Show us your late 90s DH bikes

[Wytze]

Occasionally I still ride the '98 Intense M1, RS Boxxer, Hope M4, M950 8 speed

Here in Livigno Bikepark Italy

1 Contemplating

2 Still doubting

3 Asking myself why I keep doing this at my age

4 And landed safely thanks to the 180mm travel front and rear ;-)

5 Walk back up, and let's do that again!! great to be alive!

 

[Kevhl]

Re:

Great pics Wytze.

These might already be on here but here are a few from over the years.

Kona/Turner TM with lots of colourful bits:


Kona Stab (copy of above)


M1 I built for my brother:

 

[superstu]

Brilliant last couple of posts!

 

[TAOS_LTS]

Takes balls to do a drop like that with 1998 geometry!


That picture #2 is so rad!

 

[sam264]

Bigger balls than I, Wytze!

 

[dyna-ti]

Bigger balls than I, Wytze!

Not really. The important skills needed were to be young and under the impression you were indestructible. Coupled with bags of stupidity.

If however youre still doing stuff like that when youre older, then its likely you suffered head trauma in the early days :shock:

 

[Wytze]

Takes balls to do a drop like that with 1998 geometry!

Well the 1998 geometry thing is not really that big a problem on an M1. Because actually there are so many settings that with some puzzling I ended up with a pretty close to modern geometry.
Well, at least I was able to get a shallow head angle; and that is the most problematic thing with old DH bikes that you really notice: the steep XC style head angles.
The steep head angle back then was also due to the 151mm fork, so with the 178mm Boxxer the head angle and wheel base already improve.



I took a picture together with an M9.
What you can see is:
- my frame is a size S the m9 a size M or L
- head angle ok
- M1 pedals to front wheel bit shorter, this also makes that the handlebars are bit too close.
- M1 saddle way over the rear wheel, the M1 was of the era that you didn't need your saddle for DH riding
- M1 BB height was brought down to almost modern standards

And sorry I do not agree with you, dyna-ti. Drop-offs like this aren't the most difficult things to do, no, but it still involves some skills, which makes it more than just doing stupid things.
For instance the M1 frame is a sail in the cross wind, still landing straight gives the same satisfaction as ripping an off chamfer turn on an XC bike.

 

[TAOS_LTS]

Takes balls to do a drop like that with 1998 geometry!

Well the 1998 geometry thing is not really that big a problem on an M1. Because actually there are so many settings that with some puzzling I ended up with a pretty close to modern geometry.
Well, at least I was able to get a shallow head angle; and that is the most problematic thing with old DH bikes that you really notice: the steep XC style head angles.
The steep head angle back then was also due to the 151mm fork, so with the 178mm Boxxer the head angle and wheel base already improve.

This is what I found when I resurrected my old DH race bike....the GT-LTS. Super awkward to ride, but it's mainly a neighborhood cruiser at this point. I love the M1 and would like to source one, but the last thing I need is another bike

 

[Kevhl]

That's nice!
I can't find pictures of either of my old LTS-DHs, I had some great fun on those back in the day.

 

[TAOS_LTS]

That's nice!
I can't find pictures of either of my old LTS-DHs, I had some great fun on those back in the day.

The LTS was such a fun ride. I raced that bike for a couple years then spent 2 summers in Keystone Colorado enjoying the gondola rides.

I was gifted this STS-DH from a old racing buddy that was sponsored by GT bitd. Built it back as more of a XC rig, fun to ride, but I'm afraid I'm going to break it. It's a 98