THE VAULT - CRAFTING A 90S MTB LEGEND

1994 GIANT ATX

Andrew Griffiths, Saddleback’s Head of Business Transformation, introduces his 1994 Giant ATX John Tomac replica bike, which triumphed at the 2023 Malverns Classic Gtechniq Retro Show and Shine competition.

I consider myself lucky to have ridden the wave of the MTB craze in the early 90s. It has been pivotal in shaping my life and career, and has remained an integral part of it.

Originally I was caught up in the BMX boom, but just as my interest in BMX racing began to wane, these new, bigger wheeled off-road bikes came on the scene with their mix of intoxicating, ever-wilder colours, progressive designs and riders with serious style and attitude, backed up by accessible magazine media coverage. I was hooked! 

A poster of John Tomac proudly adorned my teenage bedroom wall for many years, with that iconic photo of him in his Troy Lee Designs American Eagle airbrushed Bell helmet and black, skintight all-in-one aero suit, aboard a Tioga Disk Drive wheel equipped Giant DH specific bike. He’s cornering at full gas, with that unmistakable JT style and a rooster tail dust cloud in his trail.

That image has stayed with me to this day and given immense inspiration, and it still creates a smile inside every time I think about it. This one photo centralises my unescapable relationship with MTBing and the constant enjoyment it gives me.

That same spirit inspired my journey through the cycling industry, from starting out as a local bike shop's 'Saturday boy' to playing my role in supporting the team at Saddleback, contributing to the trade that's been the backbone of my career.

The desire to reconstruct Tomac's '94 Giant DH was more than nostalgia, it was about connecting with the roots of modern MTB. This wasn't a whimsical trip down memory lane, but a project grounded in the technical grit of the era. The build was an exercise in patience and expertise – rebuilding a Tioga Disk Drive, frame building, painting, customising components and obsessing over authenticity.

Sourcing parts was as much about networking with industry veterans and retro bike fans as it was about trawling through eBay listings. The aim? To piece together a rideable piece of history, with each component being a tribute to the sport's evolution.

The effort culminated at the Malverns Classic Retro Show, where sharing the replica build with fellow enthusiasts meant as much as the eventual first-place finish. It was a testament to Tomac’s legacy of inspiration and the continued relevance of the era’s design and technology.

This bike isn't just a showpiece; it's a slice of the history that we trade in every day, a practical example of where we've come from. It represents the ingenuity that still drives us in the cycle industry – from those who remember the first thrill of knobbly tyres on dirt to the staff decking out today's riders.

Build Specifications