Toronto’s Vintage MTB Show returns for its third year, bringing together collectors, riders and curious fans for a rare look at the machines that shaped modern mountain biking. Organized by Gremlins Bicycle Emporium in partnership with Boneshaker MTB, the event focuses on display rather than sales. A rolling museum of steel tubing, early suspension experiments and beautifully preserved relics from the sport’s formative decades.
“It’s been honestly a lot of fun,” organizer Aaron Greenhow says. “It’s given us a lot of good exposure and it’s a great thing for mountain biking culture and even just bike culture in general.”
Roughly 35 bikes are expected, spanning the late 1970s through the late 1990s. Here are three whips worth seeking out.
1981 Moots Mountaineer: the early blueprint
Aaron’s top pick is a 1981 Moots Mountaineer.
“That one’s my favourite,” he says. “It’s gonna be one of the first kind of production mountain bikes.”
With its distinctive brown paint, handmade details and experimental features, the bike captures a time when the sport had no rulebook. Clamp-on brake mounts, unusual frame shapes and one-off solutions were common as builders tried to solve problems riders hadn’t even fully defined yet.
It is less a polished product and more a snapshot of invention.
1994 Answer Manitou FS: full suspension before its time
From Gremlins’ own collection comes a 1994 Answer Manitou FS, a bike that looks like a prototype escaped into the wild.
The design essentially grafts suspension fork technology onto both ends of the frame. Visually dramatic and mechanically bold.
“It was really ahead of its time too,” Aaron says. “There’s nothing else of the era that really quite looked like it.”
Many originals cracked or disappeared, making surviving examples rare. Restored and functional, this one offers a glimpse at the awkward teenage years of full suspension development. When engineers knew where the sport was going but not yet how to get there.
1989 Brodie Romax: Canadian craftsmanship
Jake from Boneshaker MTB selected a 1989 Brodie Romax built by legendary Canadian designer Paul Brodie.
Finished in a striking camo pattern with period-correct Shimano components, the bike reflects a more mature stage of mountain bike design. Refined geometry, thoughtful cable routing and purposeful construction.
“It’s got classic Paul Brodie written all over it,” Aaron says, noting the builder’s machinist background…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…