A brief introduction to my collection

A forum to showcase your Barracudas.
manbeer
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A brief introduction to my collection

Post by manbeer »

I never really took many real pics of any of my bikes, just occasional cameraphone shots so i still have yet to create any real threads for the individual bikes. I switched phones and was uploading some of the pics off my old phone this afternoon and figured i would throw together a temporary consolidate thread, with more to follow when i have time to spend with the bikes and a camera, and when i am done switching parts around as they are constantly in a state of change

Here is my 14" '95 Comp, as you can see the finish is a little thrashed. I picked it up last year from a pawn shop in virginia with a weird assortment of parts, ranging from a lawwill leader fork and control tech brakes, to crappy Altus cranks and mismatched shifters. It had clearly fallen into the wrong hands. I saw a link to the auction on this site before it was down, saw that it had been a few months and never sold and contacted the seller who sold it to me. Expect to see many changes to this in the future...i think Mark knows what i have planned ;)

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Next up, my beloved 97 A2E. This is one of my daily riders, it is a ross built frame but a tange ultimate tubeset. Bought the frame alone NOS on Ebay, from a seller with Ross connections who had a shop somewhat nearby and i became friend with. Running a 98 RS Sid, M950 XTR Derailleurs, Raceface Ti BB and Turbine Cranks, Action Tec Ti cassete, XT V brakes and shifters, and Blue anodized sun cr18 w/ pulstar hubs. I absolutely love the way this bike rides, and i find that this and my '94 Comp get more use than anything else in the stable

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YIKES! My skewer after i ran over my wheel with my car :0

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With my A2MS

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Night riding

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Now its time for my 94 Comp. Found on craigslist in Washington DC. The seller was unwilling to ship and i was contemplating the 8hr trip to pick it up. As it turned out she had to come out to Long island to look at a car and i met at her hotel. It was pretty stock, swapped the cranks for a set of Rhino cranks (DEAN) and the drivetrain for a sram esp 9.0sl/srt 900 setup. brakes were changed out for avid sd7's and dia compe pc12 levers. Stuffed the original manitou comp with all the the assorted elastomers i had around the house, which gives it about 20mm of sag and then its almost rigid. I love this setup for riding on the road. Original put on mavic 217's with nuke proof hubs, but currently on spinergy spox with ritchey speedmax beta.

It is my second most ridden bike and one that i nearly died on last summer when a shirt i tied around my bars because lodged in the fork at high speed. Couldn't move, no cell reception, ambulance to ER, most pain i've ever been in for days

Second day

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Me forcing myself out a couple hours after being released form the hospital. I couldn't even walk but i made myself get out there

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My A2MS, in a constant state of rebuild and parts switching. this was my first barracuda (and real mtb in general)
I got it the summer between elementary and middle school. It was my first love, and i would never ever give it up. It fueled what became one of my biggest passions in life. I was growing out of my trek 800 (24" wheels) and happened to stumble into a bike shop who had this on sale. Waited, saved and eventually got it. Had it not been for this bike i don't even know if i would have become interested in the sport. I was so into riding i remember riding to school, riding to the trail after dismissal, burying my backpack under leaves and hitting the trail for 2+hours every day. Anyway i loved this thing, swapped out almost every part but unfortunately some were lost along the way



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Here are some pics of the others, i don't really have too many now as i spend the majority of time living at my girlfriends where i only have the 94 Comp and A2L. I will have to make some dedicated build threads with good pics when i get the chance

A2L on the ferry from CT after picking it up

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mock build up on 92 easton

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XX Team with a mid level build. too big for me, i actually built it up really nice with high end parts and tried riding it and just couldn't. My uncle is currently using this on his trainer indoors

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a few of the "non" barracudas

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Some random group pics

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Some parts

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Thats it for now, more to follow :)
92 Easton * 93 A2X * 93 A2L * 94 A2MS * 94 Comp * 95 Comp * 96 A2E * 97 A2E * 97 XX Team * 97 A2F * 98 A2FS * 96 A2T and more

Niika
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Re: A brief introduction to my collection

Post by Niika »

Wow, this is a great thread! Thanks for posting all these beautiful pictures, manbeer!

From these pictures I am finally able to determine with certainty that my original Barracuda was indeed a 16". Somehow, when seeing earlier pics of 14 inchers I wasn't sure, but now, seeing your 14" cuda comp leaning against the post on the dock, I have a better perspective.
Last edited by Niika on March 22nd, 2011, 5:22 am, edited 1 time in total.

manbeer
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Re: A brief introduction to my collection

Post by manbeer »

Why thank you :)

Hopefully i get the others more together in the coming months so i can make dedicate threads for each with actual decent quality pics

Every bike i have besides the Trek, my original A2MS and the Jamis Dakar Team were bought in the last year, its a terrible addiction
92 Easton * 93 A2X * 93 A2L * 94 A2MS * 94 Comp * 95 Comp * 96 A2E * 97 A2E * 97 XX Team * 97 A2F * 98 A2FS * 96 A2T and more

neo_pop_71
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Re: A brief introduction to my collection

Post by neo_pop_71 »

Manbeer,

You and I must have been twins separated at birth... you ended up on the right coast and I ended up on the left coast, we had to have been cut from the same cloth! We differ in the fact that you have a nice display case for your impressive vintage anodized collection, where I keep all of mine stacked in milk crates to hide my "sickness" and it helps to keep the misses off my rear. I love Barracuda bikes and you certainly have an amazing collection but I'm a parts whore and the 90's was a great time to get anodized! Looking at your bikes, we are brothers in the love of SDG, Ringle, and Kooka. White Onza Porcupines? Where and how? I have big bike regret for selling my "Ned Overend" FSX carbon Judy, seeing yours brings a tear! I toyed with the idea of building up my A2L as a single speed with a red/white/blue Kooka crank, using your r/w/b Kooka crank adds a very nice touch on that bike. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one with a "habit" of hoarding!

You must be the guy that beats me at the buzzer on Ebay, bastard!

Thanks for sharing, it'll be a thread that I revisit often, with that much eye-candy how could I not!

Peace,

-DON-

manbeer
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Re: A brief introduction to my collection

Post by manbeer »

Thanks Don,

I was fortunate enough to be growing up during the CNC/Anodized "glory days" and wouldn't trade the experience for anything. While i am sometimes accused of being stuck in the past, i don't care.

My hoarding accomplishes two things- it ensures that i will always have the bikes and parts that i prefer for as long as i can possibly ride, and it ensures that some bikes/parts that were falling/fell into the wrong hands get a new lease on life rather than being one step closer to the dump...

Most of the parts in my collection are things i wanted when i was younger and couldn't afford. Now whenever i find a decent deal i buy them just because i know that in another 10 years, it will be even harder to find things in good shape and prices will likely appreciate, in fact i feel like my vintage mtb parts are one of the most sound investments i have made. They satisfy my urge to shop and collect and never lose value
92 Easton * 93 A2X * 93 A2L * 94 A2MS * 94 Comp * 95 Comp * 96 A2E * 97 A2E * 97 XX Team * 97 A2F * 98 A2FS * 96 A2T and more

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mixalive
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Re: A brief introduction to my collection

Post by mixalive »

Nice collection..
93 A2R blue/white 14" Craigslist Austin, on the cheap
94 A2M silver/white 14" Cenna's Cycles SA, original owner
94 Cuda Comp purple/white 14" won on Ebay
95 XX Team gold/white 14" Craigslist Memphis

Niika
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Re: A brief introduction to my collection

Post by Niika »

There's a set of white onza porcupines on Ebay right now, but they look kinda crappy/ too worn to me.

manbeer
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Re: A brief introduction to my collection

Post by manbeer »

Niika wrote:There's a set of white onza porcupines on Ebay right now, but they look kinda crappy/ too worn to me.


I have my eyes on the pair of NOS rear panaracer XC Magic's thats on ebay right now since i already have two fronts. we'll see...
92 Easton * 93 A2X * 93 A2L * 94 A2MS * 94 Comp * 95 Comp * 96 A2E * 97 A2E * 97 XX Team * 97 A2F * 98 A2FS * 96 A2T and more

neo_pop_71
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Re: A brief introduction to my collection

Post by neo_pop_71 »

My 4 favorite tires (in no particular order)...

Panaracer XC Magic

Onza Porcupines

IRC Piranha Pro

IRC "Missile" designed by Missy "The Missile" Giove

If you're new to old school mountain biking, here are two videos about two people you should know...

Missy Giove

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69V5HS4u ... re=related

&

Eric Carter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL7mGSrj ... 4868479D2F

Since Eric Carter was our Barracuda "Big Air" rider (featured on this site's home page), I have to give him plenty of praise. Eric was the king of BMX before he made the switch to downhill mountain biking, he racked up *4* World Championships and *9* U.S. National Championships. The guys at Barracuda were smart to grab Eric, he added instant credibility to the Barracuda name. After Eric moved on from 'Cuda he raced for the White Brothers/Rotec team. My buddy was the art director at W.B., so I got to meet Eric a few times. Every single time I met up with Eric, whether it be at their offices, on the trail, or at an racing event, he was always the nicest down-to-earth guy. I think his good nature and positivity are the keys to his lasting success. Think back, all but a couple of downhillers from the early 90's are (forgotten and) gone. Big ego and attitude did them in, it wasn't the crashes, all these guys (and gals) crashed insanely hard. E.C. will always be a champ in my book, right up there with my hero Johnny T, the greatest ever!!!

manbeer
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Re: A brief introduction to my collection

Post by manbeer »

Thats actually pretty similar to my list, i never tried the Missle but i remember them. One of my all time favorites that ame out more towards the end of that era were the WTB velociraptor and i think i agree on all the others. I got my first subscription to MBA at the beginning of 95 so i remember missy giove, E.C and all the other heros of the era. Tomac was certainly one of, if not the best ever

on the topic of fsx's from before, i forgot to mention it but i also have the original fsx which was basically like a mag21 sl ti with carbon legs. Almost nobody who has seen it remembers them, i think it was pretty rare
92 Easton * 93 A2X * 93 A2L * 94 A2MS * 94 Comp * 95 Comp * 96 A2E * 97 A2E * 97 XX Team * 97 A2F * 98 A2FS * 96 A2T and more

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