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1988 Cunningham Racer:

Charlie Cunningham has made a relatively few bikes (around 200?) over the years and they are highly sought after.   Charlie made many of the parts either by himself or through the company he co-founded, Wilderness Trail Bikes (WTB).  Pretty much everything on the bike is original (even the 105 rear derailleur with the 34 tooth freewheel cog) as listed on the build sheet that came with the bike.  We were lucky enough to get all the original paper work with the bike, including several pieces of correspondence with Charlie.  The original price of the bike was just shy of $4,000. 

Options included: fixed angle seat post, Type II fork, quick release brake kit, massaged WTB roller cam brakes, sloped top tube with oversize seat post, taper stem, Slo-Releases and full complement of Grease Guard components.

We took a fair number of pictures to help show some of the details of the bike.  Check 'em out below.

Brake crud deflector

Roller Cam brake w/ offset kit to allow the brake to open

Nicely sculpted drop out, Slo-Release

Top tube reinforcements

WTB Hub with radial laced spokes

Cunningham fixed angle post

Shimano 105 (yes it is original)

Filed seat tube intersection

Serial # 18C

Cunningham Taper stem, King headset

Click on thumbnails above for larger image.

 

Frame Aluminum
Fork Cunningham Type II
Rear Shock NA
Rims Mavic MA-40 cut down by Bontrager
Hubs WTB with Grease Guard
Spokes DT Stainless steel
Tires Specialized Ground Control S/Ground Control Extreme
Pedals Suntour XC Compe, Christophe clips, Binda straps
Crank Specialized double 44/34
Chain Sachs
Rear Cogs Suntour 6 speed w/ 34 tooth large cog
Bottom Bracket Cunningham pressed in cartridge bearing w/ Grease Guard
Front Derailleur Suntour Cyclone
Rear Derailleur Shimano 105
Shifters Shimano Deore 6 speed thumb shifter SL-M730
Handlebars Easton Hyper Lite (originally Specialized)
Stem Cunningham fillet Taper stem
Headset Chris King
Brake set Cunningham modified WTB Roller Cam with quick release kit for the front brake
Brake levers Suntour XC
Saddle Avocet
Seat Post Cunningham Fixed Angle
Colors natural
Size 15"
Serial #   18C


Parts marked with as * are known to be non-original parts.  Bikes were often customized at the time of purchase or were different as shown in the catalogs so exact specifications were subject to change.