# Vintage (?) Downhill bikes



## Dr Thunder (Nov 18, 2005)

Anyone have any vintage (if that's the right word) downhill bikes? I especially love all the crazy (bordering on goofy) suspension designs of the mid 1990s. Post 'em if ya got 'em.


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## Elevation12000 (Jun 16, 2004)

Not mine, but they are goofy...









Robocop Philppe Perakis and his speedweapon that features a kind of Paralever (trademark  ) suspensionfork









Christian Taillefer's carbonwrapped Peugeot KL5000 with probably not so comfy seat 









develloped to smash records









Christian on his regular KL5000









H-Balls' home-modified Miyata Elevation 12,000. Herbold used chainstays and sturdy BB area from an early nineties bonded alloy/carbon Miyata for the swingarmmodification, so actually the bike has 2 BB shells


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## SimonConnell (May 11, 2004)

We're talking uber-niche here, but if anyone can post a photo of the Louis Colella downhill bike that was inspired by Ducati - the beast with the huge multi-tubed mainframe - then I'll be really impressed. He also made this tandem:


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## Elevation12000 (Jun 16, 2004)

I can't come up with a pic of the Calella, but if you like multi-tubed bicycles you should see this one:










It is the Radical Birdcage. Birdcage after the Maserati Birdcage - that had a steel tubed chassis =>


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## adamgent1 (Sep 26, 2005)

*Cannondale Downhill*

Does anyone remember a prototype Cannondale downhill bike that was raced by Missy Giove (?) around '97. Al I remember is it was red (!) but had a really beefy rear arm that ran horizontal from the bottam bracket and a strange, really small, two bar linkage near the bottom bracket - it think it was designed so that the rear wheel moved veritcaly up (instead of arcing upwards and forwards). Not quite sure but this thread brought back an obscure memory.


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## Yetifan (Mar 24, 2004)

not really an insane design like the others, here's mine.

you probably saw it on here before.










and here it is back in the day....


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## Fast Eddy (Dec 30, 2003)

*Steel Specialized*

I sold a prototype (?) early 90s steel specialized DH frame for the LBS owner a couple years ago. I could probably dig up a picture if I remember tonight when I get home.


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## Dr Thunder (Nov 18, 2005)

Yetifan said:


> not really an insane design like the others, here's mine
> 
> That's exactly my idea of a vintage downhill bike, albeit one of the much less weird designs. The 52 tooth (or bigger?) chainring says it all.
> 
> I suppose on some level I like 1990s downhill bikes because it was an era of people cobbling and experimenting with suspension designs in their garages and racing them on Sunday. Quite different from what you see now.


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