Digging around in my parents garage over Christmas I found my old Overbury's Peak Finder, bought in about 1985 for £400 (a fortune back then, much paper round money!).
It had a flat, but was otherwise in pretty good nick, and I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was to ride. As soon as I have some spare cash I'll get it fully serviced, maybe even a respray.
I just wondered if anybody else had one, do Overbury's still make mountainbikes?
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 Dribble, drool, dribble.
Don't suppose you want to sell it do you?
Overbury's I seem to remember were based in Bristol, and built some of the earliest top end UK mountain bikes, around the same time as the likes of Bromwich.
Anyone else have any good garage finds recently?
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Yes, it was a tiny little shop in St.Pauls, crammed with amazing bikes. I remember being fascinated at the time by their top of the range MTB. It looked like aliens had built it because it had a sloping top tube!
They made really good racing bikes as well, but under a different name.
Sorry, I don't want to sell it though...too many memories!
I'd like to get a new coat of paint on it, but I dont want to lose the Reynolds 531 All Terrain stickers...(how sad is that?)
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I'd go to someone like Argos or Chas Roberts for the paintjob. You can probably get spare stickers from Reynolds, and I'm sure somewhere woudl be able to redo the original Overburys stickers for you as well.
Good luck with that, and I'm more than a bit jealous!
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Still have my peakfinder - bought in 1984 - has been re-enamelled twice - managed to get transfers from Overbury's before they closed - 531 transfers are available from reynolds if you write to them.
The Peakfinder was the non biopace version of the cross-fell. The later Pioneer was the first sloping top tube bike ever - hence the name.
Mine is in bits now pending rebuild if I can find a suitable groupset etc. Still think those springy forks take some beating - my rigid Orange P7 feels harsh by comparison.
At the time, Overburys were way ahead of muddy fox, saracen, specialized who were the only other choices - 20 years ago now !!!
Paul W
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 I had a Saturday job in Overbury's
That was before mountain bikes 1979-1981. It was a great shop the St Pauls riots made a bit of a mess of the place. Funny thing was the new shop front was much better for displays afterwards and lots of the old pattern Campag stuff got nicked which was ok as the insurance paid for new stock IIRC.
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 I remember seeing in old MBUK mags a riding techniques section where the guy who did the display pics rode an Overburys,got a beard,John Lloyd was it?I'm not sure.It was way back in 91.
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I still have one in my garage which is now used for commuter dutys. I dont know what year it is but it has biopace on it. I tihnk its around 1985.
I think Overburys still is around but its run my some dotty old bat (old owners wife) and shes very rude when you phone up.
Does anyone know how to find a frame number on the bike>
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 I remember some bristol based riding mates in the late 80s had Overburys bikes. Very nice stuff at the time, and as others noted right at the forefront of frame design and paint colours. My early Dawes 'ATB' was positively uncool in comparision, as were most of the other early British bikes from the likes of ridgeback, saracen and muddy fox.
Shame they vanished, maybe a good name to use for resurection as a UK micro brand in the manner of cotic and on one?
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hi all im a new member, only joined to let you know i purchased an overburys from bristol .i travelled from derbyshire on the train with my cousin and took one out for ten minutes and was immediately hooked...cant think what model it was but i had suntour xc shifters fitted as extras...it cost me £400 about 21 years ago the shop was really helpful shame if its folded as they were the bees knees...will add a photo if i can find one...sold it though when i stated driving wish i hadnt it would still out do anything built today .
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 6 year old thread this one... Think there's only 1 person still a member! Still, welcome!
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Every now and again I get nostalgic for the ol' days and do a search - stumbled across this post and so have joined to add my bit.... Had a Overbury Pioneer - had coveted one from the early days - the frame was a mixed tube set - mainly Columbus. Really high BB and very short chain stays - my spec - found it very responsive, smooth and to my mind a lovely ride - Quite few tried it and purchased off the back but with the less aggressive frame geo that Overbury normally built. WTB roller cam brakes front and rear with a Chris "egg rings" Bell custom cam plate for the rear. WTB roller cams used to break the brazing and bend normal frames - not on an Overbury though. Campag throughout with one of Chris's egg rings on the inner. Mavic sealed BB and Headset. Marzochi (dodgy spelling) air forks on the front. Andy (owner/owner's son) built the wheels Mavic rims on Dura ace hubs - lovely. Crashed the bike and wound up in hospital which coincided with an unpleasant period in my life and as a result I lost the frame. Still got the Campag drivetrain and Andy's wheels though - If they're still around - I think they are - and you're looking for something built specially for you then get hold of Andy who was/is a genius when it came to bikes. Yep I'm still a major fan after all these years....
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Hi all i still use my Overburys every day not found another bike as smooth and easy to ride.The paint is in need of respray... mine is a yellow Pioneer with shimano Diore XT2 gear.I changed the old leather saddle they put on it about a month after buying it.My son has an all singing and dancing Saracen cost a fortune and i still rate the Overburys.Perhaps a club should be arranged for all the bikes to see each other again.
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I've also just joined after finding this thread, lol. I had an Overburys Pioneer in around 88/89. I got the train from Brighton to Bristol to test ride one, and the Overburys guys gave myself and a friend a lift up to the hills somewhere outside Bristol to ride around for a bit then cycle back to the shop. I fell in love, so ordered one.. I think it was about £1200. In 1988! Ouch!
After an 8 month wait for it to be built, it was finally ready and I went to collect it. It was awesome - 16 inch neon pink (!) and black Tange Prestiege frame, XT groupset etc etc. Totally loved it! About a year later it was stolen, ironically on my next visit back to Bristol, from outside a pizza shop in Bedminster  I hope the thief appreciated what he was riding, either that or got knocked down by a bus..
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6 year old thread this one... Think there's only 1 person still a member! Still, welcome! Well AFAIK Charlie T is still a member & obviously so am I 
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I have got a overbury's pioneer! It came to me recently at a bargain price as the guy selling it thought it was a bit "old fashioned". I suppose he was right in some respects, Rigid frame and forks (columbus), A mere 7 gears (shimano Deore), an ancient bio-pace chainset, Boring old Deore/SLR canti brakes, Black Mavic rims on Deore Quick release hubs. Yes it is a bit dated but it is so light compared to some of the monsters out today! And the workmanship on the frame is just so special. It's a shame I'm a "road bike" man so it won't get ridden much now. Anyone interested in a purchase? Pics available.
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Hi Peter, Excuse my ignorance, but is the pioneer and out and out mountain bike? I really want something hybrid-like but I have fond memories of the shop and the staff. Have you a price in mind? By the way, Overbury's is still open, but whether they still make bikes is another question. I'll pop down and ask. And the lady in there wasn't ever dotty, she was lovely and if she was grumpy on the phone well, I forgiver her!
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Hi Ben, The pioneer I have is a definate mountain bike, 26"x 2" type wheels, nobbly tyres. The brakes are set up for that size wheel so you can't just substitute a set of 700s. I suppose you could fit slick tyres but it would be a very wide profile compared to a 700x35 hybrid tyre. Raleigh made a hybrid Pioneer but that was a very poor imitation of this bike, gas pipe frame etc, no comparisson realy. If its a hybrid you want you best look elsewhere as this probably wouldn't suit.
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Sounds the business! I'm a bit old and knackered to be taking up that kind of stuff. Thanks though. I was shown a Trek at Mud Dock. A 7.5 for around £500. Wasn't hugely impressed, to be honest. I'll venture onto the newby bit of the forum and sound out the wise.
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Blimey - this all takes me back! I've still got my Overburys - a 17" Pioneer with sloping top tube in neon pink. Fantastic bike. The old ads in MBUK where brilliant too, and I remember drooling over them for months whilst riding an old Muddy Fox Courier. I bought it in 1988 for about £700 I think, got the train from Cambridge to Bristol and after a 10 minute ride was totally hooked. Way ahead of its time and still nothing climbs like it. I've been over the alps and down to Southern Italy on it and have some brilliant memories. I rebuilt it about 5 years ago with Magura 33 hydraulic brakes, Sram 0.9 and FSA bits finished off with a new enamel job keeping the pink. I was wondering whether to make it into a single speed. My other half thinks I've got too many bikes...
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