Kirk.....

[the other Steve Dennis]

Anyone remember Kirk bike frames from the late 1980's?

Basically the frams was made using I-Beams instead of tubing, maybe they were even cast as single pieces?

Anyone just curious, would love to see one - to see if you can still but them even - if they lasted....

Have a ball at Good Friday you lucky people.

[Jon H]

Yeah, I remember them, they were cast magnesium if I remember correctly. They still crop up on ebay from time to time.

[Elliot M]

I very nearly bought a Kirk Revolution as my first MTB in 1991 or 2. Went for a Kona instead. They were renowned for being extremely heavy - rumoured that some parts of the frame were actually solid metal rather than hollow. They do fetch a bit of a premium for curiosity value. I think the Dutch TVM rode the road version for one season. I see a guy riding round Brixton on one and have considered offering him £50...

edit: here's a road example:
http://www.firstflightbikes.com/KirkPrecision.html

[the other Steve Dennis]

thanks guys - i never would have remembered the magic search criteria 'precision'.

wonder how heavy - wonder if still legal?

[Brian Robinson]

I'm sure I remember seeing the frame being tested on TV (circa 87/88?). A car drove over the top of it whilst laid on the floor without any apparent damage.

Pity about the aesthetics!!

Bri

[Elliot M]

Done a bit of digging around on the retrobike.co.uk forum

catalogue scans:

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... light=kirk

MTB frame on ebay.co.uk right now:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Kirk-Magnesium-MT ... dZViewItem

[Elliot M]

Vraiment c'est l'homme <<retro-vtt>> Garde!

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/?p=25

[sylv]

I carried that Ibis frame on my back with camping gear and all riding back from Brittany last year! That's the one I'll be using for Beastway, 13-year old frame yeah

Grahame's now got a nice steel one too, to be repainted in a dark shade of blue.

[BrendanM]

I bought a Kirk Precision MTB frameset at a cycle jumble 2 weeks ago.

Its been badly painted but seems OK structuraly.
I need to get a 36mm seat tube clamp and a 135 oln rear MTB wheel before I can assemble it. Might use a 'jubilee clip' initially.

I'll raid my 'spares bin' for the rest.
I've read that they can crack and become unrepairable so I won't be chucking it around.

The frame alone weighs 3Kg.