the riser bar conundrum? the riser bar nasty! pics on P5

[john]

Re: the riser bar conundrum? the riser bar nasty!

I'll offer a dissenting opinion. Please let it be just that. I think it's fantastic that you guys ride your old bikes, but why do so many try to put round pegs into square holes by trying to modify vintage technology to perform to modern standards? Let vintage bikes be just that - beautiful examples of aged technology. Wonderfully uncomfortable and frustrating to ride. I wouldn't get into a 68 Mustang and expect my back to feel great after a three hour drive. Nor would I be disappointed that The Godfather isn't available in HD.

I ride the hell out my vintage bikes, but I'm loving them because of their faults. Rigid forks, bad brakes, shit tires all create a different trail experience. Lowering the limit bar turns a normal ride into more of a challenge.

There are many, many posts like these. Your Manitou 2 fork will suck no matter what you do to it. Your cantilever brakes will always perform poorly when compared to V-brakes or discs. I feel many on this site would be happier with a modern 29'er.

I agree with some of this. However nothing wrong with being pragmatic, if Jon gets more enjoyment from sticking a 2013 carbon riser on his early 90s Buck then so be it. Anyhow risers started to become common (again) mid 90s onwards plus people were putting higher stems on their rides throughout the early 90s - to say otherwise is revisionist at best.

 

[konahed]

Re: the riser bar conundrum? the riser bar nasty!

I think there are different degrees of retro bikers. There are the hardcore few who must have every single component from the time that the bike was first sold. Then there are a lot of people who like to have retro frames (perhaps they love the old steel frames made from Tange, Reynolds, Columbus etc tubes) but they like to use more modern components with these old frames to get the most out of them.

I am a fan of old steel frames but other components I am happy to upgrade to more modern (read "better") alternatives.

I like old rigid forks like Project 2 etc which you cannot find any better replacement for nowadays, but I think for suspension forks it is very tempting to use a newer fork that keeps the original geometry.

 

[legrandefromage]

Re: the riser bar conundrum? the riser bar nasty!

Theres no such thing as upgrading components. Components havent change in 25 years apart from the recent move 10spd. They are nearly all backwards compatible which is great for recycling but crap for business. You can bung just about any Shimano rear mech into a Shimano 9spd system without issue.

And thats what is great about it all, you can use just about anything you like to build whatever you want and not have to worry

 

[The History Man]

Re: the riser bar conundrum? the riser bar nasty!

Theres no such thing as upgrading components. Components havent change in 25 years apart from the recent move 10spd. They are nearly all backwards compatible which is great for recycling but crap for business. You can bung just about any Shimano rear mech into a Shimano 9spd system without issue.

And thats what is great about it all, you can use just about anything you like to build whatever you want and not have to worry

Unless you're scared of the retro style police!

 

[konatime]

Re: the riser bar conundrum? the riser bar nasty!

Any long low stem flat bar members doing 60 mile a week (thru)?

 

[brocklanders023]

Re: the riser bar conundrum? the riser bar nasty!

Must admit the fun for me with retro bikes is having them built like they were bitd. I wouldn't put new parts on an old bike, I'd just get a more modern bike that suited the parts and had the geometry to go with the lovely modern suss forks.

Saying all that and as has been said, risers were on the way back by 1996.

 

[konatime]

Re: the riser bar conundrum? the riser bar nasty!

any stretched out lots exerting themselves to 50 miles a week (thru)?

 

[Bats]

Re: the riser bar conundrum? the riser bar nasty!

I'll offer a dissenting opinion. Please let it be just that. I think it's fantastic that you guys ride your old bikes, but why do so many try to put round pegs into square holes by trying to modify vintage technology to perform to modern standards? Let vintage bikes be just that - beautiful examples of aged technology. Wonderfully uncomfortable and frustrating to ride. I wouldn't get into a 68 Mustang and expect my back to feel great after a three hour drive. Nor would I be disappointed that The Godfather isn't available in HD.

I ride the hell out my vintage bikes, but I'm loving them because of their faults. Rigid forks, bad brakes, shit tires all create a different trail experience. Lowering the limit bar turns a normal ride into more of a challenge.

There are many, many posts like these. Your Manitou 2 fork will suck no matter what you do to it. Your cantilever brakes will always perform poorly when compared to V-brakes or discs. I feel many on this site would be happier with a modern 29'er.

Bikes are built to be used, we don't buy 'em to keep a historical record. If we did, then we wouldn't ride them at all in case the Original-Paint-With-Original-Orange-Peel got scratched. So if you're gonna ride it, make sure it's right to ride. Else leave the Museum Piece with it's "Period correct" dryrotted everything in the museum.

If you'll excuse the anorakism, the Godfather is a Film that was filmed on Film (that's why it's called a film), so its been in HD since about 1972?

 

[The History Man]

Re: the riser bar conundrum? the riser bar nasty!

+1. been riding Vs for about a week. Got on the canti/U combo pioneer yesterday and had to make an appointment to stop. Part of the charm though. (and it has risers, and a quill adaptor, and DMR V8s)

 

[walleater]

Re: the riser bar conundrum? the riser bar nasty!

I'll offer a dissenting opinion. Please let it be just that. I think it's fantastic that you guys ride your old bikes, but why do so many try to put round pegs into square holes by trying to modify vintage technology to perform to modern standards? Let vintage bikes be just that - beautiful examples of aged technology. Wonderfully uncomfortable and frustrating to ride. I wouldn't get into a 68 Mustang and expect my back to feel great after a three hour drive. Nor would I be disappointed that The Godfather isn't available in HD.

I ride the hell out my vintage bikes, but I'm loving them because of their faults. Rigid forks, bad brakes, shit tires all create a different trail experience. Lowering the limit bar turns a normal ride into more of a challenge.

There are many, many posts like these. Your Manitou 2 fork will suck no matter what you do to it. Your cantilever brakes will always perform poorly when compared to V-brakes or discs. I feel many on this site would be happier with a modern 29'er.

It all depends on where / what trails you ride too though. One would be insane to ride most trails on Vancouvers North Shore with a 20" flat bar and 150mm stem. Which is why in the early 90's people here were already ditching such crappy set-ups. The trails that I used to ride in the early 90's in the UK don't even exist here which is why I have by default ended up creating a 90's North Shore hardtail. As such I actually ride the damn thing (and enjoy it, and yes I do ride a modern 29er too )