Wasnt Proflex?

[jeffgothro]

I thought I read somewhere Proflex was the first company to make a true full suspention mountain bike?

[shovelon]

In an old article I recall that Proflex was claimed to market the first "production" mountain bike. The company was still called Offroad at the time and called this model the "Proflex".

Ah,  I think Thunderchild found it.

http://tinyurl.com/lmxgc

Here is mine.

[purple gerbil]

terry is right in what he say's....offroad was the first to bring full sus to the masses...
i have been with them since the start i rode offroad bikes before the proflex came along...(pro-am)&(master)
have a look over on retrobike.co.uk website and go to manufacturers and read there history...
i have ridden proflexes from proto-type to final product...
a friend worked at there wharehouse (ultrasport) and there shop (funsport) so i got exclusive test rides..
i test rode vectors on a 962 in 1992 and placed an order for the first on sale pair in the country £360
ex bunnyhop champ jez avery was there test machine...find him on the web cos you can still hire him to do a stunt display on mtb or motor cross...

[rapiddescent]

... and bob girvin owns nearly all the patents for single pivot suspension mountain bikes!!!

callum
rds

[jeffgothro]

Very cool thanks for the links and info. 

[Lysander]

Am I right in thinkin' that the Offroad 'Proflex', bein' a 1990 bike, was actually out in 1989? And thus the *50 bikes would have been 'officially' 1991 range but available in 1990- would they have been the first of the numbered bikes?

[purple gerbil]

it all got a bit difficult back then!!

89 was terry's bike (serotta)

90 was 550 blue-750 orange-950 green...dayglo swingarms with graphite grey alu main frames..

91 as above??

92 550 white cromo steel frame...552 blue-alu..752 red-alu...852-862-952-962 graphite grey alu and all had silver s/arms..the bikes in 14" sizes had thin alu main frames instead of the chunkier style!! and less travel..

the rest is as expected with the years bein the numbers until k2

[Lysander]

Aaaar!! I got my 550 in 1992............white with silver swingarm, so it's a 1992 bike right enough. Been puzzlin' me seeing the odd 550 here and there in different colours and with slightly different elastomer stacks.

Ta!