A Little NorCal Influence on an East Coast Classic
The Bike
I've had a lot of Slingshots over the years. And there are few companies that have had as many year over year frame design chances as Slingshot. All of them look cool, but there was reason for the changes to improve upon the wild design. Having ridden most of the variations, I can say with certainty that come 1993, Slingshots adoption of a sloping top tube and oversized seat tube, greatly reduced the stinkbug behavior under braking over rough terrain. This refinement mutes the quirks while leaving the benefits.
So when the opportunity presented itself for a 93 MT3 in yellow, how could I say no. This frame was built at a 14" Long. Which means the seat tube of the smaller frame size while having a 22.5" top tube of the medium size. Very much like a WTB Phoenix. Which got me thinking...why not build one of my favorite bikes like one of my other favorite bikes! I built this bike with all the Wilderness Trail Bikes parts I could, rounding out the rest of the build with Suntour, and filling in the gaps with IRD, Ringle, and Syncros.
The photos from the previous (original) owner were shit, but I know him from the vintage mtb community and he's a stand up dude. The bike has been well used over the years and had fallen into disarray. Really my favorite starting point for any rebuild. It came with decals worn, paint faded, and a stuck bottom bracket. Cut the bb cups out, goo-gone'ed all the decals and spent an hour with a DA Orbital to bring back the shine to the paint. Gil from Retrocals sent over some solid reproductions and I went to work hanging parts. After a little delay with a tempermental brake arm, the final result was just what I had in my head. Felt right to dub it the Slenix (or Slingnex maybe).
The Build
Frame: Slingshot MT3
Fork: Slingshot
Rims: Mavic M231 rims 32h
Hubs: WTB Classic
Quick Release: Ringle Ti
Tires: OnZa Canis
Pedals: Shimano M737 SPD
Crank: Suntour XC Pro MD
Chain: SRAM
Rear Cogs: Suntour 7 speed
Bottom Bracket: WTB/Suntour
Front Derailleur: Suntour XC Pro MD
Rear Derailleur: Suntour XC Pro
Shifters: Suntour XC Pro
Handlebars: WTB Titanium
Grips: Oury Attack
Stem: IRD Macaroni (Paragon Ti wedge)
Headset: WTB/King
Brake set: Suntour XC Pro
Brake levers: Suntour XC Pro
Saddle: Selle Italia Flite Ti
Seat Post: Syncros
Paint: Yellow
Size: 14" Long
Serial #: 123
Place of Origin: Grand Rapids, MI
Other: 25.75 lbs. ProAction DH Tube, Slingshot bottle tree.
Wheelset Hollister built.
The Ride
Nothing better than when a bike turns out just as you hope. The Slenix didn't disappoint. I was especially keen to try out the ProAction 'DH' tube, a rare option that Slingshot offered for a short time. The purpose was to further reduce the slacking of the cable in aggressive downhill situations. On a gentle ride, it all but eliminated all the Sling of the Slingshot. But put the screws it, and you get some Sling action without it flexing a bunch. A stiff Slingshot...if there was ever such a thing. My only qualm is wanting a stem with a touch more rise. Otherwise, more miles to come.
The Photos
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