What do you hate seeing on a gorgeous retro bike?

[hollister]

dont get it?

that kind of goes without saying

 

[andrewl]

I guess what some people consider a gorgeous bike is rather subjective. For example risers with bar ends are normally teamed with equally questionable choices more about function rather than anything remotely gorgeous and thus it’s not really relevant to the discussion in my opinion.

Personally I find incorrectly spoked front wheels spoil a gorgeous bike but that’s just me and I’m pretty certain that most members here don’t even notice things like that…

 

[GoldenEraMTB]

1. saddle pointing either down or up
2. bar ends pointing up
3. bar ends with risers
4. lay-back post, esp with saddle far back on the rails
5. over-long stems
6. any part chosen for period-correctness, even though it doesn't work
7. unsubtle anodising, esp on posts and bars
8. gaudily-coloured cables and tyres
9. poncey white saddles
10. anything else that's poncey - I mean, man up, it's a mountain bike

haha, the mid to late 80's were a "poncey" time, (not sure I know what poncey means, but I can infer), lots of day glo colors and pure campiness.

As for saddles, some old brooks have serious sag to them, and need a little upward direction to cradle one's groin, much like a hammock with a person. My poor brooks is about dead; it's from the late 70's and has lived a long and productive life.

Many good ones listed in this thread- a retro-grouches Deeelight.

Suspension forks and disc brakes are my no-no list.

 

[Andy R]

1. saddle pointing either down or up
2. bar ends pointing up
3. bar ends with risers
4. lay-back post, esp with saddle far back on the rails
5. over-long stems
6. any part chosen for period-correctness, even though it doesn't work
7. unsubtle anodising, esp on posts and bars
8. gaudily-coloured cables and tyres
9. poncey white saddles
10. anything else that's poncey - I mean, man up, it's a mountain bike

All of the above, plus :-

Brake levers at ridiculous angles (ie hanging straight down).
Nokon cables (especially multi-coloured ones).
Over-long cable outers.
Bikes photographed in large-large or small-small gear ratios.
Ridiculous saddle - bar drop.
Mountain bikes with slick tyres and other "roadie" type set-ups (road cassette etc) :twisted: just get a bloody road bike!

 

[Andy R]

high end old school frames that people decide they want to build as single speed is awful. please just buy a specific frame with horizontal drop outs and leave the nice old frame to someone else who will build it properly!

What was so awful about this poor old thing?

 

[saarf]

I have a retro mtb with deore xt, and I want to use campagnolo racing triple gearing and drive with campag shifters, is this a faux pas for a retro mtb re-build?

 

[suburbanreuben]

4 arm cranks
Cheap modern bits
DIY frame modifications
Risers
Grip shift

And it's a ; bike; not just a build!

 

[Reluctant]

Oh, dear............don't tell AndyR about the Ultegra cassette on my Dave Yates

 

[Charlieboy28]

seems rather apt

 

[merckx]

John Tomac kicking everybodys ass with 'roadie' bars on an MTB:

but why? and even worse is people copying it thinking its cool, dont get it?

tomac did it at the time he was also racing road a lot. his mtb replicated his road bike, to a degree.

not many people can ride like the tomes.....