Ugly modern bikes

[shogun]

You know what I think the ugliest modern bikes are? The retro styled ones.

 

[Chopper the ex Copper]

Yeah, it's not like the Proflex range give art critics a boner.

 

[marge602]

Have to say Ibbz, writing mostly as a roadie, that in the last 5 years or so road bike design has influenced mtb design. Bitd it was the other way round, and I remember reading something in the late 90's that said that if mtb design had progressed at the rate of road bike design, we'd all still be riding rigid 10 speed bikes with horizontal top tubes.

It was only when I started seeing new mtbs in shops with curved tubes and tapered head tubes that it occurred to me that mtb designers might be slowly running out of ideas. This would tie in nicely with the fact that mtb sales are on the decline, while bikes in general are on the way up.

As this thread is about aesthetics I'm sure you wouldn't appreciate my modern, massively tubed carbon road bike, but one thing's for sure; unlike many modern mtbs that have unnecessary suspension, disc brakes, weight, complexity etc, road bikes are all about speed. Nothing that doesn't need to be there. Minimum weight, maximum power transfer. Function before form, and nothing either more or less

Regards

Marge

 

[Mindmap3]

Ibbz...you'd have a field day if saw the frame that have just put a deposit on! I think it's ace, but you'll probably want to pour bleach in your yes to remove the image!

Marge, whilst I agree with you that road bikes are built for speed I don't think suspension or disc brakes are unnecessary; both allow FR more difficult terrain to be ridden and at a faster pace. Disc brakes certainly work better in the wet. However, I do agree that something's are now too complicated; remote fork and lever control is pointless, the new Fox CTD system is awful and there are far too any 'standards'.

 

[ibbz]

Have to say Ibbz, writing mostly as a roadie, that in the last 5 years or so road bike design has influenced mtb design. Bitd it was the other way round, and I remember reading something in the late 90's that said that if mtb design had progressed at the rate of road bike design, we'd all still be riding rigid 10 speed bikes with horizontal top tubes.

It was only when I started seeing new mtbs in shops with curved tubes and tapered head tubes that it occurred to me that mtb designers might be slowly running out of ideas. This would tie in nicely with the fact that mtb sales are on the decline, while bikes in general are on the way up.

As this thread is about aesthetics I'm sure you wouldn't appreciate my modern, massively tubed carbon road bike, but one thing's for sure; unlike many modern mtbs that have unnecessary suspension, disc brakes, weight, complexity etc, road bikes are all about speed. Nothing that doesn't need to be there. Minimum weight, maximum power transfer. Function before form, and nothing either more or less

Regards

Marge

El Duderino, I mean Marge, the thread is about aesthetics, and in that I think MTB's are way behind even the ugliest Road Bikes (though this morning I saw a guy on a bike with sloped top tube and thick alloy hydroformed bodywork, which I mistook for an MTB, but then I saw the dropped handlebars and skinny tyres and the first thought that came into my mind was "that's one ugly Mo***r F***er"(with an Arnie voice).

The Racers are bult for speed, hence the carbon composite tubes and such, but as someone mentioned here before, Modern F1 cars are hardly beautiful.

I guess the reason why we're on Retrobike is more than simply nostalgia though, it's also preference. Sure if I was going to race seriously I'd have to invest in a modern Racer, but that's more of needs must than what ones heart desires.

But even then, the designers have lost the plot I think, though on the streets of London I see many many road bikes, and a huge amount of 'Fixies' - made by (or rather for) smaller boutique firms (such as Brick Lane Bikes amongst others) and I must admit, whether Chinese made or not, most of these look very nice compared to the typical MTB or race style bikes with gears.

 

[kingoffootball]

At the risk of resuscitating the thread, I've just come across a rarity - a modern bike which I find visually attractive:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... SS:GB:1123

Although as it's only a frameset I might find it less attractive when built up.

 

[al-onestare]

I almost (not quite ;-) ) fell in love with a cream coloured version of this at my LBS the other day.

Lovely finish, nice welds and well, it's gonna last being a CK.

 

[player]

As grogee said earlier it's all front end as the forks just look far to long for the frame.I couldn't imagine riding uphill on that thing.

 

[xerxes]

Is it just suspension that people find ugly?

I rather like this fat tyred cyclocross/29er hybrid.

 

[IRIX]

Not so proud to be Finnish...

http://www.powercobikeconcept.com/index.html

Needs a rider to match