How much do you trust an old bike

[89RingleAddict]

After reading Clubby’s post…..
I would like to change my ‘well maintained’ comment/definition and piggyback to Imlach/Hamsters’ posts

Inspection.
Leaks/minor cracks/component alignment/etc….must be recognized as early as possible and addressed
I.E. failure usually occurs over a period of time.

I’m a car guy(y’all say Petrol Head….correct?)
So I know that my 98 RSTi(140k miles/12k on short block)/01 Fozzie(225k miles)are going to have problems….and do quite regularly. But I’m looking/listening/inspecting often.

 

[brocklanders023]

Unlike others I do like trail centres, regularly riding Gisburn and yearly trips to Bike Park Wales.

Back when we had a thriving retro riding sections on the site we did Gisburn, all on retro from memory, about 15 riders. Vast majority of the runs I'm brave enough to do at BPW would be perfectly rideable on one of my old Clockwork's too, just be slower.

 

[89RingleAddict]

“Just be slower”

Perfectly Said.
No bc of old bike….bc of my age/stamina!

 

[Tootyred]

Never trusted boutique kit.....had the pleasure of seeing too many high price, thinned out to death material, bits of fashion kit bust bitd....cough, cough...grafton.....etc

.......let alone trust it 30 years later second hand!

As for carbon......give me a break.....quite literally.

 

[fearfactoryüberalles]

I prefer using steel & Ti material, where it matters most-frames, forks, seatpost, stems, handlebars. Up to M950/M750 era, drivetrain parts should last a long service time OK if maintained properly. Restomod is always safer in the long run and less worrisome than using rockin'horse'poo rare NOS equipment to death (of both part & user )

 

[WandsworthRouleur]

It’s something I keep an eye on, and something I try not to think about when on the trails. I live near Bedgebury Forest, which has a relatively tame red route. I do it regularly on my Pace RC200, Orange P7 single speed and modern Planet X Ti gravel bike. All can handle it fine — I’m not as fast as a good chunk of the people on modern kit on the downhills, but tend to be faster up hill. I also avoid the big jumps or anything else that might stress the bike too much. Let’s face it, these sorts of bike parks didn’t really exist in the early 90s (North Shore excepted!), so most bikes weren’t designed for that sort of punishment.

With the Pace, I tend to keep a bit of an eye on the Ringlé stem (already cracked a face plate), and the lovely billet machined (not forged) Middleburn cranks give me some conniptions. Oh, and the clamp on my beautiful X-Lite Pro stubbies have cracked

I haven’t ridden much in the way of modern MTBs. Most recent experience was out in Zimbabwe where I borrowed a modern Rocky Mountain. Riding around amongst zebras and giraffes was amazing, but the bike itself was totally anodyne. It just rode through everything. No thinking or skill required. I think I enjoy the skill rather than the out and out speed, so reckon I’ll stick to retro.

On the ‘well maintained’ point: well maintained usually means you’re also keeping an eye on your components. I didn’t faceplant honking on my bar ends out on the trail because I noticed the start of a hairline crack while cleaning and inspecting all the parts. Hopefully the frame will last as long as I can cycle…

 

[M-Power]

I wont trust classic Ringle stems or especially their hubs but everything else is as solid as a rock. Ti and Steel frames for me only.

 

[longun]

Took my s&g over the doubles at Clipstone a few years ago......Still here

 

[ovlov440]

I haven’t ridden much in the way of modern MTBs. Most recent experience was out in Zimbabwe where I borrowed a modern Rocky Mountain. Riding around amongst zebras and giraffes was amazing, but the bike itself was totally anodyne. It just rode through everything. No thinking or skill required. I think I enjoy the skill rather than the out and out speed, so reckon I’ll stick to retro.

^^^THIS. Yes my body aches, and the first 4-5 miles I fight the will to turn and head for home, but after that you enter the fun zone

 

[Ren Rawbor]

I ride heavy old steel crap, slowly. No boutique cnc, just Shimano. I will be fine, puts fingers in ears lalalalala..

+1 on steel for hammering trails, at least gives you plenty of warning before failure. Will say though, it's not without possibility of failure due to unknown factors over the last 30 years (Palisades trail frame crack being an example of such) but then again, could also have a plane fall on our head too, life is one big chance...