But why split it (other than to say '98-08 and '08+)? This is the problem with cyclists everywhere; they're cliquey and want to believe the their clique is the one true important one. I ride road, DH, trail, in the mountains, on dirt jumps and occasionally the BMX too. I ride bikes of all sorts, all ages and in all places and have dug and repaired my fair share of trails. I like old bikes and I like new bikes. And I don't mean this as ill will towards anyone, but the more you divide the closer you get to a group of one and you end up with greater and greater insularity. Why would mid '00's stuff ruin RB? When I joined RB in 2007 the 1998+ section was the equivalent of 2016+ today. Why does one person's rose tinted glasses count for more than another's, and what exactly do you think would ruin the site? I mean this as a genuine question because I just don't understand your issue with that. I've been riding MTBs (of sorts, a 20" Ned Overend replica) since 1992 when I was 7 years old, and therefore my era is from the period I started reading MBUK avidly which was around '95. Do I like looking at earlier stuff? Sure. Is it my main interest? Not really. MTBs only really came into existence in the early eighties, especially commercially, and doubly so in the UK. So I've been riding MTBs for more than 75% of the existence of the sport. Yet apparently most of that isn't retro enough. I think what you actually want is 'Retrobike, the first ten years only'.
I'm on quite a few car forums and cliques always kill them, every single time. The successful ones are where there are sections and if you're not interested in that section then you just don't look at it. Into classic cars? Great. Into racing classic cars? Great. Into rallying classic cars? Also great. Want to just maintain it? Great. Want to modify it heavily with engine and driveline swaps? That's great too. Want pre-war? Awesome. Want post-war? Wonderful. Want modern classics like the stuff you saw in the eighties? 'Man, my dad had one of those when I was a kid'. Want nineties? 'Shit, I'm getting old, I remember when that was the latest thing, but that's really cool'. We all enjoy our hobbies in different ways, surely a site that doesn't cater for the latest marketing nonsense and instead is of interesting bikes that people have had in the past, restored or just always fancied is sufficient. There's more that unites us than divides us and yet, as humans the world over love to do, the focus is on the minutiae of difference to make it a wedge.
I don't agree with that for a second!
