Does anyone here have modern bikes?

[Raging_Bulls]

I have a 2011 26" hardtail. I haven't weighed it since I changed the tyres and ditched the lights and computer, but I think it's somewhere in the mid-to-high 23lbs region now.
My other bikes are all from the 1990-1994 period, and they all weigh a bit more. I don't care about that though.

As for modern bikes lacking character and/or feeling dead, "character" is often confused with "bad design".
Mine goes exactly where I point it, and does so without any fuss. If you would rather have a bike that you need to fight in the corners, that's your choice.

 

[james1985]

Spent quite a lot of money 5 years ago on a new scott and it was good, but not a huge gap between some of my well set up retro,s.
But after cracking the frame iv just had a new build kinisis maxlight and it rides amazingly, inpires confidence and I love it. Tbh if a could only keep one bike this would be the one. I love my small collection of retros and they look top notch, but as a tool for the job? New wins for me.

 

[B77]

Got bikes from 92-2009, there is no better or worse just a matter of preference. Having said that the full sus bikes have really widen the amount of ridable terrain. Some may disagree....

 

[mikee]

yeah sure , i have a 2009 carbon zaskar , love it , its a missile in most stuff
i also have a kona dawg primo , and recently sold a fisher sugar , onyin 456 carbon and an onyin inbred
keeping the zaskar tho

 

[noble steed]

Wicked, won't be selling the specialized then. As some have said about modern bikes, it rolls over anything and handles really well. I came down an unknown down hill the other day a tad too fast and went into one of those horrible water channels you get sometimes-braced myself for a fall and just went straight in and out with no problem. Like B77 said modern bikes are making terrain easier to ride. I'm sure I would have fallen off years ago.

Still massively excited about getting the retro Kona.

 

[longun]

yup, my mongoose teocali is ace, rides everything and is as reliable as my retrobikes..............................................

 

[mikee]

enjoy the kona mate
its summat different , riding it will make you think about line choice , traction and make you read the terrain more ,all skills you can transfer to the modern faster bike

bear in mind that you and your mates out on a modern bike thrash will one day meet an old bloke on a rigid single speed that will leave you's for dead

but thats life

 

[noble steed]

enjoy the kona mate
its summat different , riding it will make you think about line choice , traction and make you read the terrain more ,all skills you can transfer to the modern faster bike

bear in mind that you and your mates out on a modern bike thrash will one day meet an old bloke on a rigid single speed that will leave you's for dead

but thats life

Thanks, yep really looking forward to getting out on it and looking to feel how different it feels to current day bikes that I have grown up with.

I was looking at a retro bike earlier someone had restored but they had changed it to a single speed. What are single speeds all about? Makes the bike lighter... But one gear must be hard work?

 

[mikee]

makes you work harder tho
and not as bad as you may think ,geareyd riders get in the way on a s/s
momentum is the key to s/s
so generally your going faster ,cept on the fire roads and open bits

try one ,2 or 3 times , youll like it , in a smug way

 

[drystonepaul]

Yes I have a few modern bikes amongst my fleet.

I do think that having a variety of bikes which you ride frequently does undoubtedly make you a better all round rider.
Getting locked into riding one bike tends to make you a bit lazy, whereas spending time on fully rigid bikes, modern hardtails, road bikes, singlespeeds etc. etc. means that you are much better at adapting to different bikes, techniques and terrain.

In short it makes you think more and keeps you interested.

It's all about having fun...