Is Retro faster?

[66 triumph daytona]

Re:

Going 80mph on a classic motorbike/car is faster than going 150mph in a new M5/Hyabusa.....

 

[mattr]

Modern is bolt upright, it sort of floats over everything enabling a magazine shot style stance every ride because you're gnarly.

Really? You really should buy a bike better suited to what you want to do.
FWIW I don't have a bolt upright bike. And the position on my carbon is within a few mm of my retro......... The fs position is pretty close too.

 

[ultrazenith]

Modern is bolt upright, it sort of floats over everything enabling a magazine shot style stance every ride because you're gnarly.

Really? You really should buy a bike better suited to what you want to do.
FWIW I don't have a bolt upright bike. And the position on my carbon is within a few mm of my retro......... The fs position is pretty close too.

I just happened to read a review in MBUK of some entry level 650b's, and was amused to read their reviewer complaining that the bikes have too upright positions - too much weight on the rear wheel, making the front wander/lift on steep climbs, and giving a less efficient pedal stroke. What I didn't know is the old retro stretched / head down riding position allows a rider to put the powerful lower back (and some other) muscles into his/her pedal stroke, which can make for greater power output. Which makes sense if you look at how road bikes use a similar riding position to retro MTBs.

In the same issue, there's an article on pro MTB champion Jaroslav Kulhavý and the retro riding position he adopted on his otherwise thoroughly modern MTB.

 

[dyna-ti]

Is Retro faster?

No. It just has more class

 

[Silvergoat]

Re:

Retro possibly has more class, style, romance, and embodies the ground-building heritage titles, achievements and growth of Mountain Biking sport.

There's so many factors like full Retro rigid, Retro hard tail/front suspension, quality of frame (mass-produced or custom bespoke) and kit, fitness, skill and age of rider. Also, the type of terrain. No doubts that today's modern full long-travel suspension bike will out-smoke and spank most Retros.

Have just spent the day viewing Hans Rey stuff after seeing the following: http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... p;t=316736 Rey's vast collection of Retro classics and memorabilia is just "awesome" and wonderfully documented by himself. But it was just great watching clips of an older "Hans 'No-Way' Rey" nailing trails and perilous descents on a totally modern GT.

 

[The History Man]

And don't forget the lard factor.

 

[Silvergoat]

Re:

Fortunately, my apparel is looser fit mountain biker garb. Comfort is everything these days. Besides, lard doesn't look sexy in svelte lycra.

 

[legrandefromage]

Modern is bolt upright, it sort of floats over everything enabling a magazine shot style stance every ride because you're gnarly.

Really? You really should buy a bike better suited to what you want to do.
FWIW I don't have a bolt upright bike. And the position on my carbon is within a few mm of my retro......... The fs position is pretty close too.

I just happened to read a review in MBUK of some entry level 650b's, and was amused to read their reviewer complaining that the bikes have too upright positions - too much weight on the rear wheel, making the front wander/lift on steep climbs, and giving a less efficient pedal stroke. What I didn't know is the old retro stretched / head down riding position allows a rider to put the powerful lower back (and some other) muscles into his/her pedal stroke, which can make for greater power output. Which makes sense if you look at how road bikes use a similar riding position to retro MTBs.

In the same issue, there's an article on pro MTB champion Jaroslav Kulhavý and the retro riding position he adopted on his otherwise thoroughly modern MTB.

That picture so reminds my of a Cannondale I once owned - way too upright for what I was used to at the time.

 

[ultrazenith]

I just found this article, describing an attempt at a controlled test of 29er vs 26er on an XC course. http://www.bicycling.com/mountain-bike/ ... tudy-finds

The upshot is that all the test riders were faster on the 29er, by an average of 2.4%. That's so small that only a pro racer should really care about the difference in speed.

The full text is here. https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... ain_bikers

I'm going to read the full paper to check what the course was like and what the bikes were, etc.

 

[ultrazenith]

I just found this article, describing an attempt at a controlled test of 29er vs 26er on an XC course. http://www.bicycling.com/mountain-bike/ ... tudy-finds

The upshot is that all the test riders were faster on the 29er, by an average of 2.4%. That's so small that only a pro racer should really care about the difference in speed.

The full text is here. https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... ain_bikers

I'm going to read the full paper to check what the course was like and what the bikes were, etc.