respect to the old school

wobbem

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzZkKE9Z ... r_embedded :shock:

Mickey Eye

That just makes me want to put a disk wheel on my Stumpjumper. Actually since the first Stumpjumper was launched in 1981 it's entirely possible that there is one in the video.

chedabob

That looked more like 90% incredibly bad technique and only 10% down to having no disc brakes or front suspension, and wheels made out of paper.

Anonymous

chedabob wrote:

That looked more like 90% incredibly bad technique and only 10% down to having no disc brakes or front suspension, and wheels made out of paper.

Could be, yes, but the geometry and parts on those old bikes weren't very good, to say the least.

Thewaylander

canti brakes... used to wee wee myself trying to stop if there was the slightest bit of damp with them lol

Ryan Jones

wow, this makes jackass look pretty tame, eat your heart out Steve-O

wobbem

The one foot on the pedal and other leg in the air descent was particularly note worthy

Anonymous

wobbem wrote:

The one foot on the pedal and other leg in the air descent was particularly note worthy

In fact, Darren Berrecloth used that exact same technique in Red Bull Rampage yesterday on his final run.
The more things change, the more things stay the same

cooldad

Thewaylander wrote:

canti brakes... used to wee wee myself trying to stop if there was the slightest bit of damp with them lol

Cantis - modern new fangled stuff bah humbug. One of mine still has a U brake on the chainstay - that's heroic.

Seeing as I am Yeehaa's internet hero.

(disclaimer - TBH it doesn't get used on the rough stuff much anymore, just occasional Retrobike run, when we stand around and mutter about all the bouncy aluminium rubbish)

IDave

Wow!

That's crazy, it's like their bikes just crumple and they go over the bars from hitting a bit of rough ground at speed.

Was it really that dangerous or are these guys just really bad?

Anonymous

It was pretty bad way back then, I had a few wheels just collapse under braking on rough ground - never a good thing.
I also used to get tyres just fall apart, again, not fun.
All in all, i'd say the "proper" retrobikers are just dumb. not the late 90s stuf, I mean the properly old pieces of crap.

cooldad

Totally agree. That's why mine has slicks and is used 99% to pop to the shops. Looks so crap I don't even have to lock it.

The 'retro' riding position doesn't help neither - bum up head down. Great for roadie stuff, not too stable down a rough hill.

Wasn't the high tech stuff of today, bikes were mainly designed for fire road type surfaces, not million foot drops.

popstar

This deserves to be the movie of the year. Awesome stuff, those Germans never fail to impress me.

Northwind

Someone remind me why I'm rebuilding my 1990 steelie Nostalgia's all well and good but mountain biking was s**t back then, it's good to be reminded why I stopped.

Anonymous

I like the guy at 50 seconds or so in, in the pruple, who comes to his senses and thinks
"fugg this, until they sort out these crappy bikes"

Northwind

That could have been me <edit- except that i was never that good> "**** this, I'm off for a lie down, wake me up when someone invents real mountain bikes"

Anonymous

Does look like fun though

Andy!

that is great!

thel33ter

I've taken my rigid down the trails at Swinley, and done some small dirt jumps and stuff, it's great fun.

Anonymous

thel33ter wrote:

I've taken my rigid down the trails at Swinley, and done some small dirt jumps and stuff, it's great fun.

Modern bikes, even your hippy rigid, though, have vastly different geometry to the clangers of old.

popstar

I would be very pissed off if 2.30 happened. The upset rider, was very cross about his bike at 3.30 too. But the bestest of them all was the rider at 4.20 ... reminds me of Cooldad's riding. Disk rear wheel FTW, I want one.

Northwind

Ah, but my new rigid doesn't have that awesome beacon of progress, the FLEX-STEM!1!!!one!. Which for you youngsters, is a sort of suspension, only built into your stem giving 1mm of effective travel, until the elastomer wears out and results in your bars being only loosely connected to your bike by a big hinge. Which happens instantly. Also the most painful stem in the world to impale your balls on, which means it exerts a sort of uncanny magnetism on them and guarantees that every crash ends up in a near castration.

popstar

I suppose it's kind of a bike Cooldad rides.

wordnumb

Love the fact the camera guy stays in the same position at the exit from the steps even after being hit by a flying bike.

thel33ter

yeehaamcgee wrote:

thel33ter wrote:

I've taken my rigid down the trails at Swinley, and done some small dirt jumps and stuff, it's great fun.

Modern bikes, even your hippy rigid, though, have vastly different geometry to the clangers of old.

It's still a chunk older than me, and only one year older the the ones in the vid

Anonymous

thel33ter wrote:

It's still a chunk older than me, and only one year older the the ones in the vid

Ah! Fair enough then! That is a great example of a mountain bike, before they were any different to yer average "bicycle"

UncleMonty

Fantastic, some of those guys are just fearless, love the guy who takes the streamers with him !

Like someone said though the geometry looks all wrong with the very high seat positions

cooldad

Northwind wrote:

Ah, but my new rigid doesn't have that awesome beacon of progress, the FLEX-STEM!1!!!one!. Which for you youngsters, is a sort of suspension, only built into your stem giving 1mm of effective travel, until the elastomer wears out and results in your bars being only loosely connected to your bike by a big hinge. Which happens instantly. Also the most painful stem in the world to impale your balls on, which means it exerts a sort of uncanny magnetism on them and guarantees that every crash ends up in a near castration.

For youngsters - Awesome Flexstem. Due to my Awesome skill, I have not yet castrated myself. And Mighty Biopace chainset plus sharkfin chainstay protector.

thel33ter

These ate Flexstems for breakfast But cost more than most suspension forks did at the time.

cooldad

popstar wrote:

I would be very pissed off if 2.30 happened. The upset rider, was very cross about his bike at 3.30 too. But the bestest of them all was the rider at 4.20 ... reminds me of Cooldad's riding. Disk rear wheel FTW, I want one.

That would be about right. Noticed a classic thel33ter prang at about 4.45. Nose wheelie followed by mighty endo.

cooldad

thel33ter wrote:

These ate Flexstems for breakfast But cost more than most suspension forks did at the time.

Pah that's the BITD equivalent of girlie type full sus. Might as well ride a Laz y Boy.