Recycling the past: Specialized Expedition

Here’s John Ringham the night he joined dozens of people to pedal Bushwhacker’s bicycle inventory from the old Metro Centre store to the new Junction City building. This is his personal bike: an early 1980s Specialized Expedition, complete with wingnut-secured Kirtland handlebar bag.

If Specialized reissued a modern version of this touring machine, it would sell them in no time. Note the three water bottle cages, hill-busting granny gear, chain stay-mounted generator (it’s below that plate that looks like it should bolt to a kickstand) and historic black-plate Vitesse Cycle Shop sticker. The front wheel has 36 spokes; the rear, 40.

Time travelers rejoice. The SunTour MounTech derailleur–Disraeli Gears says it was the first derailleur designed for a mountain bike–is still on the job. Sure, it’s the first thing I’d replace, but it is a beautifully sculpted piece.

The bike’s ready for indoor training, too. Here’s the bracket for the Racermate wind trainer. Remove the Expedition’s rear rack, fit the Racermate fan assembly to the bracket (the fan rolls on top of the rear wheel) and attach the bicycle to a stationary base.

A couple of parts survive simply because they’ve never been given a decent funeral. I’d put these popcorn gum hoods in that category.

Other components soldier on because they were built to last, like the SunTour bar-end shifters, or forgot to wear out, like the Grab On-style foam grips (but surely those aren’t original to the 1980s, are they, John?)

And, oh yeah, I still want an Expedition. Maybe something around a 54-centimeter frame?