mtb-timeline

Repco Cycles

Repco (REplacement Parts COmpany) cycles was founded in 1922 by Robert Geoffrey Russell in Victoria, Australia. Repco originally focused on making car parts and soon branched into making bicycles. Repco Cycles continues to exist as a brand: repcosport¹⁾ A piece of trivia from the 1986 Repco catalog: “Repco was chosen to be the official supplier of bicycles to the 1987 America's Cup Defence 1987 Limited.” Complete with cut n' pasted bikes w/sailboats.

Info from aussievelos, bloggingadeadhorse and repco.

Bikes & Boats in the 1986 Repco catalog.

Encountering the rare hill on Earth's flattest continent.
1991 Repco Catalog bloggingadeadhorse

1982 Ranger 26

The September, 1982 issue of Freewheeling (#16) included the Repco Ranger 26 in it's MTB survey, classifying it as an offroad cruiser. It's a late transitional, off-road bmx cruiser and not a mountain bike. Australians were aware of the American off-road craze, but who needs gears on the Earth's flattest continent? Repco would wait until 1984 before selling their first true mountain bike.

SunTour GT (1977-1983) 1×5, 14-32.

1982 Ranger 26, from 1982 Repco catalog bloggingadeadhorse

1983 Ranger

Not nealry a mountain bike with sidepull brakes and only 5 speeds. SunTour GT rear derailleur, “deluxe, hi-tensile cruiser frame,” Sugino one-piece crank.

1983 Ranger, from 1983 Repco catalog bloggingadeadhorse

1984 Sierra

SunTour Mountech GTL (1982-1984)

1984 Sierra, from 1984 Repco catalog bloggingadeadhorse

1985 Sierra

Nearly identical to the 1984 Sierra. SunTour Mountech GTL (1982-1984)

1985 Sierra gumtree

1987 High Sierra

Shimano Deore MT60, biopace, u-brakes.

1987 High Sierra chickendrinker

1990 Crackenback

Sakae Litage frame! Which is a beautiful and rare thing. No evidence that this bike exists outside of this catalog entry. Hopefully a few are being cared for and admired.

Full Shimano Deore XT. Glued Al frame by Sakae Ringyo of Japan, internal cabling, unpainted.²⁾

Named after a mountainous area in New South Wales next to Australia's tallest mountain.

1990 Crackenback, from 1990 Repco catalog bloggingadeadhorse

¹⁾

It appears that Repco Cycles is currently owned by Sheppard Cycles which is itself owned by Scott Sports which owns perhaps a dozen bicycle brands. A partial Scott list: team-dsm.

²⁾

The only other Sakae Ringyo Litage example found thus far is the 1991 BH Supra.

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