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Hi Jim,

This is a real classic mountain bike from one of the last years before suspension. 1991 Shogun Prairie Breaker "Team Issue"

Was the top of the line Shogun, featuring a superbe Tange Prestige frame and fork, a full Shimano XT group and Araya RM17 rims. For six years, thrashed it up and down (legally!) the trails and limestome rocks of the Niagara Escarpment. Then decided that 60 year olds should be a little more risk aversive so replaced the knobblies with a pair of semi slick Cheng Shin 26 x 1.5's purchased for CAD$9 dollars each(!) at the Toronto Bike Show. Like the bike they seem virtually indestructable. Used the bike for general purpose and credit card touring for several years, then after lending it out for a time, discovered that the seat post had stuck -at the wrong height! Thought it might be the end of the line until, after trying everything else, I eventually decided to bite the bullet and try to saw it out. After four hours of solid effort it was finally free!!! (See photo) Now fitted with a new Kalloy seat post, together with a new headset and a bottom bracket, it's been reborn. It has always been great favorite of mine so I'm delighted.

In the final picture you can just make out the braze-on cable guides at the seat/top tube junction and the cable pulley at the bottom of the seat tube for the "over the bottom bracket" cable runs. Also note the plastic tubes over the cables. The matching water bottles were also standard issue.

The first shot was taken after its first outing in 1991 and the remainder today Jan 24th in -8 deg C conditions. I didn't mind. It was so nice to have my old friend back!

I now know why bike shops aren't interested in freeing up stuck seat posts!

Roy Bird

Ajax
Ontario

araby@rogers.com