What is 'retro'

[FluffyChicken]

gibbleking, you cannot write off all Orange owners like this.

they can come matt black and look like all the other oranges*






* well they all look the same, but actually find two identical or one who knows what it really is is hard to find

 

[gibbleking]

ooh my sides are hurting....just a thought...no chance of mine blending in huh...took it to work at 1 of the schools i teach cycling at and promplty jammed the hallways with drooling kids....(its norfolk ...they still point at planes here)

 

[Crayons]

I was going to say, pre-disk brakes :?

My RC200 F6 would be considered retro – yes?

An RC300 would not, however. But then I remembered I've got V's on the NRS and that's from 2003

So how about this – any mtb with 8 cogs or fewer on the back

 

[RawBikeCo]

I was thinking about this the other day and came to the conclusion that what's regarded as retro is dependant on the age group, i think a large number on here are in their 30's (i'm 37), retro to this age group seems to be the early to mid 90's as it represents their best memories (maybe a favourite or first bike or favourite rider), it's also being able to afford bikes or parts now that were prohibitively expensive back then but are now only slightly prohibitively expensive .

Yep that just about sums it up for me, either rebuilding your old bike to its original time correct state or as Ive done replacing bikes that I should have never sold..........I will get you back Ti fat I will..........

 

[daj]

retro is dependant on the age group

represents their best memories

it's also being able to afford bikes or parts now that were prohibitively expensive back then but are now only slightly prohibitively expensive

That about sums it up for me, Early stuff with cantis was before my time but give me a mid-90s full suss and its floats my boat!!

 

[dbmtb]

Any bike that reminds you of when you were younger and broke, is my personal definition....

Actual chronological age is irrelevant, what with age being a subjective matter and wotnot.

 

[Anthony]

Retro means not modern. There's nothing in between.

So V-brakes are retro (even though there were disk brakes before there were V-brakes), 8-speed is retro, 70mm forks are retro (and 80mm soon will be) etc. And there isn't a set date. My daughter says my 2006 mobile phone is retro, and she has a point because it doesn't have a camera. In fact even something that's new can be retro, if it isn't in a modern style.

But if you had a 90s Fat Chance, with full 2008 XTR, 2008 SIDs, Hope discs etc, would that be retro? Sounds a bit too modern to me.

 

[Average Mark]

Oops Tony, I agree with Jimi on this completly, but i would just like to point out, no matter their age group, actually riding the things as intended is more important to me than age. Would you rather ride mine round Fitton or your Sanny? I know my answer would be my Generic, borring matt black orange....

 

[NakedGav]

I was thinking about this the other day and came to the conclusion that what's regarded as retro is dependant on the age group, i think a large number on here are in their 30's (i'm 37), retro to this age group seems to be the early to mid 90's as it represents their best memories (maybe a favourite or first bike or favourite rider), it's also being able to afford bikes or parts now that were prohibitively expensive back then but are now only slightly prohibitively expensive .

I think this sums up my thinking exactly, Like I say my Giant is a 97 but just doesn't give me the same 'harking back to my youth' feeling that some of the builds I've seen on here do. I'm early 30's myself (31) and the early to mid 90's stuff evokes the best memories for me to. The days of flicking through mbuk gazing at all the trick anodised cnc goodness that I couldn't afford !

 

[Dr S]

A good way to measure retro-ness is how much you ache the next day after a long ride.
Bruises from hitting things through lack of brakes and back and neck pain from long stems, shins smashed to bits because of slippy Deore pedals and worn out mech and shifters= Retro

If you feel good after a ride it must be a modern bike- thats progress for you!

That said, arn't modern rigs boring to look at? There were loads of top money high end bikes in Dalby on Sunday and although they looked like they did a good job I didn't fancy any of them. Me and my mates spent ages looking at an ancient steel framed wonder (looked like a Muddy Fox??) from the early 80's back at the cafe- twin boom stem, pre Deore 15 speed and the lot -ace!