# Info Needed Please: Mammoth RC201 RC202 Tracker Mountain Bike?



## RockyWA (Jan 23, 2006)

Hey everyone-

I have a friend who used to have a mountain bike that I think was made by Tracker- the same company that made Tracker Trucks (skateboard) in the 80s. I think his bike was made around 1990 or so. 

Does anyone remember or have pix or have any information on Mammoth mountain bikes- makers of the RC201 and RC202 or Tracker?

What happened to Mammoth mountain bikes? Who made the Tracker mountain bike? I'm sure it had to be made by someone else but it had the Tracker logo on it - a circle and star.

Any info on either Mammoth mountain bikes or Tracker appreciated.


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## ssmike (Jan 21, 2004)

Now there's a blast from the past. I worked at Mammoth Mtn. Bikes periodically between 1989-1991. I rode a bunch of the prototype frames for a couple of years prior to that. I've got some old slides of us riding the bikes out in Moab one year that we did a White Rim Trail trip. 

Tracker Trucks was the parent company to Mammoth Mtn Bikes, yes. We used the Tracker star logo. The aluminum frames were made by a local welder who worked and welded out of a San Diego area BMW performance shop. This shop was where we worked out of during the prototype days. The owner of the shop, the owner of Tracker and the designer were all good friends. The production steel frames (Tange Prestige) were made by a local welding shop and I believe the frame fixtures were made by Craig Cook. 

What happened to them? A little conflict between the engineers and the hired general manager who had zero bike industry experience. But really, the whole thing was kind of like a side project / hobby with big aspirations. 

The aluminum frames were bade with 2024 aluminum which was supposed to have been an unweldable alloy. They were super strong, light frames. The RC-201 was the elevated chainstay model and the RC-202 was the standard diamond frame. I think the steel frame was the RC-203. Not much demand for the steel frame, which was a really nice riding frame. Aluminum was the buzz in those days.


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## RockyWA (Jan 23, 2006)

*SSMike thanks buddy*

Wow hey thanks!!! - Everyone i've asked about these bikes can't remember them! I thought they looked really cool though.

For a long time I was confused- I always remembered that bike as a Mammoth- and then I recently mentioned the bike to a mutual friend of the owner and mine and he said it was a Tracker- that's when I got confused.

So I guess all Mammoth's had the tracker badge? That's fascinating. I remember the one my friend had was Steel and I remember everyone who tried it thinking the Geometry was really cool- all my buddy's described it as a sick cross country bike with kinda bmx-ish geometry that made it realy good on singletrack.

Could I ask you a favor and could you post some pix of either Tracker, Mammoth, RC201, RC202, RC203? Or anyone else have one they could post pix of?

I would love to see what some of these bikes looked like- to refresh my memory.

I once came across a mammoth many years later and if I remember right, this one,it didn't have the Tracker logo on it. Could be wrong though.

All I remember is those bikes were really cool. I seriously have never seen one in like at least 10 years, not used or anything. I mean you see old Bridgestones or even Fat City's every once in a while used but I've never seen a Tracker/Mammoth used ever.

I'd love to find one. Please post pix if you have any . THanks again.



ssmike said:


> Now there's a blast from the past. I worked at Mammoth Mtn. Bikes periodically between 1989-1991. I rode a bunch of the prototype frames for a couple of years prior to that. I've got some old slides of us riding the bikes out in Moab one year that we did a White Rim Trail trip.
> 
> Tracker Trucks was the parent company to Mammoth Mtn Bikes, yes. We used the Tracker star logo. The aluminum frames were made by a local welder who worked and welded out of a San Diego area BMW performance shop. This shop was where we worked out of during the prototype days. The owner of the shop, the owner of Tracker and the designer were all good friends. The production steel frames (Tange Prestige) were made by a local welding shop and I believe the frame fixtures were made by Craig Cook.
> 
> ...


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## ssmike (Jan 21, 2004)

While we used the Tracker logo as kind of the corporate logo, I don't think that was what was on the head tube. If I recall, the head tube had an "M" with a small "Mammoth" printed through it. 

I'll have to dig through my thousands of slides from back then, but I think I know where it is. I'll try to get some scanned and posted soon.

The geometry was pretty standard race type geometry - 71 head angle, 73 seat angle with sub 17" chainstays. They had decent longish top tubes - which, in my opinion, makes the fit of any bike.


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## donk (Jan 28, 2004)

I am pretty sure there was a review of the elevated stay one in an early 90's MBA.


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## ssmike (Jan 21, 2004)

Not very good photos but here are a couple taken during races. The first two are of Denise Mueller at the beginning of the 1990 World's in Durango. That chick on the Yeti was some new girl named Missy Giove who came from Vermont and who John Parker set up with a bike. Wonder what became of her?

















Still looking for good bike shots. Most I have are of riders on the bike.


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## patineto (Oct 28, 2005)

Man i love this site...

thanks again for bringing another wonderful memory from the past..

I really like those bike, but i never have the pleasure to see on in the flesh, well this is close scond, specially with all the cool stories..

well hopefully some day i have a good story to tell.


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## RockyWA (Jan 23, 2006)

*That's It!!!*

Oh man thanks you guys!!!

You guys rock.

Some folks I ask about a Mammoth mountain bike and they think I'm on crack. If you do a web search on Tracker Mammoth bikes on the web it comes up blank. You guys have been my only hope to rekindle this fond memory.

Any more Mammoth/Tracker RC201, RC202 pix you guys have- please post them !!! 
There had to be some in MBA magazine around 89, 90, 91, 92.

I think that was the bike my friend had- that one that does the white to red to black paint job fade. That was it, and if I remember correctly the tracker logo, that Star with a Circle was on the Top Tube if I remember correctly.

hungry for more Mammoth pix if you guys have em. Thanks for the memories.


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## scant (Jan 5, 2004)

I've got an MBA test of a mammouth, tested purple spesky M2 as well as a few others (redline, zasker.. memory fade).so I make it 1991. tho I have no scanner


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## ssmike (Jan 21, 2004)

scant said:


> I've got an MBA test of a mammouth, tested purple spesky M2 as well as a few others (redline, zasker.. memory fade).so I make it 1991. tho I have no scanner


Scant - Would love to have a copy of that test if you can ever get access to a scanner - don't they just give those away when you buy a computer


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## scant (Jan 5, 2004)

ahh man.... they ripped me off


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## RockyWA (Jan 23, 2006)

*SS Mike:*

Hey SS Mike-

Is that one in the picture there that the blonde haired chick is riding, is that a steel one or an aluminum one? Looks steel to me cause of the smaller tubes but just checkin with you.

By the way, I emailed Buddy Carr or someone like that at Tracker Trucks just to confirm about a week ago origintally asking about this Tracker/Mammoth bike , and he said they yes they did make bikes but he didn't have any info he could give me on them.

One time I emailed MBA about what happened to Mammoth bikes and the reply that I got was that the guy who ran it started Transworld Skateboard magazine. Don't know if that's right, that's just what some dude at MBA said.

SSMike - you're probably the only authority on these bikes that exists. If you have any more pix, we'd love to see em. Thanks bro. Ok I'll stop being a pain in the ass now.


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## ssmike (Jan 21, 2004)

Mammoth team jersey.


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## ssmike (Jan 21, 2004)

RockyWA said:


> Hey SS Mike-
> 
> Is that one in the picture there that the blonde haired chick is riding, is that a steel one or an aluminum one? Looks steel to me cause of the smaller tubes but just checkin with you.
> 
> ...


No worries. That's what I'm here for to pass on what limited knowledge I have before those brain cells turn to mush.

The blonde chick is Denise Mueller. She was on an aluminum frame. Back then, aluminum tubes were much smaller diameter than the moster aluminum tubes these days. Denise was a US Junior National Champ on the track and road and had a really good chance at becoming the world champion that year. Can't remember how she finished, but know she didn't win.

And yes, the owner of Tracker - Larry Balma - also was the publisher of Transword Skateboard magazine. I remember Buddy too. I think he was kind of like Tracker's all-around guy. Had dreadlocks back then. Tracker also ran a couple of clothing lines called Skate Rags and Limpies. Limpies had a special logo that was very much in line with the LD stem that came from the boys in Marin.


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## scant (Jan 5, 2004)

I read the 1991 MBA test last night. $1250retail (which seems a lot!) stiff ride of the bikes tested, apparently.. Elevated alu with the longest r. brake cable routing, down the downtube, up the seattube & roller to the seatstay cantis. Made in cardiff california, which raised a smile living near cardiff s.wales


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## ssmike (Jan 21, 2004)

scant said:


> I read the 1991 MBA test last night. $1250retail (which seems a lot!) stiff ride of the bikes tested, apparently.. Elevated alu with the longest r. brake cable routing, down the downtube, up the seattube & roller to the seatstay cantis. Made in cardiff california, which raised a smile living near cardiff s.wales


Yeah, the e-stay frame was pretty darn stiff. And the rear brake cable routing was horrendously long. It would have been much simpler to have the cable routing along the top tube. The standard diamond frame was a much nicer riding frame and had normal cable routing to the chainstay mounted brake - I had my later frame set up with WTB rollers and drop bars.


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## ssmike (Jan 21, 2004)

Sorry, couldn't find any clean shots of just the bike. These are probably the two cleanest shots I have of the bikes.

The Moab slickrock shot was taken in 1990. The rider is now the manager of the Devo Jr. mountain bike team. The guy in the background was on a really sweet Ritchey Commando with rollercams front and rear.









And this was a shot of myself at the NORBA race in Big Bear in '89


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

Is that John Kemp in the moab shot? Is he still doing the Devo team? 

No shots of Kenny Wehn?


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## ssmike (Jan 21, 2004)

Fillet-brazed said:


> Is that John Kemp in the moab shot? Is he still doing the Devo team?
> 
> No shots of Kenny Wehn?


Yep, that's John. Still doing the Devo thing - although I'm not sure if it's as big as it used to be.

Okay, here's a shot of Kenny in the Crested Butte stage race - must have been 90.


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## bushpig (Nov 26, 2005)

When I was recently in Japan I saw an auction for a NOS Mammoth frame and fork. See this thread for the pic: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=153847

I didn't know the Mammoth/Tracker link, but think that is cool. I recall that MBA review. I liked the looks of those bikes.


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## ssmike (Jan 21, 2004)

bushpig said:


> When I was recently in Japan I saw an auction for a NOS Mammoth frame and fork. See this thread for the pic: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=153847
> 
> I didn't know the Mammoth/Tracker link, but think that is cool. I recall that MBA review. I liked the looks of those bikes.


Nice! It looks like a later frame because the brake cable routing looks to be top tube and I don't see the roller for the crazy down tube/up the seat tube/over the roller to the s/s mounted brake. Looks to also be with the Koski fork option (the tips were welded instead of brazed and there was a rack boss on the leg.

And the "RC" in the model name is the initials of the designer - Russ Callahan.


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## RockyWA (Jan 23, 2006)

*awesome*

Awesome-
Yeah thats the one I always wanted the one WITHOUT the elevated chainstay that was White to Red to Black fade- the one that Kenny is Riding at Crested Butte, an RC202 or an RC203.

I just loved the whole vibe of that bike-can't tell you why. Thought it looked super cool.


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## Bruce P (Feb 1, 2006)

I still have an RC201 frame in my garage. Purple front triangle and black stays with no fade.

I took it to Excel Sports to remove Chris King headset [now on road bike] because it was difficult for me to work around the metal reinforcement sleeve.

The mechanic there suspected that it was an re-painted Alpenlite - but it's not.

On the head tube is a Star decal with Mammoth written underneath.


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## ssmike (Jan 21, 2004)

Bruce P said:


> I still have an RC201 frame in my garage. Purple front triangle and black stays with no fade.
> 
> I took it to Excel Sports to remove Chris King headset [now on road bike] because it was difficult for me to work around the metal reinforcement sleeve.
> 
> ...


Post pics! What size is it?


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## Bruce P (Feb 1, 2006)

I'll have to taske some pics and then will post them. It's a large - about 19/20 inch with the old Bontrager Race forks [straight blade].


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## ssmike (Jan 21, 2004)

Bruce P said:


> I'll have to taske some pics and then will post them. It's a large - about 19/20 inch with the old Bontrager Race forks [straight blade].


Sweet - wanna sell it?


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## RockyWA (Jan 23, 2006)

*cool*

Cool - post some pictures of it- I once saw what I though was a mammoth RC201- elevated chainstay bike that was a white to purple fade-front to back. I think i've seen the one you're talking about.

By the way
if anyone wants to sell a 18-20 inch RC202 or RC203, regular diamond frame or bike, aluminum or steel(preferably the steel one though) Mammoth, please let me know, I won't low ball anyone.


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## Bruce P (Feb 1, 2006)

I'll get photos up tomorrow. Maybe I can find the old Sella ItaliaTurbo saddle for the photo op! Wish I hadn't gotten rid of the old Answer ATAC stem that was on the bike when I bought it, when I decided to put it back together I couldn't even find a 1" quill stem and had to settle for some Performance Bicycles junk stem.

Wow! It's kind of cool to find a site where people are interested in old [not _that_ old!] bicycles. I just thought I'd do a casual search on the RC201 and found this thread.

The old Funk [I think it was Funk] elevated chainstay bike looked sort of similar to the RC201but chunkier. I recently found out that Daryl Funk lives across the street from a good friend of mine in Lakewood CO. He builds custom titanium rigs now.


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## Bruce P (Feb 1, 2006)

> Originally posted by *ssmike*
> _'Post pics! What size is it?'_


I originally said it was 19/20 inch frame but I measured it this A.M. and it is 18.5 from center of bb to top of seat tube. I ride a 20" Mojo now and use a shorter stem.

Here are some photos [let's see if I do this correctly!]:


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## ssmike (Jan 21, 2004)

Bruce P said:


> I originally said it was 19/20 inch frame but I measured it this A.M. and it is 18.5 from center of bb to top of seat tube. I ride a 20" Mojo now and use a shorter stem.
> 
> Here are some photos [let's see if I do this correctly!]:


Very nice! The purple/black were later frames. The MT in the serial number shows that it was welded at Matthews Welding in San Marcos, CA. That one also has the better rear brake routing with the canti brakes. Too small for me though! Sweet looking with the Bontrager fork.


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## Shayne (Jan 14, 2004)

*Mmmmm, Aluminum*

Beautiful!

I need one of those.


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## ssmike (Jan 21, 2004)

One thing I almost forgot was the swaged seat tube. It's 34.9 at the bb and then gets skinny up top to allow for a normal size seat post. Oversized posts weren't too common back then. There is a small dimple in the seat tube for front derailleur clearance allowing the derailleur to fully drop down allowing for better middle to small ring shifting.


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## Bruce P (Feb 1, 2006)

Yes, the seat tube was talked about in the brochure [wish I still had it] and is quite a work of art. Another interesting thing about these bikes were the sleeves - steel, I think - that were pressed into the most highly stressed joints in the frame for reinforcement. Butting was either very young or non-existent in those days.

The 2000 series aluminum tubes were hardened _before_ being welded, which was really wacko. See how beautiful the weld is by the serial #? They are all impeccable!


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## Shayne (Jan 14, 2004)

*Welds*

Yeah that weld on the dropout is very nice. Deffinately on par with the welds on the Americans I've had. Although the rest of the welds, from the pictures anyway, dont look as even/symmetric/perfect as that dropout.


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## Bruce P (Feb 1, 2006)

Here are are a couple more photos of welds on the RC201.


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## Mammothfan (Apr 8, 2007)

Hej guys,

Lifting an old thread as I searched the net for Mammoth and found this info.

Can anyone say how many Mammoths actually were made? I get the impression they must be pretty rare? Im a rider from Sweden, and in 1990 or so I bought a RC201 frame in all aluminium. Was really expensive at the time in Sweden, beleive me. It still sits in my garage, with Thumb-shifters and 7 gears Shimano, ready to go and in real good condition. Just a few scratches from the days I rode it a lot in Swedish single-track forests. 
Used to ride it with a Pace Elastomer-fork with brakes on the backside, but now has a slightly more modern Marzocchi in blue. Knew one more guy that rode a white/purple RC201 in my area too, but apart from that the bike was completely unknown and got some attention when I showed up riding it. They were inmported by a little cool shop called "hot Stuff" in my town back then. They told me it was 2024 "unbreakable" alu and that it was american, that about it..... I cashed out. 

If you can bring any more info forward it would be nice! Roughly how many were made? 

And no, I dont intend to sell it, its too cool to do that and rides nice too, although it was a while ago now to be honest. 

Best regards, Martin, from Sweden.


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## EBasil (Jan 30, 2004)

*You want NOS?*

I'm sorry I didn't find this thread earlier. Here are some photos of NOS Mammoth frames I took last year. They're still all right where you see them, hanging on the wall of the Tracker factory. When I spotted them, time and whatnot had completely erased any mental linkage between Tracker and Mammoth, but I recognized the frames immediately. Buddy says those are the last of the last. I used to marvel at how much they cost at Cantina, and bought a Manitou instead.

Give Buddy Carr a call (google Tracker Trucks) and tell him E.Basil told you about the frames.. Hell, tell him you heard they were for sale at $50 each. Then tell him I was kidding. Mike SS, have you got any photos of Buddy in dreads?

Note the cruiser frame. Dibbage. I have dibbage.


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## Veloculture (Dec 18, 2005)

EBasil said:


> I'm sorry I didn't find this thread earlier. Here are some photos of NOS Mammoth frames I took last year. They're still all right where you see them, hanging on the wall of the Tracker factory. When I spotted them, time and whatnot had completely erased any mental linkage between Tracker and Mammoth, but I recognized the frames immediately. Buddy says those are the last of the last. I used to marvel at how much they cost at Cantina, and bought a Manitou instead.
> 
> Give Buddy Carr a call (google Tracker Trucks) and tell him E.Basil told you about the frames.. Hell, tell him you heard they were for sale at $50 each. Then tell him I was kidding. Mike SS, have you got any photos of Buddy in dreads?
> 
> Note the cruiser frame. Dibbage. I have dibbage.


looks like a Monarch Silver King cruiser frame.


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## ssmike (Jan 21, 2004)

EBasil said:


> I'm sorry I didn't find this thread earlier. Here are some photos of NOS Mammoth frames I took last year. They're still all right where you see them, hanging on the wall of the Tracker factory. When I spotted them, time and whatnot had completely erased any mental linkage between Tracker and Mammoth, but I recognized the frames immediately. Buddy says those are the last of the last. I used to marvel at how much they cost at Cantina, and bought a Manitou instead.
> 
> Give Buddy Carr a call (google Tracker Trucks) and tell him E.Basil told you about the frames.. Hell, tell him you heard they were for sale at $50 each. Then tell him I was kidding. Mike SS, have you got any photos of Buddy in dreads?
> 
> Note the cruiser frame. Dibbage. I have dibbage.


Cool find! No photos of a dreaded Buddy, though.


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## SurfDaddy (May 5, 2008)

I have one, what do y'all think it is worth? Black, blue/teal and white. RC201 Mammoth.
Bought it at Cantina from the owner before he sold the place. Curt Ford, it was his.


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## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

SurfDaddy said:


> I have one, what do y'all think it is worth? Black, blue/teal and white. RC201 Mammoth.
> Bought it at Cantina from the owner before he sold the place. Curt Ford, it was his.


$5. Maybe less.


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## SurfDaddy (May 5, 2008)

$5 I better take the $2,500 I was offered then..


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## Shayne (Jan 14, 2004)

Insert triple eye roll here


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## EBasil (Jan 30, 2004)

SurfDaddy said:


> $5 I better take the $2,500 I was offered then..


This claim is worthless without photos.


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## bushpig (Nov 26, 2005)

EBasil said:


> This claim is worthless without photos.


Probably worthless with pics too. The bikes don't pull that much coin. There has been one listed on Yahoo Japan for years. Here is another selling for around $300

http://page10.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/m56196187


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## SurfDaddy (May 5, 2008)

I will post them.. Thanks for the info everyone.


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## alohachiimoku (Apr 7, 2006)

Here is a pic of 201


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## MammothRC201 (Aug 24, 2008)

Glad to see Mammoth RC 201 on the forums! I still have mine!


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## KillaCali (Dec 23, 2007)

*rc201 mammoth*

got one in my garage pops built em' and is missin' his old mtb buddies...so write me back


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## felixdelrio (May 27, 2006)

pics pls!

here's mine ...


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## MammothRC201 (Aug 24, 2008)

Let me know about your pops mamouth! pics?


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## KillaCali (Dec 23, 2007)

hes doing good still riding bikes,hikin and explorin the southwest wish i had a tracker frame in my size... i'll take some pics of the bikes and post i know im a lil late on the feedback


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## KillaCali (Dec 23, 2007)

*pics*


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## sjordan72 (Jan 16, 2005)

I have been storing a friend's from back in the day. They raced for the team and I ended up with the frame. I've retouched some of the stuff to protect their identity. 

It was a team frame so no serial number and appears to have been repainted a few times as there is some red paint sneaking through.


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## KillaCali (Dec 23, 2007)

must of been one of the really early frames built in the bmw shop. pretty sure even all the team frames had serial numbers and the first 50 had a serial that started "ff1" and so on from what the pops was sayin


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## KillaCali (Dec 23, 2007)

figured this could go in this thread


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## MammothRC201 (Aug 24, 2008)

It is 2017 and still riding my Mammoth RC201. I live in The Netherlands now but enjoyed riding the bike in So Calif where I grew up and worked in the vacations at Bike Tech! I still ride this beast here and the Ardennen, Belgium. I only had to replace the chainwheel in since I bought the in 1980's. I bought the bike from a guy at Jones Bikes in Los Alamitos. It is a Purple and Black edition. Still running the XT group with gold letters! I have a 2nd group just in case, but these components dont break. I am 55 years young and still tearing it up here old man style! lol! Great to see this thread!!


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## EBasil (Jan 30, 2004)

That is awesome to hear: an RC201 still on the trails! Excellent!


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## RockyWA (Jan 23, 2006)

Ok so here's Tracker Trucks who owns the Mammoth Mountain Bike / Tracker Logo as they were the parent company of Mammoth Mountain Bikes back in the day.
The Tracker/Mammoth logo is from the 80's-A company and logo that's been around since the 80's but Tracker trucks exists today.

https://www.trackertrucks.com/

And here's a new company with as far as I know has no connection to Tracker / Mammoth but is using what looks like similar branding/logo.

https://undergroundbikeworks.com/

Just sayin.


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## root (Jan 24, 2006)

RockyWA said:


> Ok so here's Tracker Trucks who owns the Mammoth Mountain Bike / Tracker Logo as they were the parent company of Mammoth Mountain Bikes back in the day.
> The Tracker/Mammoth logo is from the 80's-A company and logo that's been around since the 80's but Tracker trucks exists today.
> 
> https://www.trackertrucks.com/
> ...


Wait, that isnt just some yahoo building some new bikes!


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## Uncle Grumpy (Oct 20, 2005)

root said:


> Wait, that isnt just some yahoo building some new bikes!


Phew - that's a relief! John Parker and FTW FTW. Yep, Frank The Welder and For The Win. 

When I saw the font for the UnderGround logo it reminded me of the last incarnation of the Mountain Cycle San Andreas and thought "don't tell me that numbskull that designed that abomination San Andreas 2.0 is out to far cup another brand..." But nope, it's John Parker and I'm happy to hear it!

Grumps


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## MammothRC201 (Aug 24, 2008)

*RC 201 Mammoth Limited Edition*

Bought at Jone's Bikes in Los Alamitos. California in 1991. Riding it sinds july 2019 and retired it. I have a Scott full suspension. Dont get any looks anymore. I still have the Shimano XT with gold letters on it and a group still in boxes. Those XT will not die! and yes I ride downhill in Slovenie and Belgium. Here in Holland it is flat but nice single tracks. Which I would have kept the original forks. I retired thes suspension fork cuz I could not find parts.



RockyWA said:


> Wow hey thanks!!! - Everyone i've asked about these bikes can't remember them! I thought they looked really cool though.
> 
> For a long time I was confused- I always remembered that bike as a Mammoth- and then I recently mentioned the bike to a mutual friend of the owner and mine and he said it was a Tracker- that's when I got confused.
> 
> ...


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