Love your old timer ?
afcbian
Posts: 424
I was out in the New Forest last night (in the pouring rain !!) and I realised how much me and my bike have become "at one with each other" despite the passing years.
I ride a 2003/4 (not that old I know) Dawes Edge hardtail which isn't particularly glamorous or flashy and is covered with "scars and scrapes" but is well maintained and runs beautifully. It has Rockshox 100mm Duke Forks and is aluminium framed with a mixture of Deore and XT groupset.
It occured to me that should I have a spare £1000 (which I don't) despite the way I regularly drool over any bike shop I pass, I am not sure I would rush to replace it with something newer as I am not sure I would be getting £1000 worth of improvement (if you get my drift).
I know there are any number of MTB riders out there with state of the art bikes and gear but I was wondering how many other MTB riders run "older" bikes that still show the new models a thing or two ?
Mines worth a lot more to me than it's market value or the sum of it's parts.
I ride a 2003/4 (not that old I know) Dawes Edge hardtail which isn't particularly glamorous or flashy and is covered with "scars and scrapes" but is well maintained and runs beautifully. It has Rockshox 100mm Duke Forks and is aluminium framed with a mixture of Deore and XT groupset.
It occured to me that should I have a spare £1000 (which I don't) despite the way I regularly drool over any bike shop I pass, I am not sure I would rush to replace it with something newer as I am not sure I would be getting £1000 worth of improvement (if you get my drift).
I know there are any number of MTB riders out there with state of the art bikes and gear but I was wondering how many other MTB riders run "older" bikes that still show the new models a thing or two ?
Mines worth a lot more to me than it's market value or the sum of it's parts.
I ride therefore I am
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Comments
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afcbian wrote:Mines worth a lot more to me than it's market value or the sum of it's parts.
ain't that the truth, sadly bikes more than a year or 2 old have a shocking market value, unless they're something collectible or titanium
I have recently retired a 20 year old friend, my 1991 (OK 18 year old) Cannondale M800. It's served me soooo well over the years, but while its weight and stiffness can stand shoulder to shoulder with modern counterparts, geometry with resultant handling and comfort are a generation behind.
if you're happy with it, that's all that matters at the end f the day. How about treating it to a full fork service (or even a new fork?) that duke will be ageing inside and damping tech etc has moved on considerably since it was new.
Meanwhile, ride-on!Everything in moderation ... except beer
Beer in moderation ... is a waste of beer
If riding an XC race bike is like touching the trail,
then riding a rigid singlespeed is like licking it
... or being punched by it, depending on the day0 -
And to answer your original question. I just got in from 30 miles on a 1996 Specialized Ground Control. Upgraded the forks to Toras a couple of years ago but otherwise all original. Smooth as baby vomit. My newer bikes haven't had much of a look in.0 -
My '96 Proflex 856 feels the same way - it belongs to a time when MTBs and MTBing were still influenced by road bikes. It's only the last three or fours years or so that the 'proppa' MTB has emerged.bomberesque wrote:...Cannondale M800. It's served me soooo well over the years, but while its weight and stiffness can stand shoulder to shoulder with modern counterparts, geometry with resultant handling and comfort are a generation behind.0 -
.blitz wrote:
My '96 Proflex 856 feels the same way - it belongs to a time when MTBs and MTBing were still influenced by road bikes. It's only the last three or fours years or so that the 'proppa' MTB has emerged.bomberesque wrote:...Cannondale M800. It's served me soooo well over the years, but while its weight and stiffness can stand shoulder to shoulder with modern counterparts, geometry with resultant handling and comfort are a generation behind.
it came with a 150mm stem iirc :shock:Everything in moderation ... except beer
Beer in moderation ... is a waste of beer
If riding an XC race bike is like touching the trail,
then riding a rigid singlespeed is like licking it
... or being punched by it, depending on the day0 -
Think it's 130mm. Welded to the upper link on the forks :shock:bomberesque wrote:it came with a 150mm stem iirc :shock:
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.blitz wrote:Think it's 130mm. Welded to the upper link on the forks :shock:
classic, I can imagine the forum post "how can I shorten the stem on my Proflex"
NickLouse; "you can't"
SS; "take an anglegrinder"
mate of mine had one of them way back when, he thought they were the best thing on the market at the time, a real classic!Everything in moderation ... except beer
Beer in moderation ... is a waste of beer
If riding an XC race bike is like touching the trail,
then riding a rigid singlespeed is like licking it
... or being punched by it, depending on the day0 -
There was a revised version where the upper link was connected to the steerer below the stem. Fortunately for me the stem on my bike was OK although I did flirt briefly (read: one ride) with a riser bar when they became all fashionable.bomberesque wrote:classic, I can imagine the forum post "how can I shorten the stem on my Proflex"0 -
My old retro, when I get it going again, is going to be crap. I know this, it was OK by the standards of the day but these days, it's rubbish. I just don't care
I'll not delude myself that it can show a modern bike where to go but it'll still be fun to ride. A bike doesn't have to be any good to be good Uncompromising extremist0 -
My Zaskar LE still gets ridden.0
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'94 Clockwork. Fully rigid. Best bike.0
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I still ride my eleven year old wolf ridge in my sig.
Oddly enough, I saw one in Llandegla a few months ago, which was like mine, but fully original forks, wheels, everything in fact!
Poor thing must have been sat in someone's shed unridden for years.0 -
Can't quite let me '97 Rockhopper (in Dark Teale! the sent it from Canada!).. go... set up for commuting now but still has a fair amount of original kit on it which is still running beautifully..
..form is temporary class is permanent as they say..0 -
Still run my '99 Spesh hardrock A1 Comp. Bit like Triggers brush tho' now " I 've had this brush for years and it's only had 3 new heads and 5 new handles" Spesh has now got dart3's,outland white bars/stem/grips,Juicy 5 up front, Avid single digit 7 outback,Raceface seatpost,WTB seat, Hope skewers/seatpost clamp/headset spacers/Pro2 front hub,deore rear,Mach1 rims,Panaracer fire xc tyres, still running original crankset/front/rear mech......Oh! and the original frame just in case you wondered....lol...
It's cost me a few quid, some may say it would be better to buy a new bike but I LIKE IT,
IT'S MINE AND THERE ISN'T ANOTHER ONE OUT THERE LIKE IT EITHER!!!!!!!Project Finished....On-one Inbred..
Specialized Hardrock A1 Comp FS(1999-2000)
Carrera Subway 2 (for work)
Hoffman BMX (please don't hold this one against me!!)0 -
I have my old Marin Rift Zone '98 frame sat at home. I've never had the heart to throw it out.
I was clearing the shed out the other day and realised that I nearly have enough bits to rebuild it as a bike which I'm going to do. Sure it won't be as smooth to ride as my modern bikes but I don't care. I'll still love it all the same. 8)0 -
I still venture out on my old Scott now and then, but it's mostly to the shops if I'm honest. It wouldn't see which way any of my more modern bikes went off road and I have a sneaking suspicion that I'd probably break it fairly easily if I tried to throw it around as you do nowadays.
It was great in its day but it was definitely designed to keep its wheels firmly on the ground.
I think Stephen Hawking would do better "getting airtime" than the old girl.0
