Is Retro faster?

[rooksfoot]

i would say the xc bikes and non-disc wheelsets from 94-98 were the lightest and stiffest in feel, therfor faster with the advent of downhills popularity most manufacturers seemed to beef up components and frames (prob due to compensation culture)
as long as your modern enuff to be runnin air b tubes and kevlar beaded tyres you should beat most modern bikes.......... hope hubs help too

 

[Nader]

Re:

Retro definitely is faster than modern but also more unsafe (think of cantilever brakes, square taper BB, threaded headset...)

Steel is always faster

 

[JamesM]

Re:

Very subjective isn't it!!!

The way I see it the older the mtb the more like a road bike it looks. So as the terrain gets smoother the advantage swings towards the retrobike and as it gets rougher it swings back to the modern bike. On a gravel fire road an ass up head down rigid retro bike with 1.9 tyres and a 48 big ring will beat a sit up and beg 140mm travel full susser running 20 psi 2.35 tubeless tyres and a bash guard

 

[john88]

JamesM is right in that matter

 

[highlandsflyer]

I find if you paint a modern steel bike in a fluorescent retro style it appears faster.

Again when thinking about this I return to the issue of cost.

Modern super light bikes are made, but they are not so much lighter than those of yesteryear that are available for a song relatively.

Hardtails are still the choice of weapon for most XC races.

If you are not racing, comfort is a bigger part of the equation.

Old steel is so very comfortable and I do believe the extra pounds are shed over distance. I used to do serious distance and always used dependable bikes rather than high tech machines.

I guess bikes are very much like beautiful women.

When I was young they all seemed willing and eager to go all day as fast as you like.

Now I am an old man they just seem to cause problems and cost money.

 

[legrandefromage]

Re: Re:

Retro definitely is faster than modern but also more unsafe (think of cantilever brakes, square taper BB, threaded headset...)

nothing 'unsafe' about any of that otherwise there wouldnt have been 100 years or so of cycling previous to our tiny teeny bit of it.

 

[rooksfoot]

square taper only falls down if ur going big repeatedly or plus 16 stone (as im approaching)

 

[Mike Muz]

Re:

Strong legs and good lungs are fastest , regardless of what the they're powering surely . Unless you're into extreme drop offs . I will demonstrate this theory at the local shops' monthly ride on Wednesday evening , by taking them to the cleaners . On a steel rigid , '93 or '97 . Undecided as to which one . Depends on how much I wanna pi-- them off

Mike

 

[retroyetirigid]

Modern may well be faster, but I have loads more fun on a retro

 

[JamesM]

Modern may well be faster, but I have loads more fun on a retro

Exactly. The question should be: Is faster better? It's not all about going as fast as you can, although the big players in the industry seem to think it is!!!