My journey in retro MTBs since moving to Spain 2 months a go (3 bikes!)

[Diggdydog]

Hello all - I thought I'd take the time to share a bit about my experience having moved to Madrid a couple months a go, and all the wonderful well priced bikes there are to find here!

The retro MTB trend hasn't quite taken hold here, with most riders either commuters on e-bikes or decathlon completes, or are extremely into their hobby with fancy titanium gravel bikes, MTBs, carbon track bikes and full team lycra. I have seen a couple cool bikes here, but not so many.

Upon arriving I knew I'd need a bike, for commuting but also having moved to a city with a desert climate. So I started scouring marketplace and found this old comfy aluminium Orbea. Orbea being a fairly big Spanish brand who have a huge share of the ebike and MTB market here. The frame was solid, nice chunky old school aluminium. It was the first bike I'd owned in years that was a bit ratty and left me unworried as I rode it on tough trails and down multiple sets of stairs coming home from my Spanish classes in the city.




It WAS a fun bike [for the two weeks I had it]. Then, perhaps predictably, it cracked. Right on the head tube.

In those two weeks, I got used to cycling in the streets here and also a huge sprawling park with some incredible trails (Casa de Campo).

So, I set about stripping it down and replacing the frame. However, having started to love cycling here, doing more miles in a week here than a month in London, I had become impatient and ended up buying a Giant that was already built. It ended up taking ages, but it eventually arrived. I love how the frame looks, especially the old colourful decals. However, on my first ride I could tell it was slightly too small for me and felt a touch uncomfortable to ride. However, I still took it out on a few big rides outside of the city, on some pretty rough but fun trails, and it performed well.


However, I still had an itch to build up all those components that were just missing a frame. Especially since the Giant, as fun as it was to flick around, was cramped.

Around this time @Obi-Juan told me about "the mythical Spanish brand", Razesa. I didn't know much about them, but I ended up reading up about their history (along with Orbea + Otero, the other main Spanish frame builders) and set about finding out. I found a beautiful red+black splatter frame in mint condition for only €60. I was a bit apprehensive after accidentally buying a bike a touch small for me before, but luckily this one fit perfect (once I built it up with some recycled components and a few newer ones).



I only finished it a few days a go, and still need to change a couple parts (namely the ugly decathlon saddle) but I've already put 60km or so on it, and I absolutely love it. Fantastic geometry, comfortable, exciting, and fast. And it looks phenomenal. It's also the first bike I've built in a few years, and I really enjoyed the process of taking it all apart and putting it all back together again. Especially that first ride when everything clicks and turns as it should!

Attached a few pictures from a 60km ride outside of the city yesterday. I can highly recommend Madrid as a base for some great ride outs.

To many more!

 

[vtwinvince]

Hey, keep on the lookout for any Zeus stuff down there.

 

[JCS]

Great to see you are out riding. Those trails look good.

 

[d8mok]

I’m in Spain often (wife is from Salamanca) but I never see any proper retro bikes either for sale or out and about.

I see many old bikes but nothing cool and I’m always looking.

When we move out there permanently I want to bring my collection with me but I do worry about them being RHD.

 

[Diggdydog]

I’m in Spain often (wife is from Salamanca) but I never see any proper retro bikes either for sale or out and about.

I see many old bikes but nothing cool and I’m always looking.

When we move out there permanently I want to bring my collection with me but I do worry about them being RHD.

It turns out Facebook marketplace is dead, but looking through the local app Wallapop I've found some gems! Especially Spanish brands (unsurprisingly) but also plenty of components. Envious you've got a plan to move permanently, mine is only semi permanent, but thinking about looking to change that...

Life in the UK can't quite match what's on offer here

 

[d8mok]

Brexit is the issue with the staying out there plan for many.

Unless you marry a Spaniard or take the citizenship test.

We will likely live there part time first. There are definitely plus points to Spanish life but also many downsides too.

I’ll check out that app when I’ve next. As FB turns up nothing.

 

[shedobits]

I moved here nearly 20 years ago and haven't regretted it for a minute. The trails and the climate are just perfect for riding.

 

[madjh]

Have you seen the single tracks in Spain? we love to ride fast, so we are not too much into the retro pre 1997 stuff. In my case I love my RM Element and ETSX 70 because they are fast ... very fast and two weeks ago I have race my Element in a event were I smoke some e-bikers

But we have a small retro Scene. Here my Marin Team Issue:



If you want something nice check some spanish brands like Alkon with the Pirineos. The Spanish Klein hand made:



But if you want something cheap and interesting, check wallapop and try to find a nice Grisley Mega polished aluminium. This is arround 100 euros without the fork. This was mine, despite it is a BH the frame was the same as the Grisley because Grisley was own by BH.



And what about this race beast: My ex megamo Radikal, this was so nice ... but so poor components to ride fast and hard that I have sold it. Lot of mistakes. Good looking yes but poor performance (kooka, trialign specially). This steel frame was made of Tage Ultimate utralight and was under 1.8kg.



And lot of brands like the old Zeus Benetto team bicycles (orbea), BH coronas, Grisley Nimbus, Skroll (take a look for the dual suspension) etc

Spain was apart in terms of bicycles, we love MTB and road bicycle (chek the Once team bicycle, the GIant TCR Once, not dificult to get one) We don´t like commuting bicycles etc as much as in other countries.

You have lot of stuff to discover, well come to the sunny (not in winter and north) and rust free (except the coast areas) Spain

 

[shedobits]

Just an update on dmok's post,
You can apply for a "Permiso De Residencia" card which will allow you to stay for more than 90 days, you can also then use it to travel freely within the EU. It's a bit of a palava to get, involving Spanish Language forms, fingerprints and mugshots plus two visits in person to a ministerial office with your passport.

Many Brits here have an Irish ancestry and so have successfully applied and received an Irish passport and are therefore considered EU citizens.

Oh, did I mention that the climate, food and people are great?

 

[d8mok]

My understanding of Permiso De Residencia is that you need to have lived there for 5 years on the temporary version first?

If im honest the Spanish rules , taxes and whole system makes my brain hurt so I try not to look yet.

We were married in Spain and from what I’ve learned that wil help me have residency. No doubt with a few euros to the right person will help.

Luckily my daughter has both passports so she can move around freely when she’s old enough.

The work situation is also another concern as I’ve no idea what I’d do over there.