Retro or Modern - What do we prefer riding?

[the peasant]

Tough question.
My 96ish proflex, which is set up as a single speed, gets ridden pretty frequently, but it does have a comparatively modern set of forks and brakes on it. My main commuting bike, the one I'm on almost every day, is a 96/98 Litespeed Ocoee FS running a set of fox vanillas and a 42 x 11-26 8speed drivetrain. Serious off road excursions are tackled on a jekyl, but it is still only a 24 speed. Not sure if that counts for anything. I have to admit that the modern does help keep the back in shape and thus me on a bike.

The one bike to take to the desert island would be the proflex. No maintenance with the single speed - gotta love that. So retro for me.

 

[Pickle]

My main rides are an '06 Lemond and an '02 Merlin. Both modern I'd say. But then they are both built with retro in mind and both have an inherent retro soul without a doubt.

Retro is a state of mind as many of us have no doubt said countless times.

I think your right, retro is a state of mind.

My 07 ride has a couple of retro touches, long low stem and straight bars being the main change; its amazing the difference it makes.

You sum it up it up quite well saying the modern bike has a retro soul

 

[jonnyboy666]

agree with most of you guys, this is a hard question.

i have spent alot of time on my older rides and don't really want to mess them up, not worried about the money because i wait for stuff to land in my lap to build stuff coz i am not a rich man! this also explains the lack of super old skool bling parts on some of my bikes!! :cry

so my older bikes come out when the conditions are generally better and when i speciffically want to show them off to someone! although my d2 is the only road bike i have built now so i don't have much choice there except using the cross bike with slicks in the winter(which i hate, the back end is so stiff that with road tyres it's uncomfortable! but as you can see in my gallery that is retroish aswell)

i have however just sold my 07 felt rxc pro frame and built all of the high end kit on to my '07 clockwork, i find that is a nice compromise between new and old(style) i know it's still new but it has a retro feel. steel frame, 100mm reba's, discs, xtr etc.

i still have it set up old style though, 120mm stem and flat bars and bar ends!

when it comes to full suss, modern all the way! orange st4 frame ordered!! the older stuff looks good but doesn't work as well as we'd like i have just bought a proflex frame really cheap to build with stuff i have lying around but again that wouldn't get used much, it's just for a laugh coz i used to have one!

so overall i'd say modern but with a look back to the retro for influence!

p.s love that blizzard!

 

[ededwards]

Like Cherrybomb, I've only got old bikes I'm afraid although would love to ride a new one just to see the difference.

 

[speedplay]

My newest mountain bike is a 2000 so nearly retro but I do have some dating back to about 93 so when it comes to mountain bikes its retro all the way.
The mrs has a 99 kona now too with retro kit on it.
I think like others on here, I'm building up the bikes I wanted and lusted after as a kid but they do get used in the mud like a modern bike would.

I know its nice to have a nice shiny new bike and I still remember collecting my old lts up from the shop (taking the loooong way home via the high street ) but nothig feels quite right like a retro ride.

I know its retro all the way for me....unless its enduro bikes and I get a new one every other year

 

[cherrybomb]

I keep thinking I'd quite like a new Orange Prestige, or maybe one of those new Pace hardtail frames....but to be honest since I don't want 5" travel forks there's no real point. My E4 is as good as any new alloy HT I'd want and I could build up a super nice mid 90's P7 for less than I could buy a new Prestige, so I'll be sticking with retro.

Now full sus...........that's another question all together! :roll:

 

[novekili]

I mostly ride this. How do you consider a new retro bike?

 

[sunchaser]

:shock: That sure is nice..

 

[gradeAfailure]

I'll have to sway the balance further towards retro as I only have retro bikes! Like has been said though, wouldn't mind trying a new steel HT for comparison...

 

[tintin40]

They were good enough BITD why should it be any different now :? The only thing that has changed is me. I've got older and a little slower