DiamondBack Apex 1991

Someone listed a DiamondBack Apex 1991 for relatively cheap, but it was far away. I don’t like getting whole bikes shipped usually, because pretty much all Hungarian parcel sending services lack any sense of decency, and they treat packages like bags of trash. But as it turned out, this one was worth risking. I saw this guy’s ads before, he posts regularly, and he’s a trusted seller, so I pulled trigger.

Upon arrival I inspected the bike thoroughly and I was flabbergasted. The overall condition of the components was too good. It had mostly the stock factory specs, which meant a full Shimano Deore DX 3×7 set and Avenir finishing kit. I don’t recall ever seeing a DX set this nice, maybe on catalog images. I was quite sure (I still am), that this bike was bought, customized a bit, ridden for some 50 kilometers, then it was put away in the deepest part of a garage for the better part of the last 29 years. It had some dust and a few layers of cobwebs here and there, and that’s it. Pristine.

This was definitely one of the quickest and smoothest projects of my tinkering life. I’ve ordered a set of new 3×7 STIs, some V-brakes, grips, tyres and cabling, and it was good to go.

I had some initial fears about the handlebar, but it turned out to be perfect. This is a comfy, straight-back, go-getter townie bike after all, and it doesn’t need anything fancy. I had a Specialized saddle laying around from my ’94 RockHopper, and it was time to use it. I think it works with the rest of the bike.

And it was done! Shifting is great, braking is over the top, handling’s as you’d expect from a retro MTB with grandma bars on it. The bike’s pretty light for what it is, but it surely is indestructible.

Components Table