Here is my first Moutain Bike, I think its from 1989, but may be wrong. Its a Nishiki Manitoba. I remember saving up along time to purchase this one.
One of my parents friends that lived a few blocks away had about a 2 acre lot, and was putting up a rustic fence. I spent a portion of the summer with a manual post hole digger, and he payed me per hole. (I probally only got about 4 holes done a day, but that adds up in time)
I'm not even sure how I've managed to hold on to it for so long since most of the bikes that came after this one have been long gone This one does not even fit me anymore, and hasn't for over 25 years. But somehow it has survived. If it makes it a few more years, I could probably give it to my nephew. (It would be great if I could give him the same fence deal, but today that would probably land me in trouble for abuse). This bike was eventually replaced with a Klein that Is now long gone. I think that saddle may have been OEM Equipment on my Klein, maybe not. It definatley came on one of my bikes, and I remember I always hated it. It also has crank arms from two different brands, After a crash I damaged just one arm, and went into the local bike shop, the owner was able to sell me just 1/2 a crank from a different brand (I bet that would not happen today).
I remember about 7-8 years later I went back to the same shop, I was looking for a carbon fiber fork, and the same owner qouted me a price, I told him I've been shopping around and went to three other shops, and got a better price, and asked if he could beat it. He obviously did not remember me, and kicked me out of shop. I had bought at least 2-3 bikes from him in the past. I was kind of shocked, but he must have been under tuff times and I now understand. He went out of buisness not to long after.
I'm surprised, looking it over it's still in pretty good shape. In my younger years I was a little compulsive, and would thoughly wash my moutain bikes imediately after each ride. This trait unforchantly contnued with my first two cars, and they would get hand waxed about once a week.
I just phisically picked this bike up for the first time in about 10 years, and see it actually has a "Made in the USA" sticker on it, could that be right? I would have thought Japan. I just now remebered why I bought the Ritchey tire, I did a huge skid to impress some freinds, and ended up blowing the back tire that came on the bike.
Sometime in the past I converted it to a single speed and tossed on some worn out v-brakes as the original componets were shot.
Looking back, I now think its even older than I first stated.
