Help needed by a newbie?

[ABC]

Hi there,

I have been looking at this forum for a few months know, and I have been bitten by the mountain bike bug again after an absence of about 15 years :shock: .

After looking at everybodys gorgeous old school bikes, it really made me want to get the kind of bike I wanted in the late eighties/early ninties but could never afford , something like a fat chance, yeti, alves, lloyd, mountain goat etc.

So after borrowing my fathers mountain bike for a few months, dropping some weight and getting my fittnes up, I took the plunge and bought a mountain goat frame from ebay - it is gorgeous, I have had it checked over and it is minted.

But now I am stuck, I really want to cover my bike in the kind of components I wanted 15/20 years ago - syncros, ringle, hope, cook bros etc, but I am finding it really hard, part of me wants to keep it old school going for original parts from that era, espically thumbshifters, cook bros cranks, syncros stem/seatpost, v brakes, but the other half of me reckons I could put on new stuff, like middleburn crank set, hope hubs, syncros stem/post etc.

So what do I do, can I get away with an old frame and forks and put new components on it, or does the frame deserve as much old school gear as I kind find :?

I have already got the frame, forks, headset, stem, bottom bracket and I think I have found some pace 1" rigid and suspension forks from the mid 90's.

Many thanks in advance
Glen

 

[ededwards]

Welcome and beware, you are embarking on a slippery but very enjoyable slope!

New parts or old will work well with your Goat, just think of how you intend to use it (or not) and go from there - if you are anything like me you will constantly foddle with fitting different bits and pieces so that a bike is never really finished.

For what it is worth I'd go with the Cooks/original Syncros/Ringle build but your bike and your choice.

 

[andy.l]

Hi mate,welcome to the forums

You can fit new components to a retro frame if you want to,most of us on here try to fit components from the same era but as youre finding out they can be quite hard to source,everything you always wanted for your build will eventually turn up for sale either on here or e(vil)bay some cheap and some not so.

Patience is a good thing to have when building retrobikes but at the end of the day its your bike and as long as youre happy and it rides how you want it to then fit whatever you like on it mate

 

[The Ken]

Welcome ABC, It's a difficult choice but only one you can make yourself, I have a slight mix on my bike due to not finding this site quick enough.

I reckon put on old parts, but that's me.

You can always buy bargain basement or lower end stuff just to get you rolling as some parts might take a while to show up.

 

[South Bound]

Patience??? Pah, what rot! Rush in without thinking, spend loads, change you mind, spend loads more, learn a bit, sell some of your stuff at a profit/loss, buy something really bling that you will never fit but need more than anything in the world, sit down and think about your build, buy another frame (or 2), build them first, keep spending money on the other frame, get in trouble with the Mrs, remember you have children, do a practise build, fettle, send to paint, get it back, buy finishing touches, build, give RBers a sneak preview, fettle, reveal to the world and win BOTM.

Easy.

 

[neilll]

Wot Ed said....but personally I would keep it real and go retro parts

At the end of the day it's your bike so do whatever you want, all I would suggest is spending a little time thinking about what you're doing.....you've got more chance of (more or less) getting it right first time

Welcome aboard, your life (and wallet) will never be the same again :shock:

 

[obi-wan-mtb]

Patience??? Pah, what rot! Rush in without thinking, spend loads, change you mind, spend loads more, learn a bit, sell some of your stuff at a profit/loss, buy something really bling that you will never fit but need more than anything in the world, sit down and think about your build, buy another frame (or 2), build them first, keep spending money on the other frame, get in trouble with the Mrs, remember you have children, do a practise build, fettle, send to paint, get it back, buy finishing touches, build, give RBers a sneak preview, fettle, reveal to the world and win BOTM.

Easy.

 

[clockworkgazz]

South Bound wrote:
Patience??? Pah, what rot! Rush in without thinking, spend loads, change you mind, spend loads more, learn a bit, sell some of your stuff at a profit/loss, buy something really bling that you will never fit but need more than anything in the world, sit down and think about your build, buy another frame (or 2), build them first, keep spending money on the other frame, get in trouble with the Mrs, remember you have children, do a practise build, fettle, send to paint, get it back, buy finishing touches, build, give RBers a sneak preview, fettle, reveal to the world and win BOTM.

Easy.





Spot on

 

[terryhfs]

The trouble is that if you hunt down expensive retro bits you'll get all precious about your bike and not ride it properly because you'll be worried about damaging the last ever Jimbo's Moose Mech with a picture of a cheese sandwich etched into the cage and jockey wheels made of onyx. Or whatever.

If your aim is actually to ride, get fit, all that - don't get obsessed with retro. If you have to go retro choose stuff that's dependable rather than boutique. If you want a garage queen, go for the rare stuff.

 

[Jamiedyer]

Welcome ABC

Welcome ABC
I pretty much think Terry and SouthBound hit it on the head.

Jamie

ps: see signature