Its not for me...

[legrandefromage]

After reading the Freaks thread and flipping through a recent MBR, I've come to the conclusion that its not for me.

Berms, trail centres, 6.3" of travel

Its not for me.

Orange 5, 'North shore', 30lb full suss monsters

Its not for me.

Getting air, 'enduro', external BB

Its not for me.

This isn't a bash against modern, I like disc brakes, I like a decent full suspension bike, but all the magazines I picked up made it look like you weren't trying hard enough if you weren't doing 30mph through a trail centre then packing up and going home after 19mins of cycling.

The age old chestnut of you must have the latest to be the best still runs true it seems, just to make sure you dont have a red face at the start of the ride.

Is it me? Have I reached some sort of milestone? I like riding for hours not minutes. I like to go uphill as well as down. I like the view, the sights and sound and smells of a long ride yet, according to the magazines, I'm doing it all wrong. Cantilevers? Only 21 speeds?

Damn, I'm a freak...

 

[marin man]

So am I .......

 

[sinnerman]

freaks

....I know what you mean, went on a long one yeaterday, came back down off the moor, and back onto the cycle path which takes us to the car, passed a loada guys on big rigs with acres of travel, just out of cann woods, and we had abuse shouted at us, for riding antiques.......whats the world coming too...?

I remember the days it didnt matter what you rode, as long as you were riding there was an element of camarderie....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As for the magazines, how many stores are now selling big bucks bikes, it seems, if you dont have a rig with price ticket of £2500+++++++ you aint cool................well my answer to the marketing hype..."I make my own kinda cool"......!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[drcarlos]

You seem pretty normal to me. I went out yesterday and felt grim when my sinus infection got the better of me after 90 minutes. Normally like 2-3 hours around the forest, going up, down and flat, on singletrack and fireroads. Not kicking the arse out of it speedwise and stopping a few times just to chill.

I seem to be in the minority at Swinley forest though as most rider there seem to be on mega full sussers and ride (a lot even walk) straight to the biggest downhill they can find and stay there for a few runs walking to the top and going back down, they then go to another run and repeat the process. Doesn't grab me really.

Carl.

 

[The Ken]

I'm a freak too, but it was something that happened over time with me - in my 20's it was all about downhill speed and how far I could jump. I hated going up hill back then, wait a minute, I still do

 

[wired99]

I go out for hours up on the Downs and enjoy every minute. I do pass a load of guys on nice new shiny machines who, no matter where I am on the route, seem to be going flat out downhill. never actually see any when I am going uphill....weird. :?

 

[Tad]

Re: freaks

As for the magazines, how many stores are now selling big bucks bikes, it seems, if you dont have a rig with price ticket of £2500+++++++ you aint cool................well my answer to the marketing hype..."I make my own kinda cool"......!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The magazines make bugger all from the cover price, they make their money out of advertising. If they started printing "The king has no clothes" articles their advertising revenue for the shops selling £2500+ full sus armchairs and externall BBs and all that fangled stuff would dry up and they'd go bankrupt.

Happy being a freak over here.

 

[taffy]

Tis the fashion.

i do feel a bit bemused looking at a lot of riders on big travel full sussers as around my way i feel my old FSR with nearly 3 " of travel is seemingly overkill as the trails just done have that much umm lumps and bumps. yet i still see a heck of a lot of riders on full sussers wiht more travle at one end than my 1 full suspension bike has altogether.

I was flicking through this months MBUK and to ride properly now i need a four and a half trail bike with 6" of bounce at either end a 15 mm front axle, ISCG chain mounts and other stuff too or a 29 er or such.

I cant huck, don't own a stupid baseball cap / hat

i'm marginally better at riding uphill than i am down them.. the list si endless.

I am not a fashion victim and proud of it.

 

[legrandefromage]

Up the Retrobikers!

 

[sinnerman]

Re: freaks

As for the magazines, how many stores are now selling big bucks bikes, it seems, if you dont have a rig with price ticket of £2500+++++++ you aint cool................well my answer to the marketing hype..."I make my own kinda cool"......!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The magazines make bugger all from the cover price, they make their money out of advertising. If they started printing "The king has no clothes" articles their advertising revenue for the shops selling £2500+ full sus armchairs and externall BBs and all that fangled stuff would dry up and they'd go bankrupt.

Happy being a freak over here.

I agree completely, if you go back 10 to 12 years there were a handfull of manufacturers selling bikes at £3k plus, in there range of bikes, now i cant count how many brands are in this price range, !!!!!!!!

I dont know about fellow retrobikers, but i do read the mags, and have always enjoyed reading reviews, but i got to be honest.......isnt it about time we dispensed with the marketing hype, geared up to sell product.....we the people are riding the stuff they have hyped up for decades, and now they tell us we need this and that to ride down hill etc....well i got to be honest, id be a keen reader of rider reviews on our own bikes......perhaps we should have a thread dedicated to it, go on a ride, take sum pics, and actually write a few paragraghs on what your feelings are on the bike you ride, .....even comparisons, straight from the horses mouth, without all the prepaid marketing hype that goes with it.....winters here..........id love to hear peoples reviews on there bikes....???