Had my head turned by a pretty new bike...

[mullett]

Thats the trouble, one bike wasnt doing it all for me anymore and it felt hopelessly outdated, ive been riding the thing for 11 years after all.

Think you need to ignore the current marketing terminology a bit, your not the only one that finds it confusing i didnt even know what all mountain was 6 months ago and to be honest im still not 100% sure. The coves got FR for freeride (?) on the logo, but its a great xc machine if your not looking for a racing whippet which I wasnt. Its also beautifully put together, the welds are spotless and theres a huge ammount of thought gone into the frame design. The forks are pikes which are superb, they lock out and ramp down from 140mm to 110 for climbing and on the road - fantastic compared to knackered elastomers which have lasted all of 6 months before collapasing in the rc35's.

I still am a bit of a luddite as far as bikes are concerned - my road racing bike is still the 531 pro, campy record track bike i bought when i was 15 and my hack bike is my grandads 15 year old dawes galaxy i had resprayed. Dont see the need to spend money as theyre perfect for what i want.
However I can see in mountainbiking that the technology has improved and advanced so much that id just be being stubborn to try to ignore it. Took the pace down my mates mile long downhill track he's built in the woods as part of a hilly 25 mile xc ride we were doing and realised how easy it would be to break, its great for racing round relatively tame tracks, but its not ideal for the riding im into now and if im honest i felt it was limiting me.

Still love it to bits and it'll get ridden and polished and looked after and eventually passed on to my daughter when she grows a bit taller, it just wont be doing any big dropoffs.

 

[Wold Ranger]

This is why i'm with the retro scene, one bike does it all, with individuality and style.

Don't think thats quite the case The idea behind "All Mountain" is literally one bike does all, whereas bitd you needed different bikes for different disciplines. The Cove Stiffee's are used for everything, Trail, XC, Downhill, freeride and even trials.
I know its nice to romance that the older bikes and kit was better, but much as I love 'em, unfortunately they're a long way from the modern kit in terms of performance and durability.

 

[doogie]

so what you are saying is that bike gave you a STIFFEE!!!!!

 

[mullett]

so what you are saying is that bike gave you a STIFFEE!!!!! Laughing

it sure did......

Trouble is the missus wont let me bring it in the bedroom, shes got a no threesomes rule apparantly

(guess ill be spending the night in the shed again)

 

[billinjah]

i sold my modern bike just after xmas this year i sold it because it didnt do anything for me it was so perfect and i just found myself using it less and less (s works enduro btw) i dont miss it but one thing i miss is jumps i cant bring myself to jump any of my retro rides all the parts are so hard to replace! i might find myself on a modern hardcore xc rig sometime soon.

 

[messiah]

Those stiffies are lovely bikes, the kind of bike that really makes you want to play, a bit of jumping, some singletrack, a wee climb, some drops, a great modern allrounder.

Part of the problem and appeal of older bikes is the XC racing they were designed for, it was all about performance and speed on the flats and climbs, hence the "head down arse up" stance and the "weight weenieness".

Things have moved on... don't take the Pace to bits just yet. Let the stiffie get through it's honeymoon phase and then take the Pace out for an "old-school" ride with more big climbs and fireroads. You will probably still love it for what it is.

I spend most of my time on a full suss 170mm travel Nicolai beast of a thing or a 140mm travel Balfa Hardtail. Great for silly stuff, but when I want to hit the fireroads and roam for miles I take the Lloyd or Kona. Horses for courses.

 

[Wold Ranger]

Fire road

I would agree Messiah, old skool bikes were designed more for Fire road type longer distance cross country more the "dirt roadie" than the modern trail centre type stuff that would soon finish off the older bikes. The Long Fork travel Hard Tail bike is a unique UK thing, that is a best of all Worlds that works for our trails. The best thing that is little talked about with modern bikes, is that you an get them totally filthy and just wash 'em off with little fear of water/mud ingress into the bearings etc.

 

[South Bound]

I personally wish that I had bought a new hardtail instead of my Tomac. I am a fairly simple individual and I just think FS is over-complicated and more than I need for the riding I do. Hopefully I will break the Eli frame under warranty and get something HT-ish instead!

 

[reanimation]

Well I'm right in the middle of all this, as a kinda returnee of MTBing, i got my Identiti DR Jekyll, not cos I'm some dirt jump or 4x king, I'm not at all, I wanted a sturdy all in one fun trail bike, its great goofing and downhill, but not springy or light at all for the stuff I used to do BITD. :?
Its so tough though, confidence inspiring for some tricky or steep stuff.

These days my riding is more recreational on the flat, and with the GF nervous on her bike, cruising along on a retro will be ideal, I'll probably behave more and feel like more of a mini adventure. I don't really want to spoil my MF so its looking more and more like tehre will be another retro built, addicted me thinks!

And then my full suspension Santa Cruz, I'm not sure my heart is in this one TBH, I'm looking forward to the monster truck element to it, but I'm in the mood for some playful fast XC at the moment...

cycle scheme will be tempting for a modern HT trail bike, if i don't leave work that is!

 

[XTSTIMAN]

Have you started triming the Pace? :shock:

I see a pair of RC 35's on ebay.........