Please let the Supergo stories, remembrances, vignettes and anecdotes begin

Today I pulled my old original and correct Supergo Access MTB from 1987 out of the back room. Biopace chainrings! I'll tell the world!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/m69mvkutso...ccess.jpg?dl=0

On 2015-12-30 17:00, wrote:
Today I pulled my old original and correct Supergo Access MTB from 1987 out of the back room. Biopace chainrings! I'll tell the world!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/m69mvkutso...ccess.jpg?dl=0


Cool. That pump would probably get you stopped a lot by the authorities
these days. Looks like some mean weapon.

Why on earth did they place the rear brake behind the BB? WRT mud, dirt,
dung, water and all that this is one of the worst places to have a rim
brake caliper.

I still have my old Rockpoint MTB from the late 90's. Glad to have left
the era of rim brakes behind me but I kept it for biz trips and such. Or
when the main MTB is in the sick bay. But I do miss the old 7-speed
system. Cheap yet much more robust that the highfalutin 10-speed Deore
XT on the new MTB. Even after a smattering of decomposed granite
scrunched through there it always works.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On Wednesday, December 30, 2015 at 5:00:39 PM UTC-8, wrote:
Today I pulled my old original and correct Supergo Access MTB from 1987 out of the back room. Biopace chainrings! I'll tell the world!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/m69mvkutso...ccess.jpg?dl=0

I broke my amp b3 on a jump landing. twice. those things sucked.

Joerg wrote: Why on earth did they place the rear brake behind the BB? WRT mud, dirt, dung, water and all that this is one of the worst places to have a rim brake caliper.

Supergo did advance some reason as to why that was supposedly a really good place to mount the rear brake caliper, Joerg, but I can't remember what the hell the reason was.

Maybe Andrew will remember that.

On Wednesday, December 30, 2015 at 5:18:20 PM UTC-8, Joerg wrote:
On 2015-12-30 17:00, wrote:
Today I pulled my old original and correct Supergo Access MTB from 1987 out of the back room. Biopace chainrings! I'll tell the world!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/m69mvkutso...ccess.jpg?dl=0


Cool. That pump would probably get you stopped a lot by the authorities
these days. Looks like some mean weapon.

Why on earth did they place the rear brake behind the BB? WRT mud, dirt,
dung, water and all that this is one of the worst places to have a rim
brake caliper.

That rear U-brake placement was popular on the cheap mountain bikes that year. Bridgestone did the same thing, and in fact, the Supergo (fka Bikecology) Access looks just like a re-branded MB4. http://www.sheldonbrown.com/bridgest...ne-1988-08.htm

And you're right -- it was a mud and leaf collector and a bad design.

-- Jay Beattie.

On Wednesday, December 30, 2015 at 8:42:52 PM UTC-5, jbeattie wrote:
On Wednesday, December 30, 2015 at 5:18:20 PM UTC-8, Joerg wrote:
On 2015-12-30 17:00, wrote:
Today I pulled my old original and correct Supergo Access MTB from 1987 out of the back room. Biopace chainrings! I'll tell the world!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/m69mvkutso...ccess.jpg?dl=0


Cool. That pump would probably get you stopped a lot by the authorities
these days. Looks like some mean weapon.

Why on earth did they place the rear brake behind the BB? WRT mud, dirt,
dung, water and all that this is one of the worst places to have a rim
brake caliper.

That rear U-brake placement was popular on the cheap mountain bikes that year. Bridgestone did the same thing, and in fact, the Supergo (fka Bikecology) Access looks just like a re-branded MB4. http://www.sheldonbrown.com/bridgest...ne-1988-08.htm

And you're right -- it was a mud and leaf collector and a bad design.

-- Jay Beattie.

Roller cam brakes under the chainstays were even worse than U-brakes because you needed the brass rollers to turn to get the best braking.

I remember early Cannondal MTBs with the 26" front wheel, 24" rear wheel and U-brakes or roller cam brakes under the chainstays.

My single speed (niot a fixed gear) mtb has one along with a 12" long handlebar. It's great for getting through tight spaces!

Cheers

On Wednesday, December 30, 2015 at 8:00:39 PM UTC-5, wrote:
Today I pulled my old original and correct Supergo Access MTB from 1987 out of the back room. Biopace chainrings! I'll tell the world!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/m69mvkutso...ccess.jpg?dl=0

tires ?

Clean Gene inquired: "tires"?

You got me on that one, Gene! I forgot, the Bontrager knobbies aren't original, are they?

On 12/30/2015 7:18 PM, Joerg wrote:
On 2015-12-30 17:00, wrote:
Today I pulled my old original and correct Supergo Access
MTB from 1987 out of the back room. Biopace chainrings!
I'll tell the world!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/m69mvkutso...ccess.jpg?dl=0



Cool. That pump would probably get you stopped a lot by the
authorities these days. Looks like some mean weapon.

Why on earth did they place the rear brake behind the BB?
WRT mud, dirt, dung, water and all that this is one of the
worst places to have a rim brake caliper.

I still have my old Rockpoint MTB from the late 90's. Glad
to have left the era of rim brakes behind me but I kept it
for biz trips and such. Or when the main MTB is in the sick
bay. But I do miss the old 7-speed system. Cheap yet much
more robust that the highfalutin 10-speed Deore XT on the
new MTB. Even after a smattering of decomposed granite
scrunched through there it always works.


In my role as historian here, it's always true that 'nothing
changes fashion faster than fashion'.

Popular mid-1980s MTB designs with rear cantilevers suffered
from seat stay flex so the under-chainstays U-brake was
developed by Charlie Cunningham. Later popularized by
Shimano, Campagnolo and DiaCompe-Suntour with various small
permutations. Besides being mounted on the more substantial
chainstay, the brazed mounts are larger diameter as well.

and then - wait for it - yes! fashion changed and they all
but disappeared from offroad bikes in a few short years.

That brake design remains current on 20" freestyle bikes.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On 12/30/2015 7:42 PM, jbeattie wrote:
On Wednesday, December 30, 2015 at 5:18:20 PM UTC-8, Joerg wrote:
On 2015-12-30 17:00, wrote:
Today I pulled my old original and correct Supergo Access MTB from 1987 out of the back room. Biopace chainrings! I'll tell the world!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/m69mvkutso...ccess.jpg?dl=0


Cool. That pump would probably get you stopped a lot by the authorities
these days. Looks like some mean weapon.

Why on earth did they place the rear brake behind the BB? WRT mud, dirt,
dung, water and all that this is one of the worst places to have a rim
brake caliper.

That rear U-brake placement was popular on the cheap mountain bikes that year. Bridgestone did the same thing, and in fact, the Supergo (fka Bikecology) Access looks just like a re-branded MB4. http://www.sheldonbrown.com/bridgest...ne-1988-08.htm

And you're right -- it was a mud and leaf collector and a bad design.

-- Jay Beattie.


And not just "cheap mountain bikes".

Panasonic Team, Italian built Columbus tube Bianchis and
actually filleted by Tom Himself Ritcheys had the same brake
mounts.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971