90s ATB Bikebuild

From a lucky 70€ fleamarket buy to a fully rigged and modded Bikepacking Beast. This is my favorite build so far. Read how it went 🙂

It started out as a Diamond Back Apex from 1994 with TrueTemper tubing—but now evolved into something new altogether. This bike comes with some interesting and very moddable features. The A-Head steerer tube is probably the single most valuable feature, because it made it possible to use a modern ATB fork, in this case a 29″ Surly Troll 1 1/8″ fork. The BSA BB shell and the 135 mm rear end spacing are useful standards, as they allow a lot of modern parts to fit this bike. Only the 27.0 mm seat tube diameter is a bit off—at least in my opinion, because I would have loved to see a dropper seatpost on this build, but I guess if that’s the only caveat, so be it.

Custom disc-brake mounts were retrofitted by Ballern Cycleworks in Hamburg, as well as integrated cable routing for lights, rear brake and shifting. It runs an 11-speed SRAM GX derailleur with a Sunrace 11–46T cassette in combination with a Stridsland 38T 110 BCD chainring on a period-piece Shimano A10 crank. Shimano SLX hydraulic brakes come in handy for fast-paced single trails and some stoppie fun. The integrated lights are fed by a Shutter Precision dynamo hub and Supernova E3 Pure lights front and rear, making it a perfect choice for a every-day commute workhorse in winter.

This bike can handle long distances exceptionally well, as it is also fun on easier, not-too-steep trails. It’s light, durable and agile, thanks to the mullet build – 27.5″ front and 26″ rear wheel. It weighs around 13.0 kg, rack and lights included.

In early 2026 I decided to give it a new paint job, because the welding and retrofitting left rusty marks all over the frame. It is now powder-coated with a bright turquoise base color and finished with a pinkish sparkling candy chip clear coat. Hopefully it will last for another 20 years.

Overall fun and the best-buck-for-a-bang build so far! Pure Love.