Jimmy Deaton and His Bike

 

Q: What year did you get this? What is it?

A: I raced for Raleigh USA 1987, 88, 89. This is my custom 1988 team issue race bike and jersey. It’s a Raleigh Technium, The three main lugs are hand made aluminum and the main tubes are aluminum carbon fiber kevlar rapped for protection.

 Q: What is the deal with the hot yellow? Who else rode the yellow?
A: It has faded a little. Its florescent green Suntour components. All Suntour sponsored rider’s rode it that year.
 Q: What races did you do on this bike? Do you have a race that sticks out?
A: I rode the 1988 season on this bike, Downhill’s, cross country, dual slalom, uphill’s, and trials. I won the 1988 world downhill championship at Mammoth Ca (NORBA sanctioned, pre UCI) and was 5th in the dual slalom, my jersey is hanging in MBS. 3rd Big Bear NCS downhill, 6th overall, Kirkwood stage race.
 Q: Where you always more into DH or XC, when did you have to choose between
the two?
A: I started racing cross country races 1981, My first race was the Whiskey Town Downhill in Redding Ca. the name is misleading there was 2500 feet of climbing.  There were no downhills until the Repack downhill in Fairfax Ca was revived in 1983. It was the first NORBA sanctioned downhill and I won it and the last Repack DH in 84. I didn’t specialize in downhill until 1990. Before 1990 you had to race everything, cross country, downhill, dual slalom, uphill’s, and trials.   
Q: What titles do you own?
A: 1985 California Downhill Champion /1988 world downhill champion, It was sanctioned by NORBA, pre UCI. / Silver medal at 1992 UCI world championships Bromont Canada.
 Q: What is your involvement with USA Cycling?
A: I have managed and coached the Downhill and Four Cross teams at the 2005, 2006 world championships. I managed the under 23 cross country team at Mont Sainte Anne and Bromont World cup races this year.

“attached is a photo of me racing for Fisher Mountain bikes in 1985. That year I won the first Mammoth Kamikaze downhill, Rockhopper downhill, California Downhill Championship in Malibu Ca. The first race of the Pacific States Cross country Series San Dimas Ca. Ned Overend was 2nd. I ended up 5th overall for the series.”