Bike of the Week: Frank the Tank
- Posted on
- By Aidan Raynor
- Posted in Bike of the Week
A Frankenstein creation of cycling nerd's galore. This old school gravel bike is turning heads on gravel roads all over, check out what went into the build here.
The 90s had some really special bikes and this is an ode to all that was great. Built from pieces of an old Lightspeed hardtail mountain bike and a World Cup ridden Marin Factory Team bike. Some very special bits of old school mountain bike tech and being total bike nerds we needed to take a closer look. With such a party of old tech in a discipline it wasn't meant for, the aptly named Frank the Tank is an ode to all that was and still is great.
Starting with the frame, the Lightspeed classic hardtail frame got put through the ringer in the 90s. Originally a commuter turned Canada Cup racer then as time moved on this bike was ridden along side the owners son in his first mountain bike race. Eventually as courses changed and got rougher it was replaced by a dual suspension but it was never forgotten. For 8 years the frame hung patiently waiting for its next adventure, waiting for the right time and place to make a splash and as they say good things come to those who wait.
Along came an old World Cup Factory Team Edition Marin dual suspension used of a whole season in Europe. Full 9 speed Shimano XTR M950 series in good condition, with a full Easton carbon cockpit and seat post. Then to top off the masterclass of 90s mountain bike perfection came the Magic SUPs mounted with green Michelin Wild Grippers. The suspension needed a lot of work and wasn’t salvageable so we knew exactly where this rolling museum needed to go to get the love that it deserved.
With the cycling landscape changing in recent years to support a more adventurous ride style 90s mountain bikes are the perfect candidates for a face lift. Add some ultra wide curled bars and some bar end shifting and your 90s mountain bike could be a gravel hipsters dream. The final build of this gravel monster is a true master piece. Litespeed titanium frame, Mavic SUPs, Shimano M950 XTR, Michelin Wild Grippers every inch of this bike is a monumental piece of cycling history.
Ridden mostly on the gravel roads and old logging roads of the Laurentian hills this beast can be seen in all of its fiction shift glory. Having done the Big Red Public route this past summer as well as on some of the most remote and hidden trails its a wonderful bike and handles the same as it did back when it was thrashing through the trails on the Canada Cup mountain bike circuit.
Do you have an old mountain bike you wan brought back to life? We’d love to see it and bring it back to its former glory. Swing by the shop anytime to start building your dream bike.
