Full suspension retro-bikes - are they worth it.

[The History Man]

None of this mini roller coaster malarkey! I think some of that trail centre stuff gets a bit much fr he old girl and me.

 

[66 triumph daytona]

I have a Verlicchi and I do like it. On downhill it is very fast, but after getting used to the dynamics of the suspension you will ride XC fast as well.

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2695&hilit=Verlicchi

I had a Verlicchi for a time and remember the crazy variation in prices for identical bikes with different makers stickers.The Iron Horse Team-$4150 and the DBR Dual Response Team-$2450.Both identically specced full XTR Marzocchi XC 400 Verlicchi Bromonts,Iron Horse stickers sure are waaay expensive.

 

[Elev12k]

What MBA magazine says under the link in my post is not correct. For 2400 dollar you did get a Dual Response with mainly LX.

There where also Dutch variations of the Verlicchi: both Concorde and Batavus competed in DH with the Verlicchi. Of the later I am sure it was also available to the paying customer.

 

[66 triumph daytona]

My LBS got my Verlicchi and showed me catalogue prices of Sintesi,Diamondback and Iron Horse,it was crazy the price differences, I went for Sintesi.For 1k less than an xt Iron Horse I got a full XT Sintesi with Formula carbon hubs and discs front and rear.Even an XTR Iron Horse build shouldnt command a 2k difference over a Diamond Back LX build on an identical frameset.

 

[al-onestare]

I see that some members here are into the early full suspension bikes that came out in the mid 90's. I was looking at a GT RTS that's for sale locally and did a bit of looking around on the site here to see what others were doing. With the radical evolution of rear suspension designs and shock technology, it hardly seems worth the effort to keep those old bikes running. If you took this perspective to its logical conclusion we'd all be running pre-92 fully ridgid rigs - which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. Maybe I'm being a bit of a hypocrite - I can see it worth putting the effort in to rebuild a classic bomber fork for my Zaskar, but I can't see putting in the same effort for an RTS. What say you?

Well I've had a blast on the 97 Manomano this summer. Sure, it's no 50lb hydro-formed tank that you could "ride" through trees and not feel a thing but it put massive grins on my face and flew up the hills.

 

[Elev12k]

I posted a couple pics of my silver/purple ano Rudy Project Downhill (Verlicchi) in the kit section >>>

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=272489

 

[dirttorpedo]

Lots of interesting feedback. In the OP I wasn't trying to trash suspension. I have a full squish bike, but its relatively modern (Kona Stinky Delux). What I've found is that I don't ride that bike anymore - with three young kids I can't take a 1/2 a day or more to go riding with my buddies on the Shore. Plus, it takes so long to heal now that I'm approaching 50. I do like taking the kids out to some of the more XC like trails. I'm toying with the idea of dumping the stinky and getting something else. I like riding my Zaskar workbike on trails so I have 4 options:

1. Make the Zaskar my dedicated mountain bike by slapping on some knobbies and a bomber fork sitting in the garage. Get a new work bike that's more suited to fenders and a rack.

2. Keep the Zaskar as my workbike, sell the Kona and replace it with a retro full squish XC trail bike like that RTS I saw on CL.

3. Keep the Zaskar as my workbike, sell the Kona and replace it with a modern XC trail bike that's full squish.

4. Keep both bikes, but upgrade the Kona to make it more all mountain with a ligher crank, stable platform rear shock, AM tires, etc.

I didn't start riding full suspension until the 2000's so I have no idea what an old bike like an RTS would feel like. The Stinky isn't made for climbing or going long distances. The Kona style suspension is good and current enough that I can replace the bits as they wear out. There was tons of experimentation in suspension in the 90's. Some good and lots bad. If I could find a suspension design that I liked I'm worried that I wouldn't be able to keep in functional at a reasonable cost. So that's what I'm worndering - is it worth the potential hassle to get a cool retro full sus bike or should I just forget it and go modern or just stick with a nice simple hard tail.

 

[legrandefromage]

I have had a Zaskar for 20 years as a work bike and play bike until I got into this retro lark

If only this had been a bit bigger...

I had one of these too:

 

[ishaw]

Why did you change your avatar to Shane warne aged a few years?

 

[incorrigible]

Whoops! I didn't see this thread here when I posted mine last night.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=272474

From what I've read here at RB, the early full sussers designed by Richard Cunningham (specifically the Mantis Pro Floaters and Nishiki FS bikes) were very good designs, but I haven't seen anything regarding restoration or maintenance costs. From some of the reviews I've read, those old RC bikes will put a smile on your face, and will handle moderate trail riding with ease, but I doubt you'd want to hammer them as the suspension travel on those old rides is not nearly as long as that of the new ones.

One thing's for sure, like most retrobikes that are maintained or restored, those old suspension designs look damn cool, and folks that see you ride them will recognize you to be the bike connoiseur that you are, instead of just someone that bought whatever your LBS wanted to unload on you to make room for next year's models. Of course, if your modern ride happens to be the latest top-of-the-line full-on race version, then you don't care what anyone else thinks because you know that you have the best that technology has to offer, at least for now. That's how I felt about my 1989 Alien until about...er...1990. Of course, now that my Alien is 'retro', it's cool once again.