This week’s Readers’ Rides comes from Ron in NorCal and is probably older than a lot of this website’s readers (myself included). Check out his 1979 Cook Brothers Cruiser below!

I am the second owner of this 1979 Cook Bros cruiser.

This bike was raced in all the early Whiskeytown downhill events, with Bob Edwards, finishing among the pioneers of the NorCal mountain bike scene. With all the advancements in design, Bob was ready to unload the frame and some parts for 100 dollars in 1987.

I had been riding one-speed cobbled bikes because of cost and simplicity’s sake. We all wanted multi-geared bikes at this point and it seemed that single speed was no longer a thing. I built the bike as you see it in the winter of 1987. Coming from a long history of riding, I started on a resto-mod restore.

I scoured all the bike shops in the Sacramento valley and the foothills for new old stock. This bike has history leaking from every one of its proto, and homemade parts on it.

-The frame: 1979 cook bros, no serial number. The braze-on Canti mounts were brazed by Craig Smith. Craig was noted to be the first guy from Sacramento to compete in the Repack Downhill.
-The fork: Not a cook bros. fork. This fork has baffled many experts. It’s not a champion or BMX fork. There was a report of DKG making a batch of forks to be sold through Koski in 1979/80. This would be pre-trail master.
-The wheels: I had these custom-built by Steve Sanchez, owner of Adventure Mountain bikes.
-Hubs: Suntour Superb 9000, 32 hole
-Rims: Bontrager “cut down” Mavic MA-2, provided by Bob Ward and the REI clearance bin. Nobody knew what to do with 32 hole rims! Too early.
-Quick release Campy steel with serrated washers on rear wheel.
-Brakes: Mafac with Tommaselli levers and tandem cables
-Cranks CQP 181mm, DID chain 32×16
-Seat post: homemade GT cromo epoxyed to an Elite top with WTB saddle
-Other frame details: Campy cable clamps, TA alloy bottle cage. Bottle mounts, brake bridge by Steve Rex.

I raced this bike in NorCal SS events for many years and still consider this bike a daily driver.

I hope you enjoy this bike, as it’s given me so much pleasure.

 

We’d like to thank all of you who have submitted Readers Rides builds to be shared over here. The response has been incredible and we have so many to share over the next few months. Feel free to submit your bike, listing details, components, and other information. You can also include a portrait of yourself with your bike and your Instagram account! Please, shoot landscape-orientation photos, not portrait. Thanks!