# Mountain LX Group only made in 1989 ?



## KrisKringle (Mar 17, 2011)

ok so lately I have scored a few nice old mountain bikes.

a 1989 Diamondback Ascent EX

and a 1993 Iron Horse AT200. I have rebuilt the AT200 and it has become my daily commuter. had to rebuild the old altus rapid fire but its all back in working shape. I even threw a set of old stock vittoria slicks on her. Now I just need some panniers for the rear rack and i'm set.

and a 1996 Specialized Rockhopper M1 comp fs, this is a sweet condition ride im going to rebuild it and give it to my boy for his first "real" mtn bike .

on to my question the 89 Ascent came with a mix of Exage and Mountain LX the exage is marked exage mountain so I am assuming the mountain LX is a deore line. Looking it up it appears to be made in only 1989 can anyone confirm this ? I wonder how rare the group is, it is rolling a Biopace Mountain LX crankset even and index/friction exage mtn shifters this thing is like looking at a time machine its great.


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## Fly Rod (Mar 13, 2007)

I bought an Ascent EX in '89, iirc. It was the bike that really got me hooked on mountain biking. Again, iirc, mine came with a combination of LX/DX componants. It didn't have friction shifters it had push, push shifters. I also don't recall mine having Biopace rings.

I am not sure if my memory is faulty or if this helps at all.


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## Shogun700 (Jun 15, 2009)

For what it's worth, I have 'Mountain LX' stuff on my '87 Marin, and it's date coded Jan or Feb 87 I believe. I've been pretty confused lately about what came when in the 1980's-I just sold a Deore MT60 rear derailleur dated 1986... but I didn't think Deore (no LX/DX) came until '88. 

I've also seen a 'Mountain LX' brifter-clumsy looking, but there it was, a brake lever with a thumbshifter attached. I don't know the year on that one-I literally just threw it out yesterday, I only had the left and it was pretty beat.


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## knottshore (Jan 23, 2008)

KrisKringle said:


> ok so lately I have scored a few nice old mountain bikes.
> 
> a 1989 Diamondback Ascent EX
> 
> ...


Not sure how much you know about the Rockhopper M1 comp fs but I picked up one new as a left over- a charcoal metallic with yellow lettering, and though it had fairly low end shimano components I did some digging and found some info saying that the comp fs was actually a re-badged stumpjumper frame? Not sure if it was true but it was a fairly light and well put together frame- any way- have fun with the Diamond back- I have a ~92 full xt I am donating to a needy rider to get him back on the trails... fun old OX steel bike for sure-


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## KrisKringle (Mar 17, 2011)

lol maybe i'm off on my years on mountain lx then. Yes the rockhopper is a pretty sweet ride. Its equipped deore lx/stx pretty nice for a little boy starting out.


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## KrisKringle (Mar 17, 2011)

well just double checked date coding on components the shimano gear on it was made in august 1988 so I think my conclusion of it being a 1989 is correct.


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## donaldo2011 (Apr 19, 2011)

*TI frame with LX components*

I have a TI frame with LX components with no tags so I am not sure what brand it is. The closest I found to this frame is a Mongoose pro DX 10.9 . Thats anyone recognize this frame?


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## KrisKringle (Mar 17, 2011)

wow talk about a hijack


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## donaldo2011 (Apr 19, 2011)

I try to upload the picture but it is too big so i will take me a day to post it.


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## cousineddie (Oct 23, 2008)

donaldo2011 said:


> I try to upload the picture but it is too big so i will take me a day to post it.


 Must be using a 300 baud modem.


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## ameybrook (Sep 9, 2006)

This thread is awesome


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## KrisKringle (Mar 17, 2011)

donaldo2011 said:


> I try to upload the picture but it is too big so i will take me a day to post it.


post it in a new topic please. as to my question it looks to be answered since there are others with mountain LX from an earlier mfg date. Thanks all


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## cousineddie (Oct 23, 2008)

ameybrook said:


> This thread is awesome


As would be any thread about Mountain LX.


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## DFA (Jan 26, 2004)

Shogun700 said:


> I've also seen a 'Mountain LX' brifter-clumsy looking, but there it was, a brake lever with a thumbshifter attached. I don't know the year on that one-I literally just threw it out yesterday, I only had the left and it was pretty beat.


M-250. Spec'd on 89 Kona Fire Mountain.


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## donaldo2011 (Apr 19, 2011)

*My Titanium Hardtail Mongoose DX 10.9*

dis is my Mongoose DX 10.9. It have some LX components like the crank and the wheel hubs as you can see on the pictures. But I am not sure if it came with those components or not.


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## yo-Nate-y (Mar 5, 2009)

Whoa. Slowest modem evarrrr.


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## TheMachinist (Feb 24, 2007)

Fly Rod said:


> I bought an Ascent EX in '89, iirc. It was the bike that really got me hooked on mountain biking. Again, iirc, mine came with a combination of LX/DX componants. It didn't have friction shifters it had push, push shifters. I also don't recall mine having Biopace rings.
> 
> I am not sure if my memory is faulty or if this helps at all.


I am almost positive that 1990 was the first year of Rapidfire shifters.


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## NorcoNewb (Sep 12, 2014)

Hi all. I know this thread is ancient now but others may currently have the same questions about the der components. Wikipedia Shimano and it's all there. The Mountain LX group sat just below the Deore II group and seems was offered in '89 only.


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