£350 in 1991 = £750 now

[Splatter Paint]

I’ve been tinkering recently with a modern GT Avalanche Comp with an RRP of £750

https://uk.gtbicycles.com/products/avalanche-comp?variant=47538723488041

Two things struck me, how cheap the fork was (grease-lubed Suntour) and how bloody heavy it was. Then I wondered what BITD I could get for the same money. According to the Bank of England calculator, in 1991 the equivalent value would be £350. So that’d be a Kona Fire Mountain, DB Topanga, Raleigh Apex, Marin Muirwoods etc.

So I think overall you get more for your money, 6061 frame, hydraulic disc brakes, and a suspension fork, for the same outlay for a rigid steel bike BITD. However, upgrading is more difficult as the GT comes with a QR front wheel and straight fork steerer. That rules out a lot of better modern suspension options.

Currently the GT is discounted to £490:

https://www.cycleking.co.uk/bikes/m...MI37Wu842HjAMV5qJQBh1jVAW2EAQYBCABEgJcSvD_BwE

Which would have equated to £220 BITD, which puts you into really base model MTBs. I think perhaps I was wearing rose tinted glasses when I thought it was a bit crap for the money and actually it is really quite well specc’d.

SP

 

[CTK]

I've seen quite a few nearly new Zaskars for £500ish.
As for value, I kind of agree but also think bikes from the 90s will last longer than the current equivalent.
Hydro brakes and suspension forks- great but when they give up the ghost the bike will be in landfill.

 

[CTK]

BTW I think modern GT bikes look great.

 

[Splatter Paint]

I've seen quite a few nearly new Zaskars for £500ish.
As for value, I kind of agree but also think bikes from the 90s will last longer than the current equivalent.
Hydro brakes and suspension forks- great but when they give up the ghost the bike will be in landfill.

True.
The bike I was working on, the Tektro hydraulics were already oozing oil past the seals and needed to be binned. Luckily I had some early noughties Shimano jobbies in my spares box.

 

[Markybeau]

I’ve been tinkering recently with a modern GT Avalanche Comp with an RRP of £750

https://uk.gtbicycles.com/products/avalanche-comp?variant=47538723488041

Two things struck me, how cheap the fork was (grease-lubed Suntour) and how bloody heavy it was. Then I wondered what BITD I could get for the same money. According to the Bank of England calculator, in 1991 the equivalent value would be £350. So that’d be a Kona Fire Mountain, DB Topanga, Raleigh Apex, Marin Muirwoods etc.

So I think overall you get more for your money, 6061 frame, hydraulic disc brakes, and a suspension fork, for the same outlay for a rigid steel bike BITD. However, upgrading is more difficult as the GT comes with a QR front wheel and straight fork steerer. That rules out a lot of better modern suspension options.

Currently the GT is discounted to £490:

https://www.cycleking.co.uk/bikes/m...MI37Wu842HjAMV5qJQBh1jVAW2EAQYBCABEgJcSvD_BwE

Which would have equated to £220 BITD, which puts you into really base model MTBs. I think perhaps I was wearing rose tinted glasses when I thought it was a bit crap for the money and actually it is really quite well specc’d.

SP

I'm not up on modern bikes. Are we getting into 90's British Eagle / Carrera territory, where it makes sense to buy the bike as a donor, or are we not quite at that level?

 

[legrandefromage]

My first proper bike for upgrading was reduced from £499 to £349. It was upgraded almost immediately with MAG20 air/oil forks and xt 732/5 it's taking the price back up to £700+ or so in 1991

£1578 minimum in today's money

So, a 531magnum equivalent and decent forks for £1600? That would be a good bike today with some shopping around

But please remember, it's nothing rose tinted, we rode to what was available at the time, terrain, equipment and skilz.

If we look at the purchase price of my Zaskar, that was discounted to £1450 from £1800 in 1993, that is £3269 today and I then spent a further £1200 or so upgrading to Hope discs and wheels in 1995, along with Topline cranks, Kingsbury aheadset and all sorts of trinkets

£5790!!!! That's creeping into very decent bike territory today. That's quite bonkers.

Should've invested the money instead of enjoying myself

 

[clubby]

So, a 531magnum equivalent and decent forks for £1600? That would be a good bike today with some shopping around

I bought an Orange P7 29er for less than that last year. Reynolds 525 which is theoretically where 501 was in the line up, but is a more modern, better tube. 140mm Rockshox Lyrik with their basic damper (but way better than anything from 10 years ago never mind 20.) 12 speed Deore mech and shifter with the rest of drivetrain KMC, Clarks hydro brakes and a dropper post. Very capable build, if a bit on the heavy side, that would have been a perfect place for a newer rider to upgrade from. The bike I was upgrading from had GX, Guide brakes, a better dropper and carbon wheels, so I swapped that across and sold the other new parts. Now it's the best hardtail I've ever owned.

 

[Splatter Paint]

I'm not up on modern bikes. Are we getting into 90's British Eagle / Carrera territory, where it makes sense to buy the bike as a donor, or are we not quite at that level?

The modern bike market is on it’s knees. Buying nearly new gets you 2/3rds off RRP easy. Perhaps just easier to buy the one you want these days.

 

[legrandefromage]

Originally 501 came in various guises as it is cromo, 531 is a different mix of ingredients with what felt like an infinite amount of variants.

501 was a good material. I've had few 525 frames pass through, pre the CEN standard and found them to be a bit sluggish - but I think that was more to do with the laziness of the frame builder

30 years ago, my bike had to do everything, commute, chase girls, survive pub nights, parties, raves (true story!), bombholes, long rides out into the countryside and general all round frolicking

Frolicking!!

 

[clubby]

Frolicking!

Has your phone autocorrected your text? Given the previous paragraph, surely that’s supposed to say Frog Licking?