1991 Steve Potts CCR

The cult of WTB and all things NorCal has long touted the work of one Steve Potts and some of the best there is. Of course like most good things one of Steve's bikes is not easy to get a hold. I was quite lucky when a good friend who happens to be up at night pointed out this bike on eBay in a very attractively priced auction. The bike was being sold as local pickup only, and it just so happened I was travelling to that part of the country the following week. This is how I found the bike living in North Carolina, still with the original owner.

Although the build left a lot to be desired all the important parts were there (Potts Type II fork and stem, WTB roller cam brakes) and it's easy to see that this serious race machine was just waiting to be put back on the trail. I had been saving some WTB parts for just such an occasion and had visions of an all WTB equipped build. Seems like something that any fan of vintage mountain bikes should do at some point in time. In the end the only part I wasn't quite able to source was the WTB fixed angle seat post. The final build which I raced this past weekend at the Keyesville classic consisted of Suntour XC-PRO drivetrain, Specialized forged cranks, WTB classic hubs on Bontrager rolled down MA40 rims, WTB Chris King headset, WTB Titanium handlebar, Suntour XC-PRO post, WTB SST saddle and Ritchey Megabite Z-Max WCS 2.35 tires.

This bike really just looks the part of a vintage race bike. What it lacks in flair and panache it makes up for in spades with elegant lines and subtle finishing touches. I'm a bit backlogged with my more formal ride reports, but I'll try to do that pretty soon. In short summary though, this is a really well balanced bike that feels very at home on smoother trails. I for one feel rather uncomfortable on it when things get a bit technical.

The WTB Ti bar came in days before Keyesville and was really the icing on an already pretty tasty cake.

This is one of my first Suntour XC-PRO equipped bikes, and either I'm not really good at setting up that specific brand of drivetrain or there is a reason it went out of production. I did eventually get it running, but was never really impressed with the overall performance.

These brakes are really something to behold. I think more than 50% of my bikes are now equipped with Roller Cam brakes and I am starting to really like them. Getting them dialed in is still something of an art form that I have yet to master, but I think I'm getting there.