Ugly modern bikes

this guys bent his down tube too!

ugly bendy modern tat

merlin_newsboy_n014_20101009_000.jpg
 
Thats more retro than you could possibly imagine....

Rigid Ti
Chainstay U Brake
Full XTR M900
Amberwalls
Leather Brookes
P2's




G
 
My beautiful modern
img_1540_508.jpg


And my 'only I could love it' butt ugly modern
***FEW HOURS WARNING, PIC COMING***

Thing is that green beast is so far advanced in both adaptability and outright performance it's a totally different riding experience, barely even the same sport to what we all know & love.

And I don't find things ugly if they work effectively, if it's good engineering, it's always pretty in my eyes.


But here's another thought:
In the early nineties there were a few thousand of us(?) spending all our time, money and energy on many interesting contraptions, some wonderful, many just weird. Now there are many billions (it's true, check out sunny Sundays at any trail centre) who buy in to the marketing and nonsense, ride hideously over-graphiced bikes (not like our old DynaTechs, Astars etc :p ) and generally show little sartorial grace.

So where are the few thousand for whom the real tech and craftmanship still matter? Still there of course, riding beautifully designed and lovingly created works of metallurgic - and plastic - art.

They're just a bit harder to spot amongst the pap, and you'll pay for the pleasure, as we always did. Luckily most of them are on here :LOL:
 
I think its going a bit far to say all modern bikes are ugly, lets face it there were some pretty ugly bikes back in the day, and the colours and graphics weren't always restrained. Although I tend to find modern bikes too garish in colour and graphics myself, no more than the old Alpinestars colours or the myriad of speckle paint jobs.

I actually like modern bikes for the most part, I like mountain bikes that look like mountain bikes, I'm not fond of bikes that look like road bikes with fat tires. so oversized tubing and sloping top tubes and beyond for me. :) but then I ride a Quake! ;-)

Here is a pic of my current dream modern bike, an Intense Carbine. Except for the ott graphics I think this is gorgeous.
 

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elPedro666":38cah3kn said:
My beautiful modern
img_1540_508.jpg


And my 'only I could love it' butt ugly modern
***FEW HOURS WARNING, PIC COMING***

Thing is that green beast is so far advanced in both adaptability and outright performance it's a totally different riding experience, barely even the same sport to what we all know & love.

And I don't find things ugly if they work effectively, if it's good engineering, it's always pretty in my eyes.


But here's another thought:
In the early nineties there were a few thousand of us(?) spending all our time, money and energy on many interesting contraptions, some wonderful, many just weird. Now there are many billions (it's true, check out sunny Sundays at any trail centre) who buy in to the marketing and nonsense, ride hideously over-graphiced bikes (not like our old DynaTechs, Astars etc :p ) and generally show little sartorial grace.

So where are the few thousand for whom the real tech and craftmanship still matter? Still there of course, riding beautifully designed and lovingly created works of metallurgic - and plastic - art.

They're just a bit harder to spot amongst the pap, and you'll pay for the pleasure, as we always did. Luckily most of them are on here :LOL:


Exactly Pete, your bike just looks like an evoloution of what went before.

Agree about modern decals too. The first thing a lot of us used to do to our new bikes bitd was stick free MBUK stickers all over it. 'Onza', 'Powerbar' anyone? Are we really saying modern bikes are more ott then the 1991 Saracens, Alpinestars, Orange or Klein?
 
unkleGsif":1bgy49gd said:
Thats more retro than you could possibly imagine....

Rigid Ti
Chainstay U Brake
Full XTR M900
Amberwalls
Leather Brookes
P2's




G

actually it was attempt at sarcastically pointing out bendy tubes aren't new or always ugly

oh and pedant in me cant help but point out its not a u brake.
 
I wouldn't necessarily say modern bikes are ugly, but the ones that appeal to me aesthetically are few and far between.
 
jamabikes":3pxmbmwc said:
actually it was attempt at sarcastically pointing out bendy tubes aren't new or always ugly

oh and pedant in me cant help but point out its not a u brake.



Fair enough.... sarcasm doesnt always carry digitally
If its not a U brake, and its clearly not a canti or V, what is it btw?


G
 
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