I should probably mention that i swapped the rear deraileur for a early 00s xt.
You know the bike world is totally FUBAR when you need to upgrade with a 20 year old part.
Spending, say, a grand, on a bike to ride, in order to have less bikes.
- Thread starter Captain Stupido
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You know the bike world is totally FUBAR when you need to upgrade with a 20 year old part.
Captain Stupido
Senior Retro Guru
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Ragley Trig looks nice. More than a grand, but they do sell frame and forks separately.
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Absolutely agree, mine is ace although I still have not settled on the best bar. Wide with short reach is what I reckon I need.
Captain Stupido
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Lovely, I'm tempted actually although affordability and availability would be a limiting factor. Maybe just bite the bullet on a frameset and save up for bits...
Is yours the 650b complete bike? I wonder about putting flat bars on one. Also, what options are there for mudguards on the front? Hard to tell from pics...
Is yours the 650b complete bike? I wonder about putting flat bars on one. Also, what options are there for mudguards on the front? Hard to tell from pics...
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Do it mate, they are spot on. I got mine as a complete bike on C2W back in March. I had them on stock alert from CRC and was just lucky that a load landed just when I was able to buy. I'd go full build if you can as you'll struggle to match the spec for the money atm. Mine has Shimano GRX which is 10x better than the Sram Rival on my old Marin so the only way to go IMO but there's not much chance of buying it separately any time soon.
Not sure on the front mudguard, I'll have to check. There are bolts for racks on the forks so I imagine you can?
Not sure on the front mudguard, I'll have to check. There are bolts for racks on the forks so I imagine you can?
Captain Stupido
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It's the top mounting I'm unsure of i.e. in the fork crown. Would be great if you can have a look!
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Will do but remind me if I forget!
Not to mention depreciation in nearly all new bikes....Hang on a minute. This thread began with "basically I need the good people of RB land to talk me out of buying a new bike" and it's ending up as the opposite: suggestions of new bikes to buy! Such is the bike-acquisition impulse on Retrobike!
Now, I might be playing devil's advocate here but this is why you should not buy a new, £1,000 bike.
1) Modern bikes have less character than good old cro-mo 90s bikes. They might be efficient at what they do, but being soulless carbon/alloy lumps of cynicism, they are dull. You might get fit and healthy but part of you will be dying inside. Remember that: you will be dying inside!
2) 1x gearing. Convincing the buying public that 1 x 10/11/12 is better than 3 x 7/8/9 is a triumph of marketing spin. A do-it-all bike aka a gravel bike aka an adventure bike aka a hybrid is best off with a wider range of gears and a bigger choice between the highest and lowest gears. After all, you want higher gears for the road miles and some lower gears for the steeper, rougher off road miles. But the marketing will have you believe that you will be happy with 36/11 as your top gear on a nice stretch of flat road. Well, not when you see the roadies shooting past, and even the occasional 26" MTB with 42/11 cruising past.
3) More expense: you will want a more expensive lock because you bike will be more attractive to thieves; cassettes will be more expensive; chains will be more expensive and they will not last as long. Your children/spouse/partner/even pets will look at you with reproach, knowing that you are spending more on your one-bike-to-rule-them-all and less on them and they will resent you for that.
4) Jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none: you will be dissatisfied with the performance in one respect or another and begin 'tweaking' and each time you do, you will still be dissatisfied. It will be an unquenchable addiction that can only be solved by buying other bikes and then you will be back at square one. Again, your loved ones will look askance.
5) Your new bike will be old one day so you might as well get an old bike now and just get used to living with the old. Otherwise, you're back with an expensive addiction again, buying new bike after new bike . . . and your loved ones will disapprove. So will the planet.
6) A flat bar gravel bike is just a slight variation on a 90s mountain bike anyway.
So, if you want to be slow, lonely, have the whole planet hate you and feel like you're dying inside, buy a new do-it-all bike. Alternatively, just sell off some of the unwanted stuff you've got and clear some space that way.
I hope this is the talking you out of buying a new bike that you wanted.
dirttorpedo
Senior Retro Guru
I bought a used Elephant NFE frame and built it up with vintageish parts and drop bars and its great on roads, dirt roads and light trails.
http://www.elephantbikes.com/stock/
You will spend more than a grand on this I suspect - I paid $1400 CDN for the frame, racks and some other bits and bobs a few years ago. I also built up a vintage Miyata hybrid as a gravel bike and the Elephant is the better bike.
http://www.elephantbikes.com/stock/
You will spend more than a grand on this I suspect - I paid $1400 CDN for the frame, racks and some other bits and bobs a few years ago. I also built up a vintage Miyata hybrid as a gravel bike and the Elephant is the better bike.
munkey_bwy
Retro Guru
I bought an ex demo 2016 Kona Hei Hei race in 2016, it still has some of the 90's arse up head down positioning but with more modern geometry and 29" wheels. Its as fast as my carbon wippet ,but also more fun to ride.
I paid £850 back then and it is definitely a keeper.
I paid £850 back then and it is definitely a keeper.
