Mantis XCR-EC Elevated Frame: 1 of 4 w/ Alloy Welded Rear End! 18" - Polished - 1990's - RARE

Own a piece of American mountain bike history! This one of only four known XCR Elevated Chainstay frames Richard Cunningham of Mantis built in the early 1990's (~1991-1993) that were fully aluminum construction, IE alloy main triangle with a welded on alloy rear end. Richard was toying around with these frames right before he sold the company in 1994. The production XCR-EC was "composite" design, not carbon fiber but a combination of two metals; alloy main triangle with a bolted on steel rear end. This fully aluminum version was the quite a bit lighter.  The "prototype" fully welded XCR-EC was red and literally stamped "Son of lord of Sphincter" as the frame number. The second was showed at the 1991 Interbike show, a small frame in Mantis Green. There's another green one in the hands of an Italian collector. 

Mantis was started by Richard Cunningham in 1981 in Placentia California. His first two bikes dropped in 1982, the Mantis Sherpa (fillet brazed) and Overland (TIG). In 1983 the originally fillet brazed XCR (Cross Country Racer) was released as their full out racing bike, relegating the Sherpa and Overland models to touring duty. A couple years later the XCR switched to composite design, and eventually acquired the elevated stay design that started by the Mantis Valkyrie X-Frame in 1989.

Condition

Excellent used shape, with lovely light patina! Great shiny polish. Zero dents or bends. Some scratching but nothing all that bad. A lovely show piece!

Details

• Frame number: XA18328
• seat tube: 18" center to top of seat tube
• Top tube: ~21.5"
• Head tube: 109mm
• Polished aluminum