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The UK's largest gathering of classic pre-1995 mountain bikes, ‘icon•o•classic’, is taking place at the historic market place in Warwick on September 14th 2014. icon•o•classic will provide a showcase for these bikes – both to the general public, and for all the exhibitors and other like-minded enthusiasts.  We’re sure that like us you will relish the opportunity to show your bikes, and to be able to see so many others all at the same time and in the same location. All up to date details, including registration information can be found at www.iconoclassic.org as well as in the dedicated section on Retrobike – both of which will be regularly updated. The aim for icon•o•classic is to showcase at least 200 pre-1995 mountain bikes, in one...

The March 2014 Bike of The Month contest was taken by Halaburt's 1983 Steve Potts Brazed MTB in what turned out to be a two horse race despite some stern competition. The full result is as follows 1. Halaburt's 1983 Steve Potts Brazed MTB 2. Sinnermans 1989 Roberts Stratos 3. Kirbdugs 1993 DAWES Double Edge Tandem Click here for more details and full results

The April 2014 Bike of The Month contest was taken by Giom6's Dave Yates Vulcan E-stay, from some solid competition. The full result is as follows 1. Giom6's Dave Yates Vulcan E-stay 2. Richieb's 1990- Brodie Catalyst 3. mauricer's 1990 Rocky Mountain Blizzard Click here for more details and full results.

The February 2014 'Special Edition Special' Bike of The Month contest was taken by huelse's Ibis 1989 SS Kogler special edition. The full result is as follows 1. huelse's Ibis 1989 SS Kogler special edition 2. oneschnark's Fat Chance 10th Anniversary 3. jonnyboy666's 1993 Orange Aluminium Elite Limited Edition Gold Click here for more details and full results The February 2014 'Special Edition Special' Bike of The Month top three are as follows 1. huelse's Ibis 1989 SS Kogler special edition 2. oneschnark's Fat Chance 10th Anniversary 3. jonnyboy666's 1993 Orange Aluminium Elite Limited Edition Gold

I read lots of mountain bike magazines. There’s currently a four foot high stack of them in my back bedroom. I’ve taken out subscriptions to all the major ones at some point over the last 20 years and even had articles and photographs published some of them. So I am always a bit sceptical whenever I see a feature on the history of mountain biking. Experience tells me that it’s usually a disappointing sidebar feature which is compromised by brevity and sometimes spoilt by inaccuracy. A few publications, notably the now defunct Privateer, have got it right though. Nice long in depth articles from highly regarded sources; so when ‘The History of Mountain Biking’ landed on my doormat I wasn’t expecting to be impressed. On a first quick...

In the early 1980s, Chris Chance, an American frame-builder who specialized in TT and criterium bikes, formed Fat City Cycles in Somerville, Massachusetts, and began building mountain bikes. He had an intuitive and prodigious talent, and over the course of the decade was building the best handling off-road bikes in the world, including the Fat Chance with a relaxed, upright position and the more responsive Wicked Fat Chance with quicker-handling geometry. For the 1990 model year, Fat City Cycles launched a new top-of-the-line racing model, the Fat Chance Yo Eddy! Team. Combining everything Chris knew about designing efficient, quick-handling bikes for criterium races with almost a decade of building the sweetest handling mountain bikes...

The January 2014 Bike of The Month contest was taken by wadsy's 1993 Diamondback Axis Team Titanium, from some excellent machines as is shown by the three way tie for 2nd place! The full result is as follows 1. wadsy's 1993 Diamondback Axis Team Titanium 2= Giom6's 1992 John Samways Formula One 2= Richieb's 1990- Brodie Catalyst 2= mauricer's 1990 Rocky Mountain Blizzard Click here for more details and full results The January 2014 Bike of The Month top three are as follows 1. wadsy's 1993 Diamondback Axis Team Titanium For full details check the build thread for wadsy's 1993 Diamondback Axis Team Titanium. 2= Giom6's 1992 John Samways Formula One For full details check the build thread for Giom6's 1992 John Samways...

UK MTB scene stalwarts Orange Mountain Bikes can trace their ancestry back to wind surfing company Tushingham. Orange's Lester Noble worked for Tushingham back in the 80s and there the Tushingham mountain bike range was designed. The lucky owner of this Tushingham B-52 which is being offered for sale on ebay picked it up without realising the bike's significance and is now selling it. The B-52s apparently came from the same factory as the Muddy Fox Courier, hence numerous similarities. Tushinghams are a rare beast, later in the 80s Lester Noble went on to form Orange with Steve Wade and the rest is very much history! Click here to discuss in the forum..

The December 2013 Bike of The Month contest was taken by CCMDoc's 1989 Merlin/Mongoose John Tomac Signature, from some excellent machines. The full result is as follows 1. CCMDoc's 1989 Merlin/Mongoose John Tomac Signature 2. Giom6's 1992 Zinn Z-Centaur 3. theproscloset's Missy Giove Yeti ARC ASLT Click here for more details and full results The December 2013 Bike of The Month top three are as follows 1. CCMDoc's 1989 Merlin/Mongoose John Tomac Signature For full details check the build thread for CCMDoc's 1989 Merlin/Mongoose John Tomac Signature. 2. Giom6's 1992 Zinn Z-Centaur For full details check the build thread for Giom6's 1992 Zinn Z-Centaur. 3 theproscloset's Missy Giove Yeti ARC ASLT For full details check...

The Christmas 2013 Specials are now online, click here to see the Retrobike Xmas Specials. We are doing various bundle deals all of which represent a massive saving off normal price. Numbers are limited to stock so if you want a combo be quick :D

Barnoldswick. It just sounds like a Northern village name. I can’t hear it without thinking of a northern accent saying it. The kind of place you find in a rom-com where Cameron Diaz goes to find herself but finds Ewan McGregor instead. What you actually find in Barnoldswick is Hope. Pulling up at the house of Hope is quite different from most of the British bike industry I’ve visited. It’s, well, kind of American actually. At least in appearance. Kind of huge in presence and neat in display. You’d never think this gentrified modernised church of British bicycle family silver was actually made in this incredibly smart building, it’s just too nice, too neat, too, well, American. But this front of house is entirely appropriate. To the...

The November 2013 Bike of The Month contest was taken by girlonbike's 1990 Fat City Team Comp, from some very strong competition. The full result is as follows 1. girlonbike's 1990 Fat City Team Comp 2. mr_ship's Alpinestar's Ti-Mega 3. Stumpjumper1990 1991 Specialized Stumpjumper Epic Click here for more details and full results The November 2013 Bike of The Month top three are as follows 1. girlonbike's 1990 Fat City Team Comp 2. mr_ship's Alpinestar's Ti-Mega 3 Stumpjumper1990 1991 Specialized Stumpjumper Epic

The October 2013 'Halloween Special' Bike of The Month contest was taken by Halaburt’s 1996 WTB Steel Phoenix. The full result is as follows 1. Halaburt’s 1996 WTB Steel Phoenix 2. Noka78's 1988 Fat Chance Wicked in pumpkin-orange 3. landsbee's 1992 Salsa A La Carte Click here for more details and full results The October 2013 'Halloween Special' Bike of The Month top three are as follows 1. Halaburt’s 1996 WTB Steel Phoenix 2. Noka78's 1988 Fat Chance Wicked in pumpkin-orange 3. landsbee's 1992 Salsa A La Carte

The word legend is one which is used all to readily, especially in sporting endeavour. For a select few the titled is deserved, the sadly late Jason McRoy was surely one of those. In the days when MTBing was still a relatively young sport and many retrobikers still young men JMC took on the best in the world and in many cases won. His life was tragically cut short but the memory lives on. The McRoy family have been auctioning some of his bikes with proceeds going to charity. This FSR was the last bike Jason raced on and was sold earlier this year for a shade over £5K. The seller has relisted it, once again some proceeds are going to the JMC Foundation. Check the auction out here > JMC Specialized FSR and discuss in the forum here.

A big congratulations to wtb_rider for his clever entry into the October PotM competition, Ghosts and Ghoulies

We were extremely saddened to learn that forum regular Greenstiles aka Nigel Tillett has passed away following a motorcycle accident on Saturday 19th October There is a thread setup here in Nigel's memory, please post your thoughts there. The funeral is to take place on Friday 8th November, a collection is being made in Nigel's memory for ASPIE, an Asperger's charity in Worcester which was a cause close to Nigel. Details on both are contained here. Our thoughts go out to Nigel's widow Alison and young son Alexander in this difficult time. Greenstiles, wherever you are mate, RIP.

Why a retrobike? The coolest people of every generation have an icon. During the 1960s, among the rock n’ roll set on Chelsea’s Kings Road, it was the Jaguar E-Type. In the 2010s, the trendsetters are the 20-something media types of Shoreditch. They wear skinny jeans that stop above the ankle, and the coolest have meticulously manicured moustaches. Their preferred mode of transportation is a retrobike, specifically a fixed-wheel road bike from the 1970s or 80s, such as a Colnago or a Mercian. Less cool, but still way ahead of most of the population, is a slightly older male – mid 30s to mid 40s – typically a graphic designer with a penchant for classic trainers and vintage mountain bikes. On dry spring and summer days, they can be...