955 second hand buy.....

[setspeed]

Im going to look at a Pro Flex 955 advertised locally which seems quite cheap - although photos ive seen make it look as though it could do with work cleaning it up and some replacement drivetrain components which i have to factor into the cost.
I havent ridden a bike since my early teens (16yrs ago) when i had a rigid Saracen something or other MTB, and certainly never ridden any bike with suspension (forks or full suss) - what should i be wary of when test riding this bike? Any tell tale signs that its a lemon and should be avoided? What should the ride feel like? How will i know the shocks etc may need replacing? Any advice gratefully received!

[orange]

not this one is it?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=004&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=140110570413&rd=1&rd=1



Either way, look at the main pivots - is there any play? Not a major problem and you can get replacement kits from time to time on Ebay or elsewhere. Are the elastomers hard? If so you may be able to either replace (I can give you some contacts for this) or get springs to replace depending on the shocks used. If it has Vector forks, check the pivots there too. Occasionally the swingarms have been known to crack near the pivot - have a look, but this shouldn't be an issue as it is quite rare I believe. Check no cracks at seat tube - again rare anyway. Is derailleur hanger OK - missing screws? Again not a prob to replace. Are the oversize gold cable ferrules in place along the down tube as the bosses are oversized for hydraulic brakes. You can work around this if they aren't there.

That's about all I can think of. I have an 855 which is similar so just looked at that for ideas. Good luck anyway and hope you get a Proflex soon if not that one!

[Lysander]

Check the frame as much as possible through the paint for cracking at the tube joints.
Give the swing arm a good working for play, especially side to side- you can still get bushing and seals kits, but if the basic structure of the frame and swing arm is bent or cracked, then it'll cost more to try to patch up than its worth.
Have a look at the galleries here (http://idriders.com/proflex/galleries/) though they can be hard to navigate, and at www.retrobike.co.uk.
I'd also have a look at the forums at http://www.rapiddescentscotland.co.uk for info on frames.
I'm also sure other members who know their stuff better than me will also help ye out  (like Orange has done above- got his post in afore me!!) it. I'd have given that auction a go if it wasn't collect only!!

Cheers,
Dav

[setspeed]

Yep thats the one! Ive been sent a few more photos and to be honest the bike looks like its been through the wars - although i guess thats par for the course with a 12yrs old bike! I wanted something cheap to get back into mountain biking but dont want a cr*ppy bottom end 35lb behemoth which is pretty much all i can afford! I cant however afford to spend loads on repairs/drivetrain replacement either - so im hoping it will turn out ok, despite the poor cosmetic condition.
I only came across this forum as i was lookig for info on this bike - any idea what sort of weight it might be seller says 10kgs - thats 22.5lbs - sounds a lot lighter than i wouldve expected! Also geometry - what sort of top tube length on a 22" frame? I also have no idea what componentry changes have occurred in the last 15yrs - craksets seem to have gone from 5 bolt to 4 bolt during that time, and if the bike needs new mechs are they still the same fittings, or are compatible ones easily avaiiable? Brakes too - used to be cantilevers last time i was on a bike, are these still the same fittings as V-brakes?
Sorry if these are basic questions - i just want to get back into the sport cheaply as poss!

[setspeed]

Yep thats the one! Ive been sent a few more photos and to be honest the bike looks like its been through the wars - although i guess thats par for the course with a 12yrs old bike! I wanted something cheap to get back into mountain biking but dont want a cr*ppy bottom end 35lb behemoth which is pretty much all i can afford! I cant however afford to spend loads on repairs/drivetrain replacement either - so im hoping it will turn out ok, despite the poor cosmetic condition.
I only came across this forum as i was lookig for info on this bike - any idea what sort of weight it might be seller says 10kgs - thats 22.5lbs - sounds a lot lighter than i wouldve expected! Also geometry - what sort of top tube length on a 22" frame? I also have no idea what componentry changes have occurred in the last 15yrs - craksets seem to have gone from 5 bolt to 4 bolt during that time, and if the bike needs new mechs are they still the same fittings, or are compatible ones easily avaiiable? Brakes too - used to be cantilevers last time i was on a bike, are these still the same fittings as V-brakes?
Sorry if these are basic questions - i just want to get back into the sport cheaply as poss!

[orange]

A bike like that can be brought down to 22.5lbs (at cost!) but it's more likely to be around 26-28lbs by the looks of it. It never came in a 22", but the 20" frame has a top tube of 592mm centre to centre according to my chart for the Proflex 856 which has a similar geometry.

Front mechs shouldn't be a problem nor cranks for replacements all pretty standard. You'll need a bottom pull front mech can't remember the diameter though. I think you can get away with either top swing or standard style.

Brakes - you can go with canti's but v-brakes will go nicely (cable routing can be slightly a problem as you find the noodle gets in the way of your heels if you're not careful, but mine run ok). Talking of which here's a pic of my 855 as it is a similar frame. Go buy it - doesn't matter if it looks a bit beaten up - they look the mutts nuts when tidied. Especially the Vector forks with a bit of aluminium polish - the frame will come up nicely on yours too as it's the raw one (you may need to treat it to some lacquer after though to preserve the finish or re-polish every once in a while!!). It may cost a bit to deal with your shocks - that'll be the biggest outlay possibly, but if you're prepared to stick with elastomers it may be as little as £40 or so. Keep us in touch!

[setspeed]

Nice one - thanks for all your advice! Im gonna check it out and hopefully be joining the Proflex crew soon! Anyone else with further advice to add. please put it on here - i'll keep watching.

[setspeed]

I know nothing about the difference between elastomer and coil shocks - can someone explain what sort of ride i can expect with elastomers (espcially on the forks), is it still a decent ride by todays standards? Im worried that perhaps i should go for a modern bike with a normal sus fork - but its likely to be a cr*p fork with the money i have to spend....

[orange]

I guess you have to think of having a proflex as a little bit like having a classic car - you need to put in a bit of investment to get it up to scratch, but once there it'll perform with most things nowadays. Still a very decent ride and attaining a light bike for full suspension is very possible even by today's standards. And besides one reason I think all of us here have them is they are a bit different and way ahead of their time - it's nice to stand out and have people comment on the Vectors etc!

Some parts are tricky to come by, but not impossible.

Never had working elastomers on any of my bikes - all were second hand with elastomers that had become hard with age. From what I understand though they have quite a non-linear feel i.e. they are soft at first as you compress them then they get harder increasingly as you reach the most compression - springs tend to be the same all the way through compression. Elastomers are of course lighter in weight if that's your bottom line.

The Vectors in the bike you are looking at by the way are the older style where you have an integrated stem - notice on mine choice of stem is up to me. Elastomers there are friction damped in that 955's Vectors - meaning if you want coils you'll need to change to an oil damped shock unit which will cost a bit of money if you can track one down.

Bottom line: you will need to spend some money on it to get it up to scratch, which may in the end be the equal of the cost of a more modern bike. But ultimately it's what floats your boat. Just like classic cars vs modern ones really.

[shovelon]

Yep thats the one! Ive been sent a few more photos and to be honest the bike looks like its been through the wars - although i guess thats par for the course with a 12yrs old bike! I wanted something cheap to get back into mountain biking but dont want a cr*ppy bottom end 35lb behemoth which is pretty much all i can afford! I cant however afford to spend loads on repairs/drivetrain replacement either - so im hoping it will turn out ok, despite the poor cosmetic condition.
I only came across this forum as i was lookig for info on this bike - any idea what sort of weight it might be seller says 10kgs - thats 22.5lbs - sounds a lot lighter than i wouldve expected! Also geometry - what sort of top tube length on a 22" frame? I also have no idea what componentry changes have occurred in the last 15yrs - craksets seem to have gone from 5 bolt to 4 bolt during that time, and if the bike needs new mechs are they still the same fittings, or are compatible ones easily avaiiable? Brakes too - used to be cantilevers last time i was on a bike, are these still the same fittings as V-brakes?
Sorry if these are basic questions - i just want to get back into the sport cheaply as poss!

The claim of 22.5 lbs is possible because the elastomer friction shocks are light as possible. I think they work pretty good with a fresh set of sponges(elastomers), fast action is what I mean. I will bet these are spent.

That bike was top of the line, and built very light back then. The pink headset could be a Chris King, and other components could be upgrades like the brakes.

With a tuneup, and later upgrades this bike is a very nice trail bike.

Terry

[willem]

Hmmm... advice...? Buy it! While "Mountain Bike Action" here in the US is drooling all over the latest $3,500 single pivot bikes from Santa Cruz and others, the old Proflex's deliver nearly the same dynamics and geometry.
Yeah the shocks are shot, but that's a low dollar fix. If you're 12 stone or less, you may even want to stick with the elastomers for the long haul.

Once you get your teeth into the sport, you can find very inexpensive ways to upgrade that bike to race ready condition. And you'll learn some mechanical tricks too!