Here's a pair of MTB's from 1993 still owned by the original couple and from what I can tell , mostly original. These are early examples of the Tig Team SL Mtn. frame that I started building in the Gross rd. shop I occupied from 1992-1996. This was pretty much a 440 square foot metal shed divided onto three rooms. I built a few hundred frames there and started my serious work on batches of CX frames.
Before I built many CX frames these MTB's and some lugged road frames were my stock and trade. I built a great number of these bikes back before full suspension took over the market. Around this time I also imported frames from Taiwan for the 'Expert' model. I needed a lower priced frame of my design to sell in the UK and Germany. There was no way I could keep up with the demand working in my tiny shop.
These bikes will be back in use again - they will be transformed with rigid forks and some more upright bars. Better to make them into townies than have them hanging unused or try to flog them on craigslist.
Both of these bikes have some extra details on the head tube and cable routing that were not stock on the model. They have the wavy gussetts that were on my bikes from 1995-2001. The bikes pictured here represent a style that was a product of the kind of riding in Santa Cruz-twisty narrow single track in the redwood forest.
It was nice to see these bikes again and I'll be getting to work on the updates soon.
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