1994 Clark-Kent F-16 FS
Clark-Kent was a high-end, custom bicycle company out of Denver, CO started by Pat Clark and Dean Kent. They developed a reputation for cutting edge bicycles in both steel and titanium, and were visible for the race teams and events they sponsored, the partnerships they created, and the specialty bikes they built for World Champion and Tour De France winner Greg Lemond. The company partnered with Scott Bicycles to develop the rather rudimentary CST full suspension bike and the Uni-Shock fork. Clark-Kent also marketed the "Pineapple" hub design created by a Denver machine shop, an example of which can be seen on the 1992 McMahon Titanium. This particular example was the prototype bike for the FS-16 full-suspension model and was designed and owned by mechanical wizard Jerry Hauptmann. The "soft-tail" design makes use of a Risse Racing shock as an integral structural member. The bike is built with a host of Colorado-based components, including Real Design chainrings and brake levers (Boulder), Avid Tri-Align brakes (Denver), Aero Saddle (Boulder), Grafton pedals (Durango), and King titanium bottle cage (Durango). In addition, the bike features Clark-Kent components such as the titanium stem and seatpost, XLR8 crankset, and brake boosters. In the end, the Clark-Kent company aspired to be more of a complete bicycle company than it could sustain. Besides Lemond, notable racers on Clark-Kent bikes included mountain biker Laurie Brandt and Olympic Champion Alexi Grewal.
The Build
Year: 1994
Serial: I1276 Frame: Clark-Kent F-16 FS Fork: Specialized FSX Stem: Clark-Kent Titanium Headset: Chris King Bottom Bracket: Syncros Hardcore Titanium Handlebar: Answer Hyperlite Shifters: SRAM Grip Shift 800X X-Ray Front Derailleur: Shimano XTR M900 Rear Derailleur: Shimano XTR M900 Brake Levers: Real Designs Front Brake: Avid Tri-Align Rear Brake: Avid Tri-Align Crankset: Clark-Kent XLR8 Chainrings: Real Designs 26-34-44 Pedals: Grafton Speedtrap Hubs: TNT Performance Velomax Rims: Mavic 230 Ti B Tires: Specialized Ground Control II/ Team Master Wheel QR: Ringle Cam Twist Seatpost: Clark-Kent Titanium Saddle: Aero Saddle by San Marco Grips: Grip Shift Cogs: Shimano XTR M900 Chain: Shimano HG Bottle Cage: King Cage Titanium Brake Boosters: Clark-Kent |
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