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Land Shark Bicycles
Land Shark Bicycles was started in 1983 by John Slawta in his parent's 12'x12' tool shed in North Hollywood, CA1). Land Shark moved to Pacoima, CA a few year's later, and finally Medford/Talent, OR in 1991, where John Slawta continues to produce quality aluminum and carbon fiber complete bicycles.
John Slawta skipped art school to pursue his back yard hobby of making bicycles and applying his artistic talents on painting smoothly fillet brazed steel frames. Land Shark's greatest moment came when Andy Hampsten won the 1988 Giro d'Italia riding a John Slawta frame painted in Huffy livery, cementing Land Shark's reputation as a premier road cycling builder. He has also made bikes for Harrison Ford, Woody Harrelson, and the entire 7-11 team. His wife has won four National Titles on Land Sharks. Land Shark Bicycles was named after a 1975 SNL skit.
Land Shark is a one man business and John Slawta has built over 7,000 bikes himself, doing all welding, painting, assembling and shipping, usually making 225 bikes/year. He can produce a custom painted frame in a day but typically takes 6 weeks to produce an order. His record is nine fillet brazed bare frames in a day 2) and twenty-nine painted bikes delivered in a month. It is possible that he is the most prolific fillet brazing bicycle builder alive.
Resources:
John Slawta, 2008 handbuiltbicyclenews3)
Andy Hampsten, Gavia Pass, on his way to winning the 1988 Giro d'Italia
pinterest. See also: outsideonline
1983
Frame #5. Updated components, fillet brazed frame and stem, biplane forks, internal cables for the stem and top tube, brazed on shoulder straps 4), pirate motif stickers with at least five skulls and cross bones, rack mount bolts on top of the fork, two bottle cages on the down tube, bottle cage on the stem, brazed on front derailleur, integrated seatpost bolt. Paint scheme inspired by Pink Floyds Meddle album.
Pink Floyd Meddle album cover, amazon
1983
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1984
Frame #10, 24“ wheels, built for Jennifer Kraft Slawta. Possibly a 1983, given Slawta's frame building speed. Shimano XT M700 v1 derailleurs (1982-84), biplane fork, integrated Campy seatpost bolt, integrated cables in the stem and top tube, pump peg, shoulder strap braze-ons.
1984
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1986 Dirt Shark
Shimano M700 v2 (1985), u-brakes, Magura brakes, fillet brazed Tange Prestige frame, Shimano 600 headset, SunTour XC-II pedals (1983-87), Shimano FC-B124 crankset (1986-87).
1986 Dirt Shark
pedalroom
1987 Dirt Shark
#87387. Shimano Deore XT M730 derailleurs & cranks, Mavic Rando M4 rims, American Classic hubs, fillet brazed from Tange Prestige tubing.
1987 Dirt Shark
cultmtb
1988 Dirt Shark
1988 Dirt Shark Frame #88510. Shimano XT M730 (1986-88), M732 (1989), fillet brazed frame/stem/fork w/Tange Prestige tubing, internal top tube cabling.
1988 Dirt Shark
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1989 Dirt Shark
Full Campy Euclid (1988/9 thus), original Mavic RM-20 rims w/new tires.
1989 Dirt Shark
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1990 Dirt Shark
1990 Dirt Shark Shimano XT M732 (1989), fillet brazed frame/stem/fork w/Tange Prestige tubing, internal top tube cabling, custom pump. Frame #901091.
1991 Dirt Shark
Unknown rear derailleur, but probably a Shimano MT-60a front crankset (1990).
fillet brazed frame/fork, internal top tube cabling.
“Smell the bacon” decal.
1991 Dirt Shark
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1992 Dirt Shark
Pirate decals, and blinged beyond recognition - but the paint remains. Fillet brazed frame/fork/stem, internal top tube cabling. Tange Prestige tubing.
1992 MTB
pinkbike
1)
Address verification from: https://www.truepeoplesearch.com/find/person/pxnl484ll86u4ruu9n8r9 and date verification from Land Shark Bicycles website: https://landsharkbicycles.com/ and https://www.buzzsprout.com/1968180/episodes/10763030-this-time-we-have-john-slawta-mr-land-shark-custom-bike-builder.
2)
That day was followed by a night ride