While the rest of the blogging world celebrate the accolades showered over Bishop Bikes for their exemplary track-based creations, old-school mountain bikers may rejoice: Chris Bishop still has your best interests at heart. During the late 80s and early 90s, if you couldn’t afford an Intense M1, Tomac 204, GT STS or Giant ATX DH1, you would settle for, as a dream bike, a steel single speed frame fronted by a pair of Marzocchi Z1 forks which would carry you through a cross country, dual slalom or downhill race on Any Given Sunday.
Well, the Bishop Bikes Green Machine is, after all these years, still where it’s at. Avid Arch Supremes, an Azonic Shorty stem and an over-gusseted steel frame is all that’s needed for a world-full of fun for the purist dirt-bicycle enthusiast. Chris has even specified a pair of three-piece BMX cranks to the drive train: a technical possibility that was discussed after many an afternoon session, back in the day. Really, who needs a carbon-fiber frame, or even disc brakes? In fact, those fancy forks could suitably be replaced by a pair of proprietary Bishop Bikes rigid steel forks. Keep it simple, stupid.
