this bike in 2007, I was excited to get my hands on an early example of his work. He wasn't all that prolific of a builder and like a lot of other really talented boutique builders, their work doesn't come up too often.
I bought the bike from the second owner. My understanding is that the original owner was a local fireman (hence the color scheme) and at some point it received the treatment that vintage mtbs get all too often....slicks and 'updates'.

Photo from the seller.









The first thing I did was put some First Flight Bikes Timbuk II's on it.









While the tire swap was helpful, the cockpit wasn't anything that really made me want to ride the bike. The rear derailleur was wrong for the bike as well. 
I took the bike up to Mike Varley at Black Mountain Cycles to correct some of the build and give the bike a tune up. While I was there, he said a customer had brought in a box of old parts he didn't have a use for anymore. In the box was a stem that looks like it'd work on the bike. It was a red fillet brazed Steve Potts Goose Neck stem. The color and fit was so perfect that there was no denying that it should be paired with the Otis. Talk about flat out luck.









Along with helping me procure some equally rare WTB/CC Sausage Links, converting the Otis Guy to drop bars completely changed the nature of the bike. 



























I rode the bike lots. It quickly became one of my favorite (if not all time favorite) bikes. 









Fairfax Fat Tire Festival ride with Otis...and my Otis.









Even signed by Otis.









Now this is normally where we'd just leave well enough alone. But I wanted to find a way to make this bike the ultimate vintage mtb (for me). There are a few other OG's out there that are pretty built. Datawhacker's OG had proper roller cams front and rear on his. It got me thinking of how I could make mine better. The opportunity for a fillet brazed Steve Potts Type II presented itself (thanks GOB), so I bought it with the thought of updating the (relative to the rest of the bike) puny unicrown currently on it. Along the way I scored a set of early CC modified Hi-E hubs with early WTB decals (thanks BP). The early CC/WTB roller cams would come off my 84 Potts that had cracked and was not something that could continue to be ridden. An honorable sacrifice. 
So the pieces were all there. Easy swap right? Nope. 
First I had the steerer on the Type II cut and plugged to match the original. 
Then off to paint, making sure to color match the stem and original fork.
It wasn't until I got the fork back that I found out that the crown race for the fork was a 27.0 (as was used on early Potts forks/bikes). The front brakes went on easy enough with the 'oversize' roller cam bosses, but the rear bosses were a smaller and more commonly used U-Brake boss. So now I have the bike it pieces with a hard to find 27.0 600 Arabesque headset crown race and an early WTB RC that has the wrong size bushing to fit on the frame. Too far down the rabbit hole to turn back now.
Without the help of DC/VMTBWS, the bike wouldn't have been finished for who knows how long. Custom bushings were pressed into a pair of the CC/WTB RC's so that they would work correctly on the frame. As luck would have it, we were able to trade crown races as well.
The bike was finally back together but since nothing is ever easy, the rear wheel had a massive amount of play in it.
Fellow VRC'er and master mechanic, Hollister was able to save my ass again with a rebuild of the rear hub. It feels flat out amazing now.

So now Otis Guy #056, is finally back up and running. Better than ever and about as dialed as you can get any vintage mtb.














































So whats next? Another Otis Guy of course. #138 from 1991. This one has led a very hard life...but it's close to a rebirth.


----------



## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

I love this thread. Really, really love it. Such a great narrative and what a process. People just don't get how difficult it is to accomplish some of our goals. This is also one of the first pictures I remember of you:







and I think that's the moment that I fell in love with you, you hunk of burning love. 

Anyhow, I didn't know that's how you got the stem! damn, Mike!

Bravo, Eric!

and oh, by the way, I need the fork back. 

also, fify:



Rumpfy said:


> He wasn't all that prolific of a builder and like a lot of other really talented boutique builders, their work doesn't come up too often without it being a softride.


Finally, it's great that DC helped you out. He's really great that way and we are all lucky to have him here.


----------



## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

girlonbike said:


> I love this thread. Really, really love it. Such a great narrative and what a process. People just don't get how difficult it is to accomplish some of our goals. This is also one of the first pictures I remember of you: and I think that's the moment that I fell in love with you, you hunk of burning love.
> Anyhow, I didn't know that's how you got the stem! damn, Mike!
> Bravo, Eric!
> and oh, by the way, I need the fork back.
> ...


Haha, aww, thanks GOB!

You want the fork back!? It seriously added a pound to the bike! 

I was just gonna glaze over the beam bike thing. 

It's definitely a labor of love getting it all to work out, but there wasn't a chance I would have pulled it off without the guys who helped.
MV, DC, and HC are three people I'm fortunate to call friends who are so generous with their skill and time.


----------



## eastcoaststeve (Sep 19, 2007)

Fireman's bike is fantastic E....beautiful upgrades. 

Any difference in rake between the forks?

I'm sure the bike is much happier now...well done.


Looks like the '91 ended up in good hands, and the new green coat is stunning.

Can't wait to see the build.


Steve


----------



## hollister (Sep 16, 2005)

Thing rides like a dream. For real.


----------



## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

Who painted the fork? I'm bummed my reds don't match and you have 3 different reds on that bike. bastard!


----------



## milehi (Nov 2, 1997)

Nice. 1966 ford Ivy Green on the next frame?


----------



## rockychrysler (Aug 9, 2003)

Vader said:


> Nice. 1966 ford Ivy Green on the next frame?


nailed it. what a great color! man, an ivy green bike with bright white decals, how classy/cool would that be?

that firetruck-and-white otisguy is plenty rad, too! definitely my kind of bike. hope you ride the crap out of it. gotta be a fun ride! must admit, i think i prefer it with the stock fork, tho.


----------



## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

eastcoaststeve said:


> Fireman's bike is fantastic E....beautiful upgrades.
> Any difference in rake between the forks?
> I'm sure the bike is much happier now...well done.
> Looks like the '91 ended up in good hands, and the new green coat is stunning.
> ...


Forks (should) be the same. The curved vs straight makes it look more different than it is.
Hopefully happier! I'm just glad to have it back in rotation.

I'm looking forward to finishing off the 91. The build for it will be pretty hard to beat.



hollister said:


> Thing rides like a dream. For real.


Ya, it was fun. I hate the black walls on it, but they help keep the worry down out on the trail.



girlonbike said:


> Who painted the fork? I'm bummed my reds don't match and you have 3 different reds on that bike. bastard!


I'll email ya. Another one of those journeyman types, local, paints out of his garage since forever. 30 years of paint fumes makes him a bit eccentric, but he's a nice guy and very good.



Vader said:


> Nice. 1966 ford Ivy Green on the next frame?


So another VRC member here (won't name names  ) gave it the crappiest, worst power coat paint job ever. It was sold to a guy in AU, then sold back to a guy local to me who I got it from. It has so many dings and dents over it and even a pin hole in the ST. 
I took it to my frame guy for assessment. He smoothed out some of the bigger dings, filled the hole and checked for terminal rust (there was none), aligned the frame and re-chased every thread. When it was PC'ed, they didn't bother to remove the cable guide...so underneath was the original color! Hollister and I went up to Maas Bros in Livermore who are familiar with PC'ing bike frames. They do good work for cheap. They were pretty patient with me trying to match the color underneath. I tried to get as close as I could with a little variation. It actually came out lighter than I expected but I really like it. And ya...as it were, very close to the green on the 66 Fastback I had!



rockychrysler said:


> nailed it. what a great color! man, an ivy green bike with bright white decals, how classy/cool would that be?
> that firetruck-and-white otisguy is plenty rad, too! definitely my kind of bike. hope you ride the crap out of it. gotta be a fun ride! must admit, i think i prefer it with the stock fork, tho.


Ya, I really like the color too. Otis was kind enough to send me a set of decals...but they're not white.










I intend to ride the hell out of both bikes. Stock fork was fine, but I think the two tone of the Type II really sets off the bike. Original fork is sitting safe with the brakes on it. An easy swap back if I ever decide to do so.


----------



## chefmiguel (Dec 22, 2007)

Great write up, I always thought it was a great bike out of the gate but with each "overhaul " it got better and better. I think the gold looks better than white on the green.


----------



## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

I prefer the gold too.


----------



## MendonCycleSmith (Feb 10, 2005)

Rumpfy said:


>


Love the scalloped lower head tube "treatment", that's pretty sweet.

Is the down tube multi dimensional, or is it just the pic?

Do like that green a whole lot!

And yes, I'd agree, fine work on the red one, looks much happier than when you first picked it up!

Thanks for sharing, haven't seen you around in a while, good to see you're still busy.


----------



## SMRTIN (Dec 17, 2012)

Nice work man!!! Good inspiration and always great to see someone really happy with a bike like this making all the effort worthwhile!


----------



## laffeaux (Jan 4, 2004)

Nice job ER!!


----------



## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

Dude. I like it. Looks super good with the type II and everything. I need an OG I think.

The 91... should have left that day old guac paint on there for sure. You get what you pay for. haha!

PS I have lots of those RC bushings in the different sizes so if anyone needs some pressed in...


----------



## mauricer (Apr 15, 2011)

There isn't much to add here. Fantastic work on the red-white (love the Type II!) one, nailing it downhill and it gets even better. The green-gold scheme promises another amazing build. 

Those bikes couldn't deserve better than being in part of your fleet. Congrats and thanks for sharing, Eric.

Best regards

Moritz


----------



## dirtdrop (Dec 29, 2003)

Such a romantic post Rumpfy, I'm shocked. A great looking bike.


----------



## DoubleCentury (Nov 12, 2005)

RBI is a full-spec WTB parts service center now.


----------



## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

DoubleCentury said:


> RBI is a full-spec WTB parts service center now.
> 
> View attachment 1006454
> 
> ...


nice. Are you making the brass bushings? Surprised you don't have a threaded press.


----------



## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

Thanks for the complements guys. Definitely one I'm glad to have done and the other is getting pretty close.



MendonCycleSmith said:


> Love the scalloped lower head tube "treatment", that's pretty sweet.
> Is the down tube multi dimensional, or is it just the pic?
> Do like that green a whole lot!
> And yes, I'd agree, fine work on the red one, looks much happier than when you first picked it up!
> Thanks for sharing, haven't seen you around in a while, good to see you're still busy.


Just the pic. There are two plates on either side of the HT for strength that might be throwing the pic off a bit.



Fillet-brazed said:


> Dude. I like it. Looks super good with the type II and everything. I need an OG I think.
> The 91... should have left that day old guac paint on there for sure. You get what you pay for. haha!
> PS I have lots of those RC bushings in the different sizes so if anyone needs some pressed in...


Day old guac, ha! It might have been ok if the quality was decent, but as soon as I saw the sprayed over cable guide and the original color underneath...I had to re-do it. Plus the pin hole and all the dings. It's had a rough life.
Thanks for the bushing offer, I appreciate it...but I've got a 'vintagemtbworkshop' for that. 












dirtdrop said:


> Such a romantic post Rumpfy, I'm shocked. A great looking bike.


I have a heart in there somewhere.



DoubleCentury said:


> RBI is a full-spec WTB parts service center now.


I'm kinda really stoked for that. Hopefully no more bushing changes in the near future, but I hope to get some good use out of it.


----------



## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

Rumpfy said:


> I've got a 'vintagemtbworkshop' for that.


I hear the staff at that workshop is all that!



Rumpfy said:


>


It's always a good practice to leave a small portion original.


----------



## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

why will you build up two of these?



Fillet-brazed said:


> I hear the staff at that workshop is all that!
> 
> It's always a good practice to leave a small portion original.


haha. yes. I imagine the staff resembling the keebler cookie elves super busy in their treehouse ironing the sheet for the picture taking sessions.


----------



## DoubleCentury (Nov 12, 2005)

Fillet-brazed said:


> nice. Are you making the brass bushings? Surprised you don't have a threaded press.


Why use an arbor press when you have this as tool #1?









The bushings are bronze and are the original part number spec. A certain someone that still makes such brakes for his rabid fans had actually run out of them.


----------



## DoubleCentury (Nov 12, 2005)

girlonbike said:


> haha. yes. I imagine the staff resembling the keebler cookie elves super busy in their treehouse ironing the sheet for the picture taking sessions.


The elves are busy packing up shop and moving out for a remodel.


----------



## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

DoubleCentury said:


> The elves are busy packing up shop and moving out for a remodel.


ooooh. Fingers crossed that you get a sump pump for the basement to keep the elves dry!


----------



## Obi (Oct 16, 2005)

Thanks E for posting this! Now post the other(s) too!


----------



## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

DoubleCentury said:


> Why use an arbor press when you have this as tool #1?
> 
> View attachment 1006474
> 
> ...


Original part number spec... hmmm. That guy's partner gave me a handful of those a decade or so ago. Are yours impregnated with teflon?


----------



## DoubleCentury (Nov 12, 2005)

The old ones on holey rollercams were oilite sintered bronze. The later DKG brakes had plain bronze reamed out to accept the stainless steel sleeve over the brake boss.


----------



## tductape (Mar 31, 2008)

Wow, hey guys! Whoa! Just like old times! So many knowledgeable old school VRC people posting in this thread from days gone by. Miss you all! Nothing like Rumpfy's red and white OG to bring everyone together. Still one of my all time favorite bikes with a huge motivating factor to do good. I dug the way it was before and the new and improved is certainly top shelf. Rumply, one of the things you are guilty of like a bunch of us, is upgrading to the absolute best that was available at the time. Does it take away from the original provenance? I don't know. Great job, prettier than ever!


----------



## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

Those Hardpacks!! 

I never thought I'd say this with RBI history and all, but I think I'll send you up a handful of bikes to be finished.


----------



## colker1 (Jan 6, 2004)

This thread gave me an inspiration: i will paint my rockhopper red w/ white panels and otis guy decals.


----------



## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

tductape said:


> Wow, hey guys! Whoa! Just like old times! So many knowledgeable old school VRC people posting in this thread from days gone by. Miss you all! Nothing like Rumpfy's red and white OG to bring everyone together. Still one of my all time favorite bikes with a huge motivating factor to do good. I dug the way it was before and the new and improved is certainly top shelf. Rumply, one of the things you are guilty of like a bunch of us, is upgrading to the absolute best that was available at the time. Does it take away from the original provenance? I don't know. Great job, prettier than ever!


Tryin' to help breathe some life back into this place. It's all falling on ESC and DC for posting up finished projects these days! 

As for original provenance, if the XC stem and Specialized X-1 bars were original to the bike, that was not something that would have allowed me to use the bike the way I wanted. I would have assumed it would have a matching OG stem like the ex-LJ Otis and a few others that have surfaced around the same age as mine. All the mods are period correct (although I guess technically the fork is new) and all the original parts (fork/brakes) are wrapped up and set aside should I ever want to make the change back...which I can't see a reason for doing.



Fillet-brazed said:


> Those Hardpacks!!
> I never thought I'd say this with RBI history and all, but I think I'll send you up a handful of bikes to be finished.


Haha, thats quite an endorsement. I didn't think you had any irons in the fire these days. Whats left to finish?



colker1 said:


> This thread gave me an inspiration: i will paint my rockhopper red w/ white panels and otis guy decals.


:|


----------



## MendonCycleSmith (Feb 10, 2005)

Rumpfy said:


> Tryin' to help breathe some life back into this place. It's all falling on ESC and DC for posting up finished projects these days!


Hey!

Some of us have jobs and businesses to run and suchwhat.

Collecting parts for my Stowe (not on your builder radar, I know) got a fork that I'm working on getting paint matched, have some fresh brakes that still need a few odds and ends to be fully functional, just bought a building to run my shop out of (yay, no more renting!) so I need to move a metric ton of crap, AND, it's mid summer and folks need crap fixed, like, yesterday.

Yeah, I'll get to it.

Thanks for filling the void though.... =


----------



## Obi (Oct 16, 2005)

Needs a period correct bottle.


----------



## chefmiguel (Dec 22, 2007)

Congrats on the new building!


----------



## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

Obi said:


> Needs a period correct bottle.


Correct bottle would be an early Sunshine Bicycle Center bottle.


----------



## Austin Dave (Jul 7, 2010)

Wow E. Great bike. Just spectacular. I'm glad it rides so well as a drop-bar bike. It looks like it grew up that way.

I love the story about the rare parts box. But if I ever say that I was in bike shop--even a great one like Mike's--and a guy comes in with a box perfect, rare parts in colors and sizes I need for the project at hand, you'll know that I'm totally lying. Because if that happened I'd fall over dead.


----------



## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

Austin Dave said:


> Wow E. Great bike. Just spectacular. I'm glad it rides so well as a drop-bar bike. It looks like it grew up that way.
> 
> I love the story about the rare parts box. But if I ever say that I was in bike shop--even a great one like Mike's--and a guy comes in with a box perfect, rare parts in colors and sizes I need for the project at hand, you'll know that I'm totally lying. Because if that happened I'd fall over dead.


Thanks man!

I know, it's such a fluke it sounds made up. In my 15 years of doing this vintage mtb thing, I can count on one hand the number of flat out lucky, hail Mary, needle in a haystack moments I've had. The stem for this bike is definitely one of them.


----------



## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

Rumpfy said:


> Thanks man!
> 
> I know, it's such a fluke it sounds made up. In my 15 years of doing this vintage mtb thing, I can count on one hand the number of flat out lucky, hail Mary, needle in a haystack moments I've had. The stem for this bike is definitely one of them.


Serendipity. It seems to happen more than normal with vintage mountain bikes for some reason.


----------



## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

Rumpfy said:


> Haha, thats quite an endorsement. I didn't think you had any irons in the fire these days. Whats left to finish?
> 
> :|


5 or 6 actually. A couple Yetis, a couple Raleighs, and a few others.


----------



## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

Fillet-brazed said:


> Serendipity. It seems to happen more than normal with vintage mountain bikes for some reason.


it does kinda seem that way huh? But I also think that the group of us that started early (and even those that got into this somewhat later) worked really hard to find stuff. Lots of internet/swap meet scouring, lead following, and connection making. A lot of us have all gotten pretty lucky with some of the stuff we've found though. It keeps you coming back for more.


----------



## Obi (Oct 16, 2005)

Fillet-brazed said:


> ...a couple Raleighs, and a few others.


Ooohh, now you have my interest again. I got three pot-bellied aliens sitting in storage right now.


----------



## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

Not the Raleighs you're thinking of Obi.


----------



## DoubleCentury (Nov 12, 2005)

Rumpfy said:


> it does kinda seem that way huh? But I also think that the group of us that started early (and even those that got into this somewhat later) worked really hard to find stuff. Lots of internet/swap meet scouring, lead following, and connection making. A lot of us have all gotten pretty lucky with some of the stuff we've found though. It keeps you coming back for more.


I definitely feel like I've gotten lucky over the years with some of the bikes that have crossed my path. It almost seems like it is a skill, making it a habit of getting lucky.

It also makes you wonder how much stuff is still out there. And serendipity to some extent is how you define it, so maybe I need to tighten my definition.


----------



## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

DoubleCentury said:


> I definitely feel like I've gotten lucky over the years with some of the bikes that have crossed my path. It almost seems like it is a skill, making it a habit of getting lucky.
> It also makes you wonder how much stuff is still out there. And serendipity to some extent is how you define it, so maybe I need to tighten my definition.


Right. Lets say there's a guy out there who has been collecting for years and has made lots of rare and interesting finds along the way. And even with the increase in the number of people now looking for high end vintage mountain bikes and the decrease in the number of truly rare vintage mtbs available....this guy finds a LAB Cunningham and a Breezer Series III within the same week. It becomes less luck, and more the honed skill of using connections and leads to find whats still left out there.


----------



## Retrocowboy (May 16, 2006)

Really nice ER! Hope all is well!


----------



## nimesq (Sep 4, 2014)

I have nothing to add other than I am in love with that bike. I bet it's a blast.


----------



## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

Retrocowboy said:


> Really nice ER! Hope all is well!





nimesq said:


> I have nothing to add other than I am in love with that bike. I bet it's a blast.


Thanks guys!


----------



## MattBallman (Sep 22, 2015)

Cool bike, even cooler story to go with it. 

Mendoncyclesmith, I've got some Stowe brochures around here if you need them.


----------



## MendonCycleSmith (Feb 10, 2005)

MattBallman said:


> Cool bike, even cooler story to go with it.
> 
> Mendoncyclesmith, I've got some Stowe brochures around here if you need them.


That's cool! Anything MTB or just road? He didn't do much MTB at all, but you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a TT or Tri Stowe around these parts...

I could be down for one if you have a bunch, shoot me an email if you're of a mind, thanks


----------



## MattBallman (Sep 22, 2015)

I found them, one is phase 3 and has the Stowe Mountain w/ specs & the other has the Eiger which is tig welded. The other one is Fillet brazed. I'll send these up to you. Is you're address the same as your website?


----------



## MendonCycleSmith (Feb 10, 2005)

MattBallman said:


> I found them, one is phase 3 and has the Stowe Mountain w/ specs & the other has the Eiger which is tig welded. The other one is Fillet brazed. I'll send these up to you. Is you're address the same as your website?


Thanks, but no, not a good address for mail, just PM'd you my box address, so very cool of you =


----------

