New bikes

[legrandefromage]

Re: Re:

Carbon can never be repaired properly.

Corrected that for you, it can never really be 'repaired', the structure and the weave is interrupted, the behaviour is changed, the stresses will go elsewhere around a thicker section possibly leading to failure from undetected damage.

Sorry to those that make a business out repairing carbon fibre frames! Its a great business model though, theres no MOT for bikes nor any regulations to say that your repair is safe, absolutely no certification process whatsoever.

Even with most aluminium frame repairs, the material used is usually the original problem, a crack in one tube is likely to lead to another elsewhere due to welding stresses / heat processes - its grain structure and all that.

At least with the old bonded stuff, you could take a whole tube out, clean the lugs and glue in something new.

 

[jimo746]

To be honest, unless you just want a shiny shiny new Bike, or regularly ride some rad gnarly trail centres , you probsbly don't "need" a new new Bike, a bike a few years old is still relatively new but cheaper.
My modern mtb only gets used occasionally, for riding in "the big hils" where anything retro would be out of it's (and my) depth.

But it's your money, and I don't think another bike in the stable is ever a bad thing. PX/On-one have some interesting frames coming out at the moment too.

 

[legrandefromage]

I'm sure Trek have brought out a 'new' bike that has more traditional geometry so you can party like its 2007

or something...


Check out their prices! :shock:

https://www.trekbikes.com/gb/en_GB/bikes/c/B100/

 

[ishaw]

Re:

I had a Raleigh quadra bitd. Great frame/bike. Iirc it was what with red, yellow and blue fade which looked great, much better than the generic looking paint jobs today.

Most of my 'retro' bikes are built around the frames which I feel have the character modern stuff is missing.

You can throw almost any modern component at a retro frame and they will wear them well (boost bullshit aside).

Build a bike you want around a frame you like and you cant go wrong. You know what you like/don't so you can use the best of both retro and modern worlds. I even use v brakes on frames with a canti brace and aside from a few snide comments, have lived a full and happy life so far (I've even removed canti braces from a retro ti frame).

 

[Duxuk]

Don't know about road bikes but I have compared times round a local red graded circuit on new and retro. My 27.5" FS doesn't feel as fast because the bigger tyres with less pressure grip and don't skitter around at the limit of grip. My old Whyte JW4 is 26" wheeled and feels like you're flying. It doesn't feel as safe but it's lighter. In identical conditions on 2 rides last year, on the 11 and a bit minute lap, I was a significant 19 seconds quicker on the Whyte.
Curse those fatter tyres. In some conditions they're definitely slower.

 

[d8mok]

Re: Re:

Carbon can never be repaired properly.

Corrected that for you, it can never really be 'repaired', the structure and the weave is interrupted, the behaviour is changed, the stresses will go elsewhere around a thicker section possibly leading to failure from undetected damage.

Sorry to those that make a business out repairing carbon fibre frames! Its a great business model though, theres no MOT for bikes nor any regulations to say that your repair is safe, absolutely no certification process whatsoever.

Even with most aluminium frame repairs, the material used is usually the original problem, a crack in one tube is likely to lead to another elsewhere due to welding stresses / heat processes - its grain structure and all that.

At least with the old bonded stuff, you could take a whole tube out, clean the lugs and glue in something new.

Just out of interest how many carbon bikes have you owned? And secondly how many have those have been broken?

I’ve owned quite a few and never had a issue. I ride them hard and if I had a issue I’d claim on warranty or crash replacement. If it was outside of warranty I’d just buy another as they are that good compared to alloy. The chances are slim of them breaking anyway.

I bet you will have a meltdown if we start discussing carbon wheels.

Reality is that tech moves on. Whether that tech is for you or not is your decision but to argue that they aren’t as good as bikes 20-30 years ago is absurd in my opinion.

We all come on this site for the love of retro but don’t let it cloud your thinking. Retro bikes are great but things have moved on if you are riding them properly and not just nipping round the local red route at a full trail centre.

 

[legrandefromage]

Nobody is arguing that bikes were better, carbon fibre is very difficult to recycle. It is an environmental nightmare and no proper information on long term effects on health when it comes to workers and cheap manufacturing.

The broken carbon bikes that came into the shop were properly broken and deemed unsafe for any attempt at repairs. The customer could do what they liked but we would no longer work on the bike.

Now you have a mix of batteries and carbon taking a green mode of transport into a realm it should never have visited.

 

[Captain Stupido]

Thanks guys, plenty of food for thought. For starters I’m inclined to say that I don’t need to upgrade my road bike. I don’t use the quadra that much but generally speaking I’m quite happy with the spec. Relative to a real “vintage” bicycle I like that it has indexed Shimano gears, alloy rims etc. but in terms of technological innovations, that’s probably good enough.

My Dawes, which is basically a 26” wheeled tourer, is possibly a candidate for retromodding, if only because I’d quite like to put drop bars on it, and STIs would be a good option, and work with canti brakes. Also as it’s steel it would be easy to respace the back end... in a way the alloy trek would be an even better candidate as it needs building up, it’s probably lighter and faster, and I could get some modern 700c wheels. Only trouble is respacing the back end...

All that said, PX have just emailed me and are doing seconds of their entry level ish CX bikes for £500 which is undoubtedly a steal. On paper ione of these would make a practical replacement for my road bike and my utility bike. Ought to be a practical and fast do anything bike. But my gut feeling is that it would probably feel much like the Genesis I had before...

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/EBPXCXXLA ... c01bd62729

https://planetx.us1.list-manage.com/tra ... c01bd62729

It seems that when it comes to a real change a modern mtb does offer that, but seeing as the jury’s out on whether it’s likely to offer any more fun than my Orange, I’m inclined to say that if anything I should look for a disc brake equipped 26” P7 and say that’s modern enough.

Now you have a mix of batteries and carbon taking a green mode of transport into a realm it should never have visited.

I hadn’t really considered the sustainability of carbon, but you’re right so I won’t be buying a carbon bike.

I disagree on the e-bike thing though. You have to look at them as a car alternative, not a bike alternative. Much greener than a car.

It’s really hilly here and in practical terms a bike doesn’t make sense for e.g. trips to the supermarket. An e-bike might, so I would consider buying one so that I can use the car less.

 

[My_Teenage_Self]

I bought a new bike this year, only the second brand new bike i've ever bought - the last was in 1994. It's an outgoing 2019 model (even though the 2020 model is the same) and was massively reduced.

I deliberately went for an XC bike, NOT a GnarHuckingSlackSled. It's a 29er carbon (sorry LGF) hardtail, and weighs about 24lb with 2.25 tyres. Very much not a 'fashionable' bike.

The gears are fine - I like 1x drivetrains, but it's not 'better' than 3x or 2x. Shifting *IS* smoother than 20 year old kit, even XTR (M900). Brakes are good, but I'm not a downhiller, so, Meh. It's FAR less twitchy than my retros, but still handles really nicely on technical stuff.

Frame compliance design has improved, it's very comfy seated, but still very 'stiff' (no flex that shouldn't be there).

I bought it to hammer the miles on, as I can buy replacement parts easily.

Is it better than my retros... Yes. It's faster, the big wheels really do roll with less effort (my basic grasp of physics tells me that they should too), and the handling is excellent. It's comfy and more to the point, the riding position suits me better than my old bikes.

I rode a friends super-slack Whyte hardtail, and THAT felt weird. I'm sure it would be fine pointing downhill, but for general XC I didn't 'get it'.


Choose the right bike for you and modern bikes are very, very good. But, and it's a big But, it doesn't make our old bikes any less relevant. My Lotus has a soul that my new bike doesn't.

 

[legrandefromage]

A note on the shifting

It isnt better than the original 7spd Hyperglide, its exactly the same, what has changed is that the spaces between the cogs has go closer and closerererer. This leads to the 'feel' changing as the shifts are 'quicker', snappier, thats just normal physics making things seem better. The mech doesnt have to move as far. Shifting with my XT thumbies feels like it takes an age when compared to 10spd, the cables and mech have to move far more.

You can then put that shifting on any old frame you like, it will 'feel' better/ quicker etc

Again, you cant really compare new and old bikes anymore, they're no longer comparable, its a new branch on the bicycle tree

*what I have found when following riders on 1x10 or 1x11 etc is that they shift far more, clattering up and down the cassette whereas as my own shifting seems to sit within 2 or 3 favourite ratios