Blogging a Dead Horse

• Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
• Iranian Revolution, Iran hostage crisis and Shah Reza Pahlavi forced into exile
• Margaret Thatcher becomes UK Prime Minister
• Idi Amin exiled from Uganda
• Cambodian-Vietnamese War ends with the overthrow of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge regime. 1.7 million people known to have been murdered in The Killing Fields
• Nicaraguan Revolution

One cannot look at the history of the Hotfoot without looking at the two companies that brought it to Australia: Repco and Giant Bicycles. The Repco company was well known in Australia having been formed as the Automotive Grinding Company in Collingwood, Victoria. It changed its name to Repco - an abbreviation of Replacement Parts Company - to reflect its main business of automotive spare parts.

In the late '70s, Repco added additional products including bicycles to its existing range in an effort to diversify. Rather than manufacturer locally like other Australian bicycle manufacturers - such as Malvern Star, Quicksilver and Madison - Repco imported bicycles made by Taiwanese manufacturers such as Giant and , to a lesser extent, Merida. The models imported were not necessarily unique to Repco and often appeared under different brand names in other geographical regions.

Giant Bicycles formed in 1972 in Taiwan and now is one of the largest bicycle manufacturers in the world with plants in Taiwan, China and the Netherlands. During the late '70s and '80s, Giant made bicycles for numerous companies who shifted manufacturing from expensive labour markets such as Australia, UK and the USA to the booming Taiwanese manufacturing factories. During this time, Giant made bicycles for Repco, Diamond Back, Schwinn, Raleigh and numerous others.

Prior to building the Hotfoot and Intrepid range of BMX bikes, Repco had made a name for themselves building roadbikes and MX style bikes in the form of mono-shock bikes. These bikes more resembled the dragsters that were so popular in the early '70s rather than the later, sleeker BMX geometry of the early '80s.

'79 Hotfoot		'79 Hotfoot
'79 Hotfoot		'79 Hotfoot
'79 Hotfoot

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• Independence of Zimbabwe and Vanuatu
• Ronald Reagan is elected President of the United States
• Beginning of the Iran-Iraq War, Salvadorian Civil War and Contra War

Repco's expansion in the Australian market is aided by the distribution of other brands though its stores and networks. Repco is appointed the Australian distributor for Haro, Diamondback and others.

1980 saw the introduction of the first X-Gusset model made from high-tensile steel. This model would continue to be on sale until the later part of '83. As evidenced by the number of remaining bikes appearing on collectors sites, such as OzBMX and BMXMuseum, this model must have sold extremely well.

'80 X-Gusset Hotfoot		'80 X-Gusset Hotfoot
'80 X-Gusset Hotfoot		'80 X-Gusset Hotfoot

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• Independence of Palau
• First orbital flight of the Space Shuttle

In 1981, the new 'Team' Hotfoot was released with a trimoly frame and a gusset that resembled the earlier bikes but with a nicer looking, rolled edge on the scallops and centre hole. By utilising chromoly triangle and hi-tensile steel chain stays, the 'Team' frame was significantly lighter than the all steel X-Gusset version. The term 'Team' is a misnomer as there was to my knowledge never a Hotfoot racing team.

Although aimed at the upper end of the consumer market, the 'Team' Hotfoot was equipped with quality Japanese parts including Dia Compe MX 1000 callipers, matching Dia Comp Tech 2 levers, Araya rims, Sugino cranks, Sugino chain wheel, SR pedals and stem.

'81 / '82 Team Hotfoot		'81 Team Hotfoot
'81 X-Gusset Hotfoot		'81 X-Gusset Hotfoot
'81 X-Gusset Hotfoot		'81 Giant
'81 X-Gusset Giant		'81 Giant
Frames / Parts / Additional Links This section contains additional photos of frames, framesets and other parts from 1981 Repco Hotfoot and Giant bikes. Mr. Hotfoot's blue 1981 frame clearly shows the chainguard lugs that were welded to the frame which were dropped by 1983. '81 Hotfoot X-Gusset

1981 / 1982 Repco Catalogue

The '81 / '82 features four X-Gusset Hotfoot models - the original, coaster-brake Hotfoot with spoked wheels or OGK tuffs and the Hotfoot 2 again with spoked wheels or OGK Tuffs. Three of the four models appear to have annodised, alloy handlebars whereas in the '83 /'83 catalogue these are replaced with chrome steel bars.

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• First Israeli invasion of Lebanon
• Falklands War

Australia's BMX Pancake magazine featured a review of the Team Hotfoot in its November '82 issue (#8). The magazine itself only lasted 13 issue starting in 1981 as a quarterly then switching to a monthly publication before its demise in April 1983.

Thanks to Mr.Hotfoot, I am able to reproduce the article below.

'82 Team Hotfoot		'82 X-Gusset Hotfoot
'82 Team Hotfoot		'82 HiTen Hotfoot
'82 HiTen Hotfoot 2		'82 Team Hotfoot
'82 Team Giant GMX300		'82 Giant
'82 Team Giant		'82 Giant GMX275
'82 Giant GMX275
Frames / Parts / Additional Links This section contains additional photos of complete bikes, frames, framesets and other parts from 1981 Repco Hotfoot and Giant bikes. '82 Giant '82 Giant GMX300 '82 Giant GMX300 '82 Hotfoot 2 X-Gusset (Chrome / Hotfoot 2 Pads) '82 Hotfoot X-Gusset (White) '82 Team Hotfoot (Frame) '82 Hotfoot X-Gusset

1982 / 1983 Repco Catalogue

The '82 / '83 Repco catalogue features the 20" Team, 20" Hotfoot Coaster, 20 Hotfoot 2 Freewheel and a 16" Mity Hotfoot. With the exception of the Team which has no decals at all, the remainder of the bikes have Repco decals rather than the Hotfoot decals that appear in later catalgoues. Also featured is a 24" Cruiser - named the Streaker - which is available only in a coaster brake version.

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• End of 1982 Lebanon War
• GPS becomes available for civilian use
• Independence of Brunei
• End of dictatorship in Argentina
• Second Sudanese Civil War begins
• Invasion of Grenada by the United States

The 1982 / 83 catalogue shows little changes in the X-Gusset and Team models. Minor changes in the 'Team' version include the removal of the 'Team' padset, replacement of the chrome Sugino spider with a black version and the fitting of a chain-guard. Unfortunately, catalogue photos and delivered product often differs due to the pressure of releasing advertising material prior to the final specification of parts. As such, the actual bike may have differed from that pictured.

Interestingly, the catalgue shows all bikes fitted with Repco decals rather than the ubiquitous 'Hotfoot' decals that appeared on earlier and later variants. Compared to the number of bikes fitted with 'Hotfoot' decals, relatively few bikes remain that sport the 'Repco' decalset.

'82 / '83 X-Gusset Hotfoot		'82 / '83 Mity, Hotfoot, Hotfoot 2
'82 / '83 X-Gusset Chrome Hotfoot		'82 / '83 Team Hotfoot
'83 HiTen Hotfoot		'83 X-Gusset Hotfoot
'83 X-Gusset Hotfoot
Frames / Parts / Additional Links This section contains additional photos of frames, framesets and other parts from 1981 Repco Hotfoot and Giant bikes. Another of Mr. Hotfoot's bikes, this frame does not have chainguard lugs. '83 Hotfoot X-Gusset (Chrome Frame) '83 Hotfoot X-Gusset (Chrome / Black Tuffs)

1983 / 1984 Repco Catalogue

The '83 / '84 Repco catalogue features the 20" Team, Hotfoot I and Hotfoot II variants, 16" Mity Hotfoot and the 12" Mini Hotfoot. The Hotfoot Cruiser was not introduced until late 1984 but interestingly this catalogue features a Cycle Pro 24" Cruiser which other than the dropouts looks exactly like the future Hotfoot 24".

This catalogue scan was submitted by Mick (Mr.Hotfoot) from a catalogue he purchased from Brian of Bourkes Bicycles in Taree.

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• Beginning of the 1984-1985 famine in Ethiopia
• Medicare comes into effect in Australia
• Advance Australia Fair is proclaimed as Australia's national anthem, and green and gold as the national colours

Late '83, early '84 saw the phasing out of the X-Gusset Hotfoot in favour of a new high-tensile steel frame and the earlier 'Team' model with a chromoly, oval cross-section referred to as 'Aero' tubing. The HiTen model is easily recognised by the small gusset welded between the down and head tube with three holes of decreasing diameter.

In addition to the difference in frame materials, the two models had quite different accessory levels. The team model - again probably never ridden in competition by factory riders - was with lesser quality parts that those of the '82 Team model. For example, the Dia Compe MX1000 brakes of the earlier model were swapped with cheaper Chang Star equivalents.

Repco also imported a variant of the HiTen known as the Intrepid. Though almost identical in appearance, the model differs in that it has a 17" top tube as opposed to the Hotfoot's 18.5" geometry. One can only guess why Repco had two very similar bikes with different names but it would seem that they were trying to differentiate between the child size 20" frame (the Intrepid) and the slightly larger 20" frame (the Hotfoot).

'84 HiTen Hotfoot		'84 HiTen Hotfoot
'84 24" Hotfoot		'84 HiTen Hotfoot
'84 Giant Impactor		'84 Hotfoot HiTen
'84 Hotfoot 16"
Frames / Parts / Additional Links This section contains additional photos of frames, framesets and other parts from 1981 Repco Hotfoot and Giant bikes. '84 Hotfoot HiTen '84 Team Hotfoot '84 Repco Intrepid '84 Hotfoot HiTen '84 Hotfoot HiTen

1984 / 1985 Repco Catalogue

The 1984 / 1985 Repco catalogue features a great line up of Hotfoots - ranging from the 12" Mini Hotfoot, 16" Mity Hotfoot the 20" HiTen and Team versions as well as the 24" cruiser but, unfortunately, the freestyle Hotfoot did not make it. Another interesting bike appears in the catalogue - a 26", 5 speed that resembles the 24" cruiser albeit with a different head angle. I have included every page of the catalogue in below, simply click on an image and you can scroll through the remaining 30 pages.

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• Live Aid broadcasts to an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion, across 150 nations
• Mikhail Gorbachev becomes Premier of the Soviet Union
• First use of DNA fingerprinting
• End of dictatorship in Brazil

Repco had always been an Australian Stock Exchange listed company, but in the mid '80s the investment company Ariadne Corporation executed a leverage buyout of the company. As numerous other companies found and famously chronicled in the book Barbarians at the Gate, the reality of LBOs with the crippling debt levels resulted in companies stripping their businesses back to the core and selling off any portion of the company that did not fit that ideal.

1985 saw the introduction of the first freestyle Hotfoot which, like its other Giant stablemates, had a build date and serial number stamped on the RHS and LHS dropouts respectively. The relatively low volumes of survivor bikes suggests that this model was not overly popular.

'85 Team Hotfoot		'85 Team Hotfoot
'85 Team Hotfoot		'85 Freestyle Hotfoot
'85 Freestlye Hotfoot		'85 Hotfoot HiTen
Frames / Parts / Additional Links This section contains additional photos of frames, framesets and other parts from 1981 Repco Hotfoot and Giant bikes. '85 Hotfoot HiTen '85 Hotfoot Team

1985 / 1986 Repco Catalogue

This 1985 / 1986 catalogue was generously submitted by Brian of Bourkes Bicycles in Taree. The catalogue not only showcases the typical 12", 16", 20" and 24" cruiser models but introduces the new Hotfoot Freestyle model.

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• Challenger and Chernobyl disasters
• Launch of the space station Mir
• First close up images of the planet Uranus
• End of dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines
• Iran-Contra becomes public.

1986 saw the introduction of a 24" Cruiser to the Hotfoot range. This bike included the triangular gusset between the head and down tubes as per the '84 / early '85 20" HiTen models. By 1986, the 20" HiTen were being produced without this gusset.

'86 HiTen Hotfoot		'86 24" Hotfoot Cruiser
'86 16" Hotfoot		'86 HiTen Hotfoot
'86 24" Hotfoot Cruiser		'86 24" Hotfoot Cruiser
'86 24" Hotfoot Cruiser		'86 HiTen Hotfoot
Frames / Parts / Additional Links This section contains additional photos of frames, framesets and other parts from 1981 Repco Hotfoot and Giant bikes. '86 Hotfoot HiTen '86 Repco Intrepid

1986 / 1987 Catalogue

This 1986 / 1987 catalogue was generously submitted by Brian of Bourkes Bicycles in Taree. The catalogue features the most comprehensive range of boys bikes - from 12" through to the 24" cruiser - but no girls specific versions. The catalogue is also the only one to feature the entry level Intrepid range.

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• Stock market crash of 1987
• First Intifada between Israel and Palestine begins
• World population reaches 5 billion

After the 1987 stock crash, Adriane's financial position deteriorated and ultimately the Repco group - automotive and bicycle brands - was sold to Pacific in a fire sale.

Repco now shared a parent company with its long time competitor, Malvern Star. Through the acquisition of Malvern Star and Repco, Pacific Dunlop acquired a strategic position in the bicycle market where in 1993 it controlled an estimated 60% of unit sales.

Rather than merge the Repco and Malvern Star operations, Pacific Dunlop adopted the approach of keeping them separate. The two entities had such a tradition of rivalry that it would no doubt have been difficult to merge them in, the short term. Furthermore, it would not have generated substantial cost savings or synergies given the fairly low overheads involved in running a bicycle wholesaling business.

Initially, Pacific Dunlop articulated distinct market strategies for each of the businesses however they have ended up being in direct competition in a number of markets. The initial strategy involved Malvern Star concentrating on sales to the mass merchant market and at the lower to middle end of the specialist dealers market. Repco, on the other hand, was to position itself in the specialist dealers market above Malvern Star using the Repco brand together with Diamond Back and Merida at the top end. The two companies have tended to overlap in the very important middle range of the market.
_{Last two paragraphs from bicyclehistory.com.au}

Unknown Year
Frames / Parts / Additional Links This section contains additional photos of frames, framesets and other parts from 1981 Repco Hotfoot and Giant bikes. '88 Repco Intrepid

1987 / 1988 Catalogue

The 1987 / 1988 Repco catalogue features only a handful of Hotfoots compared to the '84 / '85 catalogue and show Repco's new focus on name brands such as Mongoose and Haro. The catalogue features the 12" Mini Hotfoot, the 16" Might Hotfoot, a Merida made 20", a girls 20" and the 24" cruiser.

These scans were provided by The Don at Oxley cycles. Thanks for your support!

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• Iran Air Flight 655 shot down by the United States
• Benazir Bhutto, first Islamic woman prime minister, chosen to lead Pakistan
• Pan-Am 747 explodes in Lockerbie, Scotland

Pacific Dunlop continues to import Taiwanese bikes under the Hotfoot name. As the catalogues from that era shows, the Hotfoot and Intrepid range became less prominent as the mountain bikes took market share.

'88 Repco Freestyle		'89 Hotfoot
Late Model Repco Boys 20" & 12"		Late Model Repco Girls 20"
2003 Team Hotfoot
Frames / Parts / Additional Links This section contains additional photos of frames, framesets and other parts from 1981 Repco Hotfoot and Giant bikes. '88 Repco Intrepid

1988 / 1989 Repco Catalogue

The 1988 / 89 Catalogue features the new Hotfoot Freestyle - a bike which takes its design cues from the GT Performer. Although this bikes is named a Hotfoot, nowhere on the bike is there an actual Hotfoot decal. The traditional 20", 16" and 12" models are still wearing the same pad set design first introduced on the '86 Hotfoot and shared with their cousins - the Schwinn Predators.

This catalogue was generously submitted by Brian of Bourkes Bicycles in Taree.

1989 / 1990 Repco Catalogue

The 1989 / 90 catalogue is printed on A3 sized, cheap paper and feels more like a pamphlet that you would find stuffed in your mailbox rather than something you would pay $2 for! The catalogue features a lineup of 20" freestyle, freewheel and coaster models, 16" Mity and a 12" Mini model.

1990 / 1991 Repco Catalogue

This mid to late '90s catalogue was generously submitted by Brian of Bourkes Bicycles in Taree. The Hotfoot range is down to two models - a 20" freewheel and a 20" coaster model. The 16" version has been renamed a Chaser (boys model) and Rebel (girls model) although they looks identical to the 20" models.

1991 / 1992 Repco Catalogue

This 1991 / 1992 catalogue was generously submitted by Brian of Bourkes Bicycles in Taree. The Hotfoot range is down to one models - a 20" freewheel.

1994 Catalogue

The 1994 catalogue features 6 hotfoots - girls and boys 20", 16" and 12". The 16" bike features steel bearings and genuine bicycle components whatever that means! This catalogue was generously submitted by Brian of Bourkes Bicycles in Taree.

1995 Catalogue

The 1995 catalogue features 6 Hotfoots - girls and boys 20", 16" and 12" - and four Intrepids - girls and boys 20" and 16". The page is adorned with a picture of a rider jumping a Haro Master complete with a bash guard but this does not appear in the catalogue at all!

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