mtb-timeline

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===== Lighthouse Cycles  Overview =====
Tim Neenan built mostly road frames and bikes from his shop in Santa Cruz. After designing a number of road frames for Specialized, he designed Specialized's first mountain bike, the [[https://mbaction.com/the-history-of-the-stumpjumper/|Stumpjumper]]. It is likely he made very few mountain bikes over his entire career. He certainly deserves his spot in the [[https://mmbhof.org/tim_neenan/|Mountain Bike Hall of Fame]]: <blockquote>"without [Neenan] guiding this first effort the entire launch of mountain bikes might have taken a very different track."<cite>[[https://mmbhof.org/tim_neenan/| mmbhof]]</cite></blockquote>
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{{neenan.jpg?400|Time Neenan}}
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Time Neenan [[https://www.jseephoto.com/Assignments/Lighthouse-Cycles/|jseephoto.com]]
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===== 1979 Chaparral =====
Supposedly the similarity to a Ritchey Everest is coincidental. Only small quantities produced over a few years.

<blockquote>I built the first Chaparral when I was living in Santa Barbara before moving up to San Jose to take a full-time design and sales position as the first Specialized employee. This was around 1979. The Chaparral was the prototype for what became the Stumpjumper.
<cite>
Tim Neenan, in [[https://mbaction.com/the-history-of-the-stumpjumper/|mbaction]]
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{{lighthouse.png?300|1979 Chaparral}}
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1979 Chaparral [[https://mbaction.com/the-history-of-the-stumpjumper/|mbaction]]
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===== 1981 Chaparral =====
If this is all original, except perhaps for the tires, then the date for this is 1980-81.  The shifters and handlebars are 1980+.  Some of the parts are much older and wouldn't make much sense to use in a world with SunTour MounTech (1982+) or Shimano XT (1982+).  The DuoPar was, according to [[https://www.disraeligears.co.uk/site/suntour_derailleurs_-_frank_berto_and_the_curse_of_duopar.html|Disraeli Gears]], "a fragile design", "disastrous", "distressing" and "incomprehensible."  Tim Neenan would never spec this on a MTB if better components were available.
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Fillet brazed by Tim Neenan.  SunTour Mighty Shifter II (1980-86), MAFAC brakes w/Matthauser finned brake shoes (1975-82), Huret Duopar rear derailleur (1975-80), Avocet touring cranks (??), Phil Wood hubs, Ritchey? fillet brazed bullmoose bars (1980-87).


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{{1981.jpg?300|1981 Chaparral }}
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1981 Chaparral
[[https://web.archive.org/web/20150905105352/http://velocult.com/bikes/lighthouse-mountain-bike-green/|archive of Velocult]]
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===== Designed by Tim Neenen =====
It is unknown how many mountain bikes Neenan ever put a torch to. But his name is stickered across more mountain bikes than any other: the Specialized Stumpjumper, Stumper Sport and the Sequoia. Plus his signature is on the Specialized Allez road bike and his own Lighthouse Cycles.
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{{designed.jpg?300|designed}}
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de-signed [[http://www.chiefcyclery.com/content/2016/8/9/beautifulbicycletimneenandesignedspecializedsequoia|chiefcyclery]]
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===== 2013 Lighthouse mountain bike =====
A 2013 Lighthouse custom mountain frame. They exist. 
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{{max.jpg?300|max}}
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2013 Lighthouse [[http://columbusmaxbikes.blogspot.com/search/label/Lighthouse|columbusmaxbikes]]
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==== Production Notes ====
<WRAP #prod1 />
[1]. First bike in 1979: [[https://mbaction.com/the-history-of-the-stumpjumper/|mbaction.com]]
<WRAP #prod2 />
[2]. Other mt. bikes exist, quantity unknown.