mtb-timeline

Grove Innovations

Bill Grove started Grove Innovations in 1984 next to State College, PA., in his parents' basement. He started selling frames in 1982 while moonlighting from Hutch BMX, before setting out on his own selling custom frames, bars, stems and other components. His earliest MTBs were likely made in 1984/5, but the earliest picture found for this timeline is dated 1986. Grove established a reputation for solid, custom bikes for extreme riding for larger riders. And flashy paint jobs. Bill Grove also build most of the frames for Brave Racing Cycles. Grove also made handicapped racing skis, wheelchairs, scooters and cranksets. Grove Innovations dissolved in 2000.

As with many treasured, well built bikes meant to used hard, most example Grove Innovation MTBs have likely been rebuilt or repainted. Groves serial numbers include the date, so the timeline is somewhat certain. But the components are often not original.

Resources:

• https://groovycycleworks.blogspot.com/2013/10/vintage-grove-innovations-pics.html
• https://mombatbicycles.com/MOMBAT/BikeHistoryPages/Grove.html
• https://web.archive.org/web/20110207211740/https://www.purplelizard.com/GIintro.htm
• https://www.mtbr.com/threads/grove-innovations-questions-for-the-historians.528879/

Track bike, ca. 1995. theradavist

Bill Grove, Dirt Rag magazine, May 1990
retrobike

1986 Assault

SunTour XC 3 pulley (1985-86), u-brakes rear, steel lugged frame, roller-cam? brakes mounted on chainstays. Original owner, raced many seasons on this frame, which was repainted four times by Grove.

1986 Assault retrobike

1987 Grove X

“Single spine tube”, Shimano Deore XT M730 (1986-88), Bullseye cranks, Off Road flex stem, u-brakes rear (XT?) and front (mystery brand, WTB?, widget type?).

1987 Grove X mtbr

1988 Assault

Shimano XT M730 (1986-88) rear, M732 front (replacement?), with XT u-brakes rear, XT cantilevers front, Hammerhead stem & bars.

1988 Assault cultmtb facebook

1989 Hard Core

Shimano XT M732 (1989), Hammerhead bars, horizontal rear dropouts.

1989 Hard Core theradavist

1990 Assault

Clown paint scheme. Deore M732 (1989) derailleurs, XT cantilever front, XT u-brake rear mounted on seatstays, Grove Hammerhead stem/bar combo, Bontrager composite fork, Grove Hot Rod cranks, Grove bottom bracket.

Splatter and crackle detail mombat

1990 Assault mombat

1991 Hard Core

Freeride style frame with oversized tubing, tall BB, horizontal dropouts.. Repainted by Bill Grove in 2012 and refurbished with mostly correct parts. Grove Hard Core forks, M735 group set.

1991 Hard Core theradavist

1992 Ti Full Suspension

14“ bottom bracket height. Rebuilt. XTR groupset (1991 thus.) Fox Alps rear shocks, Manitou 1 front fork. Horst linkage dual pivots on chainstay.

1992 Ti Full Suspension freezethaw facebook

1993 Titanium

Painted Ti frame, Shimano Deore LX 560 (1993-94) groupset, Manitou Mach 5 SX forks, Sugino Impel crankset.

1993 Titanium freezethaw facebook

1994 Custom

All original parts, never ridden. Control Stix bar ends, Tange Struts Gs front suspension fork, mix of Shimano XT M732 (1989) and Deore LX (1993-94) components, original Panaracer Smoke & Dart tires. July 1994 date code on BB. Very tall bottom bracket.

1994 Custom freezethaw facebook

1995 Assault

Shimano STX (1994 thus,) with some Altus. Surprisingly low end parts on a high end frame: “At the end, GI and the Bicycle Shop were just trying to clear them out so many left the shop with low end builds at highly discount prices to just get them out.” Horizontal rear dropouts, small frame, Hammerhead stem. Not in great shape: “literally dug it out of the ground complete with weeds still attached. ”

1995 Assault secondspincycles facebook