My first MTB was a 1992 Rocky Mountain "Hammer". It was a hardtail. Back in '92, there were very few bikes with rear suspension and the industry still had a lot to learn before they would begin to get it "right". The Hammer was a fully rigid bike that I upgraded with a Rock Shock Mag-20 suspension fork.
My second bike was a 94 or 95 (I forget) GT RTS. This was a full suspension bike with about 2 inches of rear travel, as I recall. I don't even remember what front fork was on that, but I think it was a Rock Shock as well.
My third bike was a Kestrel Rubicon Comp. Sweet carbon fiber, full suspension frame with a unique design. It was a giant scissor. The top tube was hinged at the head tube and the rear chain stays were hinged on the down tube. Both suspended points shared the same shock. I used many of the components from the GT to build the Rubicon. Eventually, through Charles, I bought a buttery smooth Marzocci front fork with a whopping 3 inches of travel! (That's a joke, now) and I bought a super light set of Bontrager Race Light wheels that sported King Hubs. I broke 2 of those frames, but Kestrel had a lifetime warranty and promptly fixed the first one and replaced the second one. I still have that frame up in the attic. It's a work of art.
My fourth MTB was a Titus Motolite that I purchased used from my good friend and fellow riding buddy, Eric Stradel (who now lives in Durango - BASTARD! ;-). This bike is the original Motolite design. Titus has since completely redesigned the Motolite and the new frame bears no resemblance to the original. My Motolite is a small frame size (my first "small"), 5" travel, four bar design, complete with horst links - a patented and unbeatable design of pivots at the junction of the chain stays and drop outs for smooth rear wheel travel.
That bike also started out life with a Marzocci fork, but it was the first 5" travel fork. A spring loaded, buttery smooth, baby-head eliminator. But with 28 mm stanctions, it was a bit of a noodle. So, when Fox came out with their 5" Vanilla, sporting 32 mm stanctions, we all upgraded. Then, Marzocci came out with the 5" Z-1 FR and we upgraded again. But the FR was an air fork and air forks all have the same inherent problem; in order to use air as the spring, the seals need to be very tight. This causes a phenomenon known as "stiction" - it takes a good whack to get the fork to begin to move. As a consequence, the fork feels like a rigid fork when subjected to smaller bumps. The fork is harsh. Your wrists, elbows, shoulders and body are left doing all the shock absorbing of the smaller trail irregularities. This can lead to tendinitis. So, we all eventually had enough and upgraded to the heavier, spring loaded version of the Marzocci Z-1.
Due in part to my fault, that bike developed tiny stress fractures in the forward shock mount that required repair by Titus. I say "in part my fault" because what really happened was that the upgraded main pivot bolt had a tendency to snap after months of stressful usage. The frame originally came with a very large, hollow bolt main pivot that rode in plastic bushings set into the frame. Titus decided to offer an "upgraded" pivot bolt kit that incorporated sealed bearings. This required using a MUCH smaller pivot bolt. I installed the upgrade. Some months later, in the middle of a long ride, miles from the car, the bolt snapped right inboard of where the threads ended (a typical weak point for all bolts). The rear of the bike got all loose and noodley. I did my best to carefully ride out and back to the car. The forward shock mounts were forced to take all of the lateral flex. I replaced the bolt. Then, months later, the scenario repeated itself. And one day, only about 2 weeks before I was scheduled to get on a plane for an AZ MTB vacation, I was doing routine maintenance when I noticed the tiny, hairline fractures in the forward shock mount plates. I had to send the bike back to Titus for repair. BUT, I NEEDED A BIKE FOR VACATION! CHARLES! HELP!
Charles to the rescue. Charles called Titus and they had a Quasimoto frame there that was a "blem". The blemish was a small area by the water bottle mounts that didn't properly take the anodization. Two little drip-like stains. And due to this blem, they offered this to me for $700 less than retail. It was a small frame as well. I was a bit backed into the wall and desperate. But I thought it was a good deal and I happily took it. See, the Quasimoto was essentially the exact same design as the original Motolite, only in a beefier tube set and layout. Sure, it was also heavier. But it was an upgraded design as well - sporting an additional inch (6") of rear wheel travel. So, I threw all of the components from the Motolite onto the Quasi.
Then, Fox came out with the 36. We jumped on board. Like dumb-asses. See, the first 36 was a float. A float? Yes, the air sprung version. And guess what? It was harsh. And I rode with this fork for a year. And I got tendinitis in my left elbow and right wrist.
Finally, Fox came out with the 36 Van. Van is short for Vanilla - their spring loaded offerings. So, I upgraded to a Van. The ride was sweet! Six inches of plush travel all the way round.
But there was one problem. One problem that I had learned to overcome and compensate for ever since I bought the Motolite. I was riding a small frame when I should have been on a medium. It all went wrong back when I bought the small Motolite from Eric. See, Eric is a bit shorter than me and the small Motolite was a great fit for him. But it was marginal, at best, for me. I bought that bike because it was the longest travel bike in the group and the price was extremely low. And I learned to ride it. And I think I rode well on the small frame. That might be because I came from an extensive BMX background and I felt that the small Motolite and the small Quasi were "BMXey". I could easily throw them around on the trail. But I was occasionally banging my knees on the shifters. This would mostly happen when pulling off a very technical maneuver such as hoisting over a ledge while turning. And local trails often call for these types of maneuvers. The top tube was an inch too short. And you can't just throw a longer stem on the bike as that will totally and negatively affect the handling.
Early January, 2007 - I banged my left knee really hard. And very shortly after, AAARG! I banged it again in the same spot...for the last time!
My best friend/riding bud, Jeff Lupul, had been moving through his on revolution evolution and one of the bikes he had left behind was a medium Quasi. And the stripped carcass was still hanging on his garage wall. So, I swung a deal and bought his old frame. I swapped the front triangles. And now after 6 years on small frames, I have to learn to ride a medium frame again. I don't anticipate this taking very long to get used to. And I certainly won't miss the knee banging!