Have developments in MTB'ing made you a better rider?

[peteteamtig]

Mmmmm

Well most modern bikes , unless its a Kelly , Kish , Rock Lobster , Thorn etc look pants and plastic compared to a Manitou FS , Nukeproof Reactors et al . But they ride much better , i had a Magura testbike (focus first team)
Adjustable travel at the front , four bar link at the rear , disc brakes and a short stem and geometry that was spot on made me a better rider and i have been riding 15 yrs .
When i was climbing tetchy stuff you could feel the rear end dig in and grip , totally amazing stuff ! Short stems that made you feel safe going down rock gardens and tricky decents .(Unlike long stems , which make you feel like your jumping off a cliff ). And disc brakes with proper modulation whether mechanical or hydraulic , that dont lock on decents so you have proper control .
Totally amazing stuff , but as i pitched in the first paragraph most look like they where made from recycled supermarket carrier bags .

 

[andrewl]

I have read studies which suggest that riding a 5-6" trail bike actually improves overall pedally efficiency through a complete pedal stroke. For me this has definitely been the case.

Cornering on a Full Suspension bike and the way you weight the bike is also a little different to a rigid or hardtail to get the most out of the bike.

So I would say the technology improvements have also improved my riding.

I think having a rather excessive amount of bikes also improves my riding. Being able to jump from a fixed track bike to CX, to rigid steel, Al hardtail, Ti hardtail, short travel FS, mid travel FS, long travel FS, to road and finally to single speeds both on and off road, to me just hightlights that the skill set to get the best out of each is different even though they are all bikes.

But then again maybe I'm no more skillful for technology but instead much more adaptable... or just better at justifying having what some consider as too many bikes

 

[Dr S]

Its a difficult thing to define. How do you determine if its not the bike that is making you faster, smoother, more able? There is little actual difference between my modern and oldschool bikes- both are full rigid, flat bars etc. the only true difference would be the brakes but I'm not heavy on brakes anyway and find that canti's suffice.

The acid test is when I spend a week or so riding my old bikes and then hop on the modern. I do find i'm going a little quicker and my line choice tends to have a little more finesse. Point A to point B I'm probably a few seconds quicker ( But this could be atributed to the fact that if I bend my modern its not the end of the world, if I bend one of classics I would be gutted).

So has the modern bike made me a better rider? I honestly dont think so. Quicker yes, but better probably not. If anything I think the older bike makes me a better* rider.

Si

*All things being relative that is

 

[MJN]

I've found I can be just as fast on a race course on my retro steeds but it ain't as comfy or as in control but if it comes to really technical stuff the new bikes,even the hardtail blows the old stuff away.
To me the best improvements have been in braking and tyres as the latest stuff just lets you brake so late and with minimum hand fatigue and the tyres actually grip

 

[andrewl]

Plus I will happily take out my rigid bike with canti brakes and thrash it just as hard as my front suspension bike with discs - its just easier on the latter due to angles, equipment etc

Keep up the debate though

Keeping the debate going I think there is a flaw in your overall assessment of whether technology is doing much for you.

I no nothing about the trails you a riding on but I'd class riding the same trails on a fully rigid bike vs a hardtail with modern discs as a flawed comparison.

In my opinion a rigid XC bike and a modern XC hardtail represent a fairly narrow expression of technology and overall trail ability.

Similarly riding a 6" travel bike on the same trail that you ride a rigid bike on is only going to highlight that you are overbiked for the trail you have chosen.

I think to fully appreciate modern bike technology going and doing one of those organised DH ride days where the provide you all the gear, bike etc is a great experience as it pushes you outside your normal riding zone.

Yes riding the rigid bike will set you up well for chosing good lines, but riding a heavy bike with 8" of travel front and rear weighting the suspension for corners, jumping landing, braking with massive disc brakes etc can be quite a different experience. And at the end of the day even if you have no desire to own such a bike or do that style of riding at least you'll have better insight to where the other riders are coming from and ultimately in a better position to make a call on technology etc.

 

[Neil G]

For me disc brakes have really made me more confident but TBH I don't think bikes themselves in terms of geometry are any better, if anything I prefer old school geo.

Technology has pushed courses though and consequently riding though suspension

 

[tintin40]

No. What recent developments? My bikes haven't changed. Except for the moment i have a big ring that is too small. will change that to a 48.

 

[velomaniac]

I'm a better rider than I used to be and the technology of the bikes I ride is going backwards thanks to Retrobike.

I have now ridden black graded trail on a rigid Hardrock several times that would have scared me silly 10 years past on an all singing and dancing full suss :shock:

 

[cyfa2809]

i now, with full suspension, dont damage as much as i used to

 

[messiah]

Modern vs old route's.

The trail below the tree is tricky on a modern bike with suspension and good disk brakes - for any rider. You have to techy manouver round the tree to stay on the path before the little drops and the final scoot down the bank.
Take away the disks and rear bounce and it had better be dry.
Take away the suspension and add narrow bars and it gets really tricky.
Take away daylight and you take your life in your hands...

... or on a big bike with skills honed over the years you can jump the lot