Retrobikes of the future

[pete_mcc]

Ask yourself a question- what do we consider on this site to be current retro bikes? Answer - just about anything old. Therefore retro bikes of the future will be just about anything, but made of carbon, with more gears, and suspension, probably.

 

[andrewl]

Do we reckon we'll be able to get replacement air seals for air shocks that are 15 years old? Caliper seals? Hub bits? Will structural carbon components still be ok after 15 years of use, cleaning, mud and UV exposure? Dunno.

Seals and some hub parts are hard to get for 15 year old air shocks and hubs now, but as the designs on some components haven't changed that much in the last 10 years they should still be easy to get in another 15 years.

There are people riding on 15 - 20 year old carbon frames now and given better engineering techniques now I'd say that the current crop of carbon will still be around in 15 years.

I'm concerned that as bikes get more and more high tech and more and more specialised (pardon the pun) that they won't last as long, and fall into obsolescence quicker.

I think its the other way around. My rides which were built in the 2000s are for the best part still on par with the latest and greatest.

At the top end 9 speed was also around much longer than 8 speed so in many respects there has been a technological slowing down.

Thats my $0.02 worth.

 

[silverclaws]

If it's shimano, then obsolete will be rapidly moving, but bikes and their components, when you strip away the glamour and romance are just products that make or break a shareholders dreams. The more we move into a throw away society the more things become rare, but I suspect with world interest now in conserving resources, the winners in any productive market will be those who ensure longevity.

But rather the future of cycling rather than what will be the future retrobikes, may it even come to be that HPV's are the future, or at least human assisted powered technologies and with that a possible answer to the ever increasing unhealthy society. Oil will fail, it is a transititionary technology.

 

[Rampage]

Are there as many rare exotic bikes as there were in the old days? Such as: Fat Chance, Klein etc.
You can obviously still get DeKerf and DOGSBOLX etc, but you ever hear about them except on this site. If a magazine features very high high end bikes then they are always by a large manufacturer, such as Trek and Specialized.

The Cannondale Flash I think will be sought after.
And probably One-One's!

That S-Works above is really nice, buy it uses a lot of specific parts, especially the suspension so it might not last long enough to become retro!

 

[kaiser]

Are there as many rare exotic bikes as there were in the old days? Such as: Fat Chance, Klein etc.
You can obviously still get DeKerf and DOGSBOLX etc, but you ever hear about them except on this site. If a magazine features very high high end bikes then they are always by a large manufacturer, such as Trek and Specialized.

Loads! Jones, Moots, Litespeed, Lynskey, Indy Fab, Transition, Brodie, Banshee, Chumba, Intense, Santa Cruz, Niner, DaVinici, Spooky, Ibis,Ellsworth, Nicolai, Pivot, Salsa, Ventana, Sycip, Soulcraft, Seven, Cove, Canfield, Spot, Yeti, Turner, Evil, Cotic, Dialled and thats not including some of the custom guys.

Ok maybe not all rare or exotic but not mainstream IMO. And all candidates for future retro!

 

[Tad]

If a magazine features very high high end bikes then they are always by a large manufacturer, such as Trek and Specialized.

[cynic] It's because they have the biggest advertising budgets and the magazines can't survive without the advertising revenue.[/cynic]

 

[sinky]

How about the PRST. I'm sure these will be more sought after as time goes on. And no 'throw away' forks.