By Tom Jow — Lately I find myself around a lot of old bicycles. Really old. Not just ten or fifteen years, but twenty, thirty, and forty years old. Bicycles that I have seen, sold, repaired and owned. Seeing them brings up many memories. Places I went, how I rode, new technologies. Each bike was unique. Of the many bikes I have owned, these four have just crossed my path.
Cannondale SM700
A pink Cannondale SM400 reminds me of my second mountain bike ever, the SM700. In the mid-1980’s, my younger brother got me a discount from the shop he was working at. Painted a metallic British racing green with top of the line Suntour XC Pro components, the polished aluminum components brought out the sparkles in the paint. The Suntour branded WTB roller cam brakes were not only a marvel of CNC machine work, but super powerful. Equipped with a 26 inch front wheel and 24 inch rear, that SM700 may have been the first “mullet” mountain bike.
The smaller rear wheel gave the bike the strange sensation of pivoting around turns. The trails we rode back then in California were mostly roads and didn’t require a tight turning radius. How I wish for that now sometimes for the steep, tight switchbacks of some current trails. The granny gear, it was so low it seemed like I could climb any hill. However, across the flats and even downhill, the 24 inch rear wheel didn’t feel all that fast. The next year, I upgraded to a full 26 inch version. My brother still has his.
Fisher ProCaliber
At the end of summer 1988, I began working at Marina Cyclery in San Francisco. My first job at a mountain bike pro shop. We were a dealer for both Fisher and Ritchey mountain bikes. Believe it or not, I knew absolutely nothing about Gary Fisher or Tom Ritchey when I started.
The ProCaliber was made of Tange Prestige steel tubing with top of the line (at the time) Shimano XT components. I did some huge rides on that bike. From my parents place near the bay, up to the ridge above Crystal Springs and halfway to Half Moon Bay on trails. Or from my apartment in the Richmond district, across the Golden Gate bridge to the summit of Mt. Tamalpais.
I could do these big rides because the bike was so light! Everyone I had heard of that owned one had broken it. I thought about that occasionally while bombing down one of my favorite trails in the Marin Headlands. The last 50-60 yards were steep and straight. It was also really roughed up by horses. Seemed like some days the trail was a blur, my head and eyeballs bouncing up and down so much. Everytime I challenged myself to wait as long as possible to apply the brakes.
The bike never broke. Worse, the bike was stolen. Too bad because I loved that bike. The ProCaliber might be the favorite of all bikes I have owned.
Tomac 78 Special
Developed by world champion John Tomac and Manitou designer Doug Bradbury, the 78 Special was my second full suspension bike. It was also my first bike with disc brakes and tubeless tires. The frame was built with Easton Ultralight aluminum, and equipped with Shimano XT, Avid disc brakes and the new Mavic Crossmax tubeless wheelset. In addition to being very light, the bike was an efficient climber and had nimble, predictable handling.
With 80 millimeters of travel, the suspension worked incredibly well. Combined with the tubeless wheels and tires, it seemed like there was more traction than I knew what to do with. I was amazed at how smooth the Bobsled trail suddenly was. Descending the Mill D trail was scary fast. I scared the heck out of myself many times on that bike. The 78 Special was far and away a better bike than the one it replaced.
Cannondale Scalpel
In 2002 I began working for a team that was sponsored by Cannondale. They were the first and only mountain bike team I ever worked for. We competed in the NORBA National Series, traveling to the east and west. I say “we” because my teammates convinced me to enter some races. Of all the places West Virginia was my favorite. The 24 hours of Snowshoe course was so fun. Technical trails with wet rocks and roots in the deep dark forest. It felt like I was out in the middle of nowhere.
Anyway, we had this new bike called the “Scalpel”. It was an aluminum frame with carbon fiber flex stays and Fox shock. I think it had 2 inches of travel. What was really unique about this bike was the front suspension. It had just a single leg and was called the “Lefty”.
The Scalpel was probably the lightest full suspension bike I have owned. As such, it was fast. My fastest times up the Dry Creek trail are probably on that bike. It was fast on the downhills too. The Lefty suspension worked way better than I expected. Despite this, I don’t remember crashing on any single bike as much as I did on this one.
This got me thinking, how many bikes have I owned? Somewhere around 20 mountain bikes. They include every category: XC, downhill, enduro, single speed. Even full suspension tandem! What is more important than the bikes though is the memories they have been a part of. Places I’ve been, people I met and friendships made. What is your bikes story?
