[richmiller1966]

1) Haro Extreme with elevated stays and a first gen. Rock Shox RS-1 XT build

2) Titan 1/2 Trac with elevated stays and a first gen. Mountain Cycles Suspender with Pro Stop disc brake XT build

3)Trek 8700/8900 carbon/alum. frame built up with mostly XT and another set of Mountain Cycle Suspenders

I count all of these as my “first” mountainbikes as far as riding. I was given all of them within a month – my first month offroad riding and racing. (I had established myself as a competitive and results oriented bi/triathlete and a Cat 2 racer with decent self marketing skills)

All 3 bike excelled at something and all were a blast – decent rides back then. Used to thrash them on a huge trail network outside Stillwater that was groomed by outdoor MX multi champ Guy Cooper.

Gave the Haro and the Titan to friends that wanted to try mtb ( he still has and regularly rides the Titan… with my name still painted on the top tube!)

The Trek was stolen from a bike rack it was locked to from the OSU campus while I was in class never to be seen again even though carbon mtbr with big inverted forks and disc brakes were pretty rare in Oklahoma at the time.

Immediately after the Trek was stolen I packed up a UHaul and took a job working in a world famous boutique mtb shop on the Cali coast and rode and raced some of the most exotic bikes and equipment around…Merlin, Yeti, Fat Chance, Fischer, Mantis, Litespeed, Slingshot, Salsa, Mountain Goat, Klien, American,etc…a different bike every day for years!

It was years later that I actually BOUGHT my first mtb – a custom 1 of 30 “tribute” titanium Fat Chance Yo’ Eddy! fabbed for us on special order by Litespeed with Chris Chance’s blessing as he said he had no intention of ever offering a ti frame! Full 1st gen. XTR 8spd and full Grafton/Ringle in the requisite 3DV. Heavily massaged pre Answer Manitou by Elite/DGI incl. Ti legs, carbon steerer and custom 3DV anodized lowers. Everything on bike was carbon, alum, or ti. Tension Disc Pro rear wheel. I wish I had never let that one go – one of my best buds from in the day bought it from me in a moment of confusion many years ago and to this day it is his everyday main ride with the only change being the retirement of the tension disc rear.

Guess I was spoiled! Lol!

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