[ColoradoRyan]

This bike was unique enough I just had to take it home. I've never heard of it and can't find any information on it. It's a 'Renegade' 15 speed. It has some interesting and quality components, including Sumo wheels, SR high flange hubs. Suntour AG derailleurs, Suntour Power Thumb Shifters, bullmoose handlebars, and Sugino GT crank. The R on the head badge reminds me a little bit of the Raleigh Rampar bikes, but not quite the same. Based on the component dates I believe it is a 1984 model year. Has anyone ever heard of this bike? Thanks for any info.

 

[jmmUT]

Must be unique if everyone is stumped

 

[cegrover]

Looks like an early mass-produced bike with good, quality parts. I think that's a Tange single-crown fork, which was used on all sorts of bikes around that time (all the way from Nashbar-branded to some Ritchey bikes).

It looks like the same question didn't get a firm answer at the link below, either:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/320586-1983-Renegade

 

[Boy named SSue]

Must be unique if everyone is stumped

or unmemorable

 

[ColoradoRyan]

Cool, thanks for the replies. I hadn't seen the other post about it; too bad the original poster's pics are no longer there.

 

[Oldfatbaldguy]

The area around the seatpost clamp and the rear brake cable stop/mount look very much like a "dept store" bike in my "spare parts repository". low-end Shimano parts here, though. My bike was marketed by JC Penney, and somebody told me that the frame was from Taiwan , but the bike was likely contract assembled in the USA.

Are they the same? I am not smart enough to know. You did well as a parts bike, and even as a rider you did quite well, providing you got it for a friendly price. But I doubt its a famous, rare marque worth a pile.

 

[sandmangts]

They sold them in North Carolina at a department store called Best. I remember because I wanted to buy one. I would have been a big step up from the POS Murray Baja I was rolling at the time.

 

[surly357]

those components combined with a tig'd frame and sumo rims would certainly have been found on a taiwanese mtb. that's how the taiwanese put the hurt on japan- more efficient frame production combined with name brand parts where the consumer looked and knock offs where they didn't. lee chi brakes and joytech hubs would have been the next step in that spec evolution. i'd be curious to know if that really is a tange fork- the crown has the soft, lumpy sorta look around the edges we used to see on early taiwan stuff.

while not important in a ritchey sort of way, that bike is illustrative of how everybody and their brother was trying to get into the mtb game at that point. the trade magazines especially would have been full of ads for newly created brands trying to establish themselves. had to be tough at a time when companies like diamondback, already a well known bmx name from an established distributor (western states imports, the centurion guys) would sell to virtually anyone! maybe if the standards of pricing and territories had been similar to what we see today more of these launches might have been successful in the long run....

 

[jmmUT]

I heard Sumos are just differently branded Arayas. Some Arayas (the 7x,c,b particularly) are somewhat collectible in the BMX scene

 

[ColoradoRyan]

Thanks for the tips guys, I just wanted to make sure it wasn't something valuable that should be kept together. I still might try to sell it as a complete bike unless I find a use for the parts which I usually do ;-)

 

[brodie81224]

Vintage Renegade

I was driving home from work Sunday and noticed a bike in a dumpster. It was an old Renegade. Definitely a classic and probably made its way up and over Pearl Pass back in the day. Unfortunately it was covered in rust and needed some work. I rescued the bike and took it home. Cleaned the cables, replaced the chain, loosened the post, and WD40 the heck out of it. Inflated the rubber and within a couple of hours I was riding it. Not a bad bike though sure makes you appreciate todays technology. Thought I would let you know there is another one out there.

 

[DnvrMike]

Found another one, in fantastic shape! In Denver.