1989 Mantis Valkyrie
The Mantis Valkyrie became a dream bike for many people after appearances in Mountain Bike Action. The bike looked so unusual that one would naturally assume that it had to ride radically different than a diamond-framed bike. The idea was to have a frame based on a bridge-like structure that would give a stiffer ride from multiple small tubes. There are cables running everywhere. While similar to other elevated chainstay bikes designed by Richard Cunningham for Nishiki, something about owning an actual Mantis seemed more special. For one thing, Mantis bikes often had unusual paint jobs such as camouflage or graphical patterns. Surprisingly few of these bikes remain, probably because most of them broke. This one has the classic repair to the seattube. If you don't look down at the frame while riding it, you would be hard-pressed to know it was such an unusual design. The build is a mix of aftermarket parts from Bullseye and IRD, including the IRD remote seatpost quick release.
The Build
Year: 1989
S/N: VK1912 Frame: Mantis Valkyrie Fork: Mantis Straight Blade Stem: Salsa Moto Headset: Shimano Deore XT Bottom Bracket: Bullseye Sealed Bearing Handlebar: Salsa Merlin Titanium Shifters: Shimano Deore XT M732 Thumbshifters Front Derailleur: Shimano Deore XT M732 Rear Derailleur: Shimano Deore XT M732 Brake Levers: Shimano Deore XT M733 Front Brake: IRD Widget Rear Brake: IRD Rotary Crankset: Bullseye Chainrings: Sugino 26-36-46 Pedals: Shimano Deore XT M731 Hubs: Bullseye Cartridge Bearing Rims: Matrix Mountain Titan Tires: Onza Porcupine Wheel QR: Ringle Cam Twist Seatpost: IRD Saddle: Selle Italia Turbo Seatpost QR: IRD Remote Grips: ODI Tomac Attack Cogs: Sachs Freewheel Chain: Shimano HG Remote Shifter: Schwinn Approved Suntour |
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