Old versus New
fridgehq
Posts: 54
Ok sorry for this as it has been talked about before no doubt but I have been back into mountain biking now for the last six months at the age of 45.The bike I am riding is a 1999 Proflex K2 4000 the one without the strut, I am thinking about getting a new Cube bike but just do not know if it is worth it or not my bike has a modern air shock and I like riding it but am I missing out on the modern stuff? Discs brakes do not really bother me any advice would be welcome before the wallet comes out.
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so that is the one with the carbon swing arm?
a word of warning when you do go to discs you will be wondering why it took so long.
if it was mine I would be new fork and fittings and a set of discs on the Proflex. (subject to finding one of the disc brake kits)"Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
Parktools :?:SheldonBrown0 -
Thanks for that it is the one with the carbon arm I will give that some thought . I did also do the sealed bearing conversion thanks to my local machine shop, I also like the single pivot and climbing on the bike but everyone seems to think the modern stuff is way better so still not sure.0
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a couple of Proflex's that I have ridden.
not mine but a mates and they ride well, (I am disregarding the fork as I never was a fan)."Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
Parktools :?:SheldonBrown0 -
I have one, it still rides well!
Proflex 957 by J@yk@y, on Flickr
Spec is;
Proflex 957 (carbon swing arm)
Carbon Girvin Crosslinks
Hope Ti hubs
Mavic 217 Sup rims
Middleburn RS3 chainset
Hope Ti bottom bracket
Hope headset
XTR shifters
XTR V brakes
XTR front and rear mechs
Ti cassette (can't remember the make)
Dean Ti seatpost
Dean Ti stem (not in the photo)
Flite saddle
Easton hyperlite bars (also not in pic)
Maxxis Ignitors0 -
so I am not the only one then those bikes look really nice esp the 959 carbon mine is the same as the 959 carbon only my frame is aluliminium when you rode the two did you notice any difference with no strutt plus normal forks?0
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That was some bike in its day - that top one of nicks was the daddy back then.
Does need discs though to bring it up to date really.0 -
Bought new in 1996, still going strong:
Totally out of its depth at trail centres but not too shabby on the natural stuff. Have been down the 'try to make it like a modern bike' route but it doesn't work.0 -
.blitz wrote:Bought new in 1996, still going strong:
Totally out of its depth at trail centres but not too shabby on the natural stuff. Have been down the 'try to make it like a modern bike' route but it doesn't work.
In what respect? Just interested as I have a 10 year old Scott G-Zero and that feels ok at trail centres. It does have disc brakes though.0 -
Brakes are fine it's more a question of geometry, suspension (or the lack of it) and the nagging feeling that it is going to snap in half.tenfoot wrote:In what respect? Just interested as I have a 10 year old Scott G-Zero and that feels ok at trail centres. It does have disc brakes though.0 -
.blitz wrote:
Brakes are fine it's more a question of geometry, suspension (or the lack of it) and the nagging feeling that it is going to snap in half .tenfoot wrote:In what respect? Just interested as I have a 10 year old Scott G-Zero and that feels ok at trail centres. It does have disc brakes though.
Ha ha - yep - must admit, it's always in the back of my mind when I'm belting down something steep and twisty!0 -
These old bikes are pretty good at going uphill though eh?
There's an unmistakable road bike influence in the Proflex it just surges up the hills even with me on board. But what goes up must come down and this is where modern bikes have the (big) advantage.0 -
Yep - both the Scott and my Specialized are great climbers - very light.
Having never ridden a new bike, I can only guess on what I'm missing out on.0 -
I had a 1996 GT Zaska with Elastomer Pace RC35 forks, XT V-breaks etc and I rode it to up until I bought a Kona Kickapu in 2003 and the difference was just WOW! Talk about relighting that old spark and the stuff it allowed you to do fast was a revelation.
Don't get me wrong, I often rode places like Aston Hill on the GT even doing the black runs but just bumping down them so even though the Kona was a cross country bike it was like a magic carpet. We started doing larger and larger drops and I even took it to Morzine for a week downhilling.
I then moved to a Coiler Primo and now onto a Santacruz Blur LT carbon but there is always a special place in my heart for the GT (which I stuipidly sold in a moment of madness).0 -
I suppose it depends on what bike you have, my mate has a specialized stumpjumper from mid 90's and its nothing compared to today's bikes.
I have this bike (a childhood dream)
and although its light, nippy and very solid, my 2009 Trek responds quicker and its much faster over the rough stuff.
Also Canti brakes SUCK!!, not a smidge on disc brakes, I would never beast the Klein as fast on a decent as the other bikes. Such great fun to ride though, I love retro bikes!0 -
Oooo, thats nice!0
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I have a range of old and new bikes ('93 KHS with Canti brakes, '95 Marin Team Ti with modern forks and gears & V brakes, '98 Orange Clockwork with modern kit but V brakes & a 2010 Cube AMS Pro with possibly the best disc brakes going: Formula R1)
They're all fun in their own ways
They all make me smile
They all ride a little bit different
Suspension and brakes have moved on a lot in the last 10 years, but the old bikes are still fun
You can upgrade the old Proflex a bit, but it wouldn't quite get up to today's standards of performance.
The cost of the upgrades might no be far off the price of a new Cube (depending on which model you were looking at)
Whereabouts are you based, if you're looking at a short travel full suspension Cube, I have a 2010 AMS 100 Pro in 18" you could try if you're anywhere near Lincolnshire
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Thanks for the offer of a ride on the Cube I live in kent so would be too far to travel thanks all the same . The Cube you have is the one I am looking at all the riding I do is XC along the North Downs and a few woods good for singletrack here and there. I do between 12 and 30 miles on a trip the Proflex seems to cope so I may keep that and get a Cube as well if I can talk the wife round0
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I really like how some of the older bikes ride. They have a nice racy feel to them .0
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fridgehq wrote:Thanks for the offer of a ride on the Cube I live in kent so would be too far to travel thanks all the same . The Cube you have is the one I am looking at all the riding I do is XC along the North Downs and a few woods good for singletrack here and there. I do between 12 and 30 miles on a trip the Proflex seems to cope so I may keep that and get a Cube as well if I can talk the wife round
I'd say that's definitely the best plan...
We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
fridgehq wrote:Thanks for the offer of a ride on the Cube I live in kent so would be too far to travel thanks all the same . The Cube you have is the one I am looking at all the riding I do is XC along the North Downs and a few woods good for singletrack here and there. I do between 12 and 30 miles on a trip the Proflex seems to cope so I may keep that and get a Cube as well if I can talk the wife round
Most of my riding involves the North Downs - the trails at the top of Bluebell Hill and then back down again are well worth the effort of cycling up from Maidstone. Despite my bikes being old, I get a real buzz from coming back down - It helps that my Scott has Hope discs and calipers, though.0 -
Yea its great up there I live in bearsted so I leave my house and go up water lane and then go on from there, the ride to Charing is nice and then the climb up past the Gliding club . also I like the ride out at Mereworth woods to ightham about 25k in total. looks like discs brakes are the best upgrade only problem is I would have to change to much on the Proflex.0
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You can enjoy the ride on anything - the only thing is........would you enjoy it more on a new bike? Probably!Closet jockey wheel pimp whore.0
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Is it a North Downs thing riding around on these old bikes? I’m on an early 90's hi vis yellow Marin still on Canti breaks and ridged forks. I may see if I can get on a bike made this century sometime, but liking it all the same. I come from the Sittingbourne side and have tended to stay this side of the 249 but I will try to find a good route out towards Bredhurst now.0
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This is good to hear, i have started to do rides from this book will be doing Wrotham and the north downs way tom on my day off 35k in total. I would recommend this book http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1906148031/r ... 19061480310
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If you want to find some of the routes get in touch with this lot http://www.sketchymtb.co.uk/Blah.pl . Have only met up a couple of times (too much work, kids so I tend to ride very early in the morning) but a friendly bunch and regularly ride at Bluebell Hill.
As for new bikes, the one I have I just got for something to do so is the only bike I have used but I have found that I am now hooked so I am now thinking of getting something newer over the winter. I guess that most things have moved on in the last 18 years so should be interesting to see.0
Me and the Proflex have had some adventures but MTBs have come a long way in the meantime. 
