1987 Doug Bradbury Personal Manitou
In 1987, Doug Bradbury built this Manitou for himself then sent it off to be reviewed by Mountain Bike Action. Appearing in the January 1988 issue, the magazine said, "this is the thing that legends are made of!" Despite the large size to fit Doug's tall stature, the bike had many innovations such as ultra short 16.5" chainstays and a long 24" toptube. Coupled with a T-bone stem with only 100 mm of reach, the bike might qualify by today's standards as an enduro bike, although the headtube angle is steep at 71 degrees. Other innovations included something Doug termed "Wide Glide" which was a wider hub format of 145 mm in the rear and 115 mm up front. The rear is off-set to the drive side, with the extra 10 mm allowing space for the freewheel and a rear wheel without dish. The chainstay yoke is fashioned from a welded box section which enables the short chainstays but limits the largest chainring to no bigger than 36 teeth. The front end of the bike is tall, with the top of the bars at 41 inches off the ground and a nod to Doug's technical motorcycle trials background. The brake levers are also set up moto style, with the rear on the left side. After it was returned, the bike went through a few minor changes, including the addition of a second water bottle mount and brake boosters front and rear. The frame also got a wrap around gusset on the bottom of the headtube. Mountain Bike Action concluded the article by saying it was "almost a watershed design" and that they would definitely buy one, and if they were over six feet tall they would buy stock in the company. Many of Doug's innovations would go on to influence aluminum frame constructions for years to come.
More information can be found on the Manitou Photo Archive page.
More information can be found on the Manitou Photo Archive page.
The Build
Year: 1987
S/N: None Frame: Manitou Fork: Manitou Stem: Tioga T-Bone Headset: Shimano Dura Ace 7400 Bottom Bracket: Suntour Cartridge Bearing Handlebar: IRD Shifters: Shimano Deore XT M730 Front Derailleur: Shimano Deore XT M730 Rear Derailleur: Shimano 600 Short Cage Brake Levers: Magura Motorcycle Shorty Front Brake: IRD Progressive Rear Brake: IRD Progressive Crankset: Shimano Deore XT M730 Chainrings: Specialized Onza 24-34-46 Pedals: Suntour XC Compe Hubs: Manitou Modified Bullseye Rims: Araya RM-20 Tires: Specialized GC Extreme 26 x 1.95 Seatpost: IRD Saddle: San Marco Concor Seatpost QR: Specialized Grips: Grab-On MTN-2 Chain: Shimano HG Cogs: Suntour Winner Pro Freewheel |
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