# Vintage e-stay bikes



## ranier (Sep 9, 2003)

Searching for a thread on elevated stay bikes in VRC resulted in... not much. So, here it is!

I've always been fascinated by elevated stay mountain bikes ever since I saw my first Alpinestars mountain bike in the long gone bike shop on Norfolk Ave in Virginia Beach in the early 90s. It wasn't until much later that I finally got a hold of one, a tired aged '94 Alpinestars D900 frame off a chap in England.

The grey paint on the aluminum frame was looking a bit weary with the clear coat worn, chipped and a bit oxidized. The replaceable derailleur hanger was corroded and the mounting bolt was a bit rusted. It had obviously been stored a couple years outdoors.

Despite those issues, I decided keep the frame as is and to build it up mostly from stuff in my parts bin and some fleabay bits. I did splurge a bit and picked up a NOS Noleen fork - a funky frame needed an equally funky fork. Yeah, it aint a faithful VRC-approved reproduction, but that wasn't my goal. I wanted a bike I could hop on and have fun riding. Goal achieved.

The pics,

























Who else has a e-stay bike from the 90s? Yeti Ultimate? Why no love for the e-stay frame design? It seems to have only lasted a couple years.


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## FairfaxPat (Jan 29, 2008)

There was an ESTAY thread on another forum last year and I counted about 25 different brands of bikes on it. Haro started the trend, I think, in about 1990 or 1991. Just like the fashion industry, it seems everyone jumped on the band wagon and produced an ESTAY frameset. The fad only lasted a couple of years, as the frames tended to be a little heavier than a diamond frame-one advantage I found was that you could remove the chain without breaking it! Here's a shot of my '91 FUNK, now my road bike of sorts, with slicks...


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## bushpig (Nov 26, 2005)

The E Stay trend started in the mainstream by the Nishiki Alien. The design for that bike came from Richard Cunningham of Mantis and his Valkryie. At the same time Ken Beach at Gecko was making the very nice and still underappreciated Gecko Genesis. MBA helped birth the Yeti Ultimate through their Ultimate project.


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## Fred Smedley (Feb 28, 2006)

http://forums.mtbr.com/vintage-retro-classic/elevated-chainstay-bike-history-questions-590280.html


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## ranier (Sep 9, 2003)

Fred Smedley said:


> http://forums.mtbr.com/vintage-retro-classic/elevated-chainstay-bike-history-questions-590280.html


Yeah, my search skills suck... thanks Fred! The exact thread I was looking for. Great stuff!


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## lowmassmetals (Dec 27, 2010)

I'm a big fan of the elevated stays, if only for uniqueness and personal aesthetic. I have a few in my collection at the moment.... Both a steel haro extreme and an aluminum team extreme, a Nishiki FS-2, a Mantis pro floater, and a Kestrel MXZ. Love them all.
Both of your bikes are cool as hell


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## PiasRoller (Sep 7, 2012)

Craig Mitchell...This guy did some out of the box stuff and may have done one of the first elevated chain stay bikes.
Another of the early Repack bombing brethren....RIP


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## FairfaxPat (Jan 29, 2008)

Craig was one of my closest friends-we built the first two recumbents in Marin in the early '70's. That bike, built for the Art of The Mountain Bike Show in SF, was the only Estay he built. I still miss him RIP...


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## bing! (Jul 8, 2010)

I WAS riding this after I rebuilt it. It's in storage right now. I made the mistake of riding it in a fairly technical and long trail. It felt each and every rock on the climb was working against me. Launched it off a few good ledges, landing in melon sized rocks. My kidney and joints hurt for 3 days  Really tempted to put a 1 inch Specialized front shock on it. I will bring it out in the summer. It's a 1989, hand cut drops and no serial number  Made of 4130 and Nissan steel tubes.


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## PiasRoller (Sep 7, 2012)

FairfaxPat said:


> Craig was one of my closest friends-we built the first two recumbents in Marin in the early '70's. That bike, built for the Art of The Mountain Bike Show in SF, was the only Estay he built. I still miss him RIP...


I believe one of his early road bike modified for off-road is is at one of the local shops here in fax. He welded in a BB shell above the existing one.
FP would you happen to know the year he built it?
I'll get a pic in the next couple of days.


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## FairfaxPat (Jan 29, 2008)

That bike is hanging in Fairfax Cyclery. I think he built it in about '76.


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## PiasRoller (Sep 7, 2012)

Early Craig Mitchell build....Looks like a "Mountainbike" to me.
THX FP! 
See you on the Hill.


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## wv_bob (Sep 12, 2005)

My wife brought this one home last night, it was at the curb for trash pickup on her way home.

I've never heard of the brand but it looks to be a $300-500 bike from the Shimano 200 level parts on it.

I'm going to single speed it and ride the wheels off it it if fits.


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## lastplace29er (Apr 29, 2012)

"long gone bike shop on Norfolk Ave in Virginia Beach in the early 90s."

Oceanfront Bikes, I lived in ShadowLawn at the time. Picked up a nice Nishiki Pacific crusier from Kemp. Rode it last night. There's now a brewery in the old WRV.


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## jeff (Jan 13, 2004)

I just noticed the sticker on there. My self and that bike might be the only two things that escaped the black hole of Stockton Ca. I don't remember that manufacture though.


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## wv_bob (Sep 12, 2005)

jeff said:


> I just noticed the sticker on there. My self and that bike might be the only two things that escaped the black hole of Stockton Ca. I don't remember tat manufacture though.


One other thing you might have in common with that bike is your weight. I've run out of parts to remove and it's still as heavy as a whole bike


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## jeff (Jan 13, 2004)

That's a heavy a$$ bike Bob.


wv_bob said:


> One other thing you might have in common with that bike is your weight. I've run out of parts to remove and it's still as heavy as a whole bike


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## mauricer (Apr 15, 2011)

In the built up right now (waiting for stems to be powder coated). 1991 Merlin


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## jeff (Jan 13, 2004)

That's gonna be nice.


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## J3s (Jun 24, 2013)

My '91 Bike beat Revolution by Ellison. Looking for some parts to complete buildup..


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## whoarrior (Jan 10, 2005)

Ti-Mega


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## whoarrior (Jan 10, 2005)

Al-Mega XT


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## WE Warrior (Oct 28, 2009)

Here's a couple of shots of my Savage Terminator.


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## dubya3 (May 1, 2016)

This one's way too small for me (about 16") so it's ridden by the girlfriend but it's a 91/92 Gary Fisher Montare with a full XC Pro group (now wearing XT and lower end Suntour).









Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk


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## geckocycles (Sep 3, 2006)

*The last Gecko Genesis*

This was my last Genesis I made in 98? I sold the frame only, unpainted with the last sticker set I had. He did a awesome job of painting and assembling and had a local builder make the fork. The stem he got for a song from a guy who could not somehow figure out a bar to fit.?????????
Thanks Felix for a job well done, I couldn't have done it better!


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## YakimaDeathYaks (Aug 15, 2012)

*Cook Designs Mt. Palomar*

Super rare Craig Cook frame from Cook Bros. Racing fame. One of only about 4 or 5 with the half elevated e-stay.


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## Uncle Grumpy (Oct 20, 2005)

YakimaDeathYaks said:


> Super rare Craig Cook frame from Cook Bros. Racing fame. One of only about 4 or 5 with the half elevated e-stay.


No surprise that I haven't seen one before! Love the brace across the back of the BB shell. Cool details to burn on that thing!

What year, approximately?

Grumps


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## geckocycles (Sep 3, 2006)

Seems I always find something looking for something else.


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## YakimaDeathYaks (Aug 15, 2012)

Uncle Grumpy said:


> No surprise that I haven't seen one before! Love the brace across the back of the BB shell. Cool details to burn on that thing!
> 
> What year, approximately?
> 
> Grumps


This one is from 88-89ish, Craig made 40-50 Cook Design frames and had a racing team. I guess all the team frames are regular frames and only a few were Elevated stays that were never sold.


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## felixdelrio (May 27, 2006)

geckocycles said:


> This was my last Genesis I made in 98? I sold the frame only, unpainted with the last sticker set I had. He did a awesome job of painting and assembling and had a local builder make the fork. The stem he got for a song from a guy who could not somehow figure out a bar to fit.?????????
> Thanks Felix for a job well done, I couldn't have done it better!
> View attachment 1256593
> View attachment 1256597
> ...


My pleasure, Ken. The ser # says 1995. Thx for selling that gem to me.


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## RFAK (Dec 9, 2011)

Horny Toad


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## LosAlamos (Feb 27, 2018)

*Mantis Flying V*

That Horny Toad is quite the find! Here is a picture of my Mantis Flying V


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## MattiThundrrr (Jul 6, 2019)

This Haro Extreme is one I recently missed out on. Thanks to this thread I might reach out to the seller again...









Not exactly my definition of retro, but still pretty cool!


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## Uncle Grumpy (Oct 20, 2005)

LosAlamos said:


> Here is a picture of my Mantis Flying V


That is beyond sexy.

Grumps


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