1985 Muddy Fox Courier shop run bike...

 

A friend asked what my best bike is... I smiled and replied probably that one outside and pointed out the shop door...

Your expecting me to say my original Surly Pugsley Fatbike?... as I clearly have had a lot more fun on these Fatbikes than previous mountain bikes...

I would most deftinitly say a  steel Fatbike if you had asked me what my FAVOURITE  bike is, and it is probably one of the recent Surly`s I have owned in the last 13 years, maybe the original Pugsley, or the new Pugsley 2.0, or The Big Surly Moonlander? great memories of days exploring new ground on the coast at low tide on that ground breaking Fatbike... Or the Surly Krampus? - 29+ single track thrashing fun...or the Surly ECR for bike packing?... or the Surly Wednesday? -  which I still have which covers the last two Surly bikes mentioned nowadays...                                                                                               

All these bikes have cost a few quid to build,                                                                                             The most expensive bike I have ever bought was a new Devinci Downhill bike about 18 years ago at £2650...  then the Surly Moonlander at £2200...

But here is the cheapest to buy and run bike that I use more often than any other... I picked this up for £60 via eBay just after I moved to my previous house 11 years ago and still use it for errand duties...                a 1987 Muddy Fox Courier... it has been untouched and mostly all original spec despite over 35 years old and is cycled a few days a week to the shops and around town, and has only had £25 spent on it on new tyres in the last couple of years...

It arrived as an ex London Courier bike in 2010 via eBay with drop bars, shot tyres and brake shoes...

Remarkably it still had its original Suntour thumb shifters  mounted on the top of the drop bars!

But also it still had all the original Suntour Groupset including hub Ukai rim wheels and Dia Compe Canti brakes - not the rubbish later mountain bikes started coming supplied with but 90 degree to the Frame Canti lever brakes that were and still are powerful for cable brakes...

A bit patina but nice details...

It came with a period mid 80`s  Wonderlight, remember those?...

Some old Saracen Moosebars turned it into a commuter with mudguards and a rack added for panniers...

Muddy Fox must have sold  loads of these bikes in the mid 1980`s and I remember them everywhere in Edinburgh... they were a revelation for commuting with mountain bike  features, and they were built to last with parts that were strong - not skimped on alloy machining of the hubs and group set, gears and brakes were all strong... 

Most of them had those yellow and black wheel covers on the back wheel. I would end up picking up a pair of them a few years ago at Singlespeed Euro championships and should fit them...

It became a daily commuter bike for 6 years with mudguards added and I ground off the worn teeth on the big chainring to make it a chain guard and once the mountain bike tyres wore out some puncture resistant Schwalbe tyres and new chain were added... And it has remained like that untouched for the last 3 years...

Best bit is this... this bike resides outdoors and nothing original has ever seized...  A seat cover on the leather saddle and wet lube on the chain and it locks with a Dutch style horseshoe lock on the rear seat stay... ready to jump on to go to the shops or around town...  

Surface rustproofed with Lanoguard;                                                                                                         A recent spray all over with Lanoguard will no doubt keep the surface rust at bay and protect the Patina... 

This bike has cost near nothing... what bikes should be... cheap transport and  affordable to everyone and long lasting, strong and reliable, not stupid every changing bike standard hub sizes that change in width and axle diameter every other year, or a bike so valuable your scared to leave it unattended outside a shop even if locked etc...  these are all things I like about my original Surly Pugsley design concept, which works with bikes like this Muddy Fox from the early days of mountain bikes...

For commuting and cost per mile it is brilliant... but don't go off-roading on it as the geometry may well be great for taking panniers and loads  but the steering is razor quick and you will probably end up losing your front teeth! lol...   best use the Surly`s for that job!...

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