Old Mantis

jfkbike2 said:

I have had this baby in my stable for a long while. I remember it took Richard about a year and a half to get it to me. But it sure did ride great, a little flexy side to side for my big butt but it handles great.

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right on! sweet ride. thanks for sending us a photo.

jfkbike2 said:

I have had this baby in my stable for a long while. I remember it took Richard about a year and a half to get it to me. But it sure did ride great, a little flexy side to side for my big butt but it handles great.

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very cool, much more so than your monolith.

Thanks for shareing

I agree, but both have a fond place in my heart. I wish I still had my first real MTB which was a Fat Chance Kicker back in about '83 I think.

Oooh!

Now that's cool!


Not a bad intro to our forum...posting really, really cool stuff!

That Mantis is freakin' cool!

The bike is outstanding. The frame is beautiful and so are the parts. I like the pedal setup - classic. What sort of shoes do you ride with? It seems hard to find good toe clip compatible shoes.

Really don't ride it anymore. I used to have a pair of Nike's that I really liked, one of their early MTB shoes but can't think of the name.

Avocet touring shoes were excellent as were the low-end Shimano shoes. As well as the Superbe/XC Pro pedals I liked Campy SR, preferrably with Ti spindles.

i wanted a mantis since i first saw a pic. wonder if any custom builders would build you one nowadays?

weather said:

i wanted a mantis since i first saw a pic. wonder if any custom builders would build you one nowadays?

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I thought about this too. Curtlo would have been the builder. Doug does first-rate work, and though he'll let you know he can make a diamond frame ride like anything you want, and he's right, he'll still entertain the dream bike notions of a hopeless romantic. Plus, he's probably the most bang for the buck going. The hard part may be finding one to send in as a pattern. I didn't get as far as doing a drawing, or I'd send it your way.

cursivearmy said:

that original one is rad,

hey pete,

those anodized WTB speedmasters are super cool! but, since i'm the spring police like FB likes to call me, the springs are on backwards.

rad stuff

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Oh yeah, look at that. I've got a get out of jail free card, as this isn't actually mine. It's in the vintage mtb "family" though. But yeah, coil springs should wind in when loaded, & unwind as they release. Good eye!

Sweet pics, have not seen that one before.

Wade at Vulture built me one a few years ago. It was pretty sweet. I wish I had pics but unfortunately I don't. the twin top tubes were square and it had a Phil Wood oval downtube. It was the second bike that he had built and was built on IRD's old jig back in the day before he lived in Bend. Give him a call, I would bet he would be willing to build another.