What state is retro biking in at the moment?

[fagin]

Some random words

Some more random words.

Obviously you're right. Which is why anyone earning a living riding finds 25 year old kit more than adequate.

 

[Rod_Saetan]

Ah opinions, someone said someone funny about opinions once I seem to recall, anyway.

What state is retro-biking in? I dunno, seems OK to me, the for sale section is a little slower, there are less exciting and interesting new finds in the Reader's Rides sections (in my opinion, you know), but it's OK. I see more people riding bikes in general though, that can only be a good thing, unless you are of the opinion that only Cyclists whose narrow idea of what is the right type of bike and riding should be out there enjoying themselves.

Personally, I like:

Lightweight steel bikes with skinny tubes and rigid forks
Sorted rider-tuned air forks
Well set-up Cantis
XT disc brakes
120mm flat stems and swept back 22" bars
80mm stems and 760mm wide bars
Selle Italia Turbos
Dropper posts
Campagnolo Euclid
Tubeless tyres
Fade paint jobs
Single speeds
2 x 10 drive with clutch mech
Riding bikes

 

[rjsdavis]

Some random words

Some more random words.

Obviously you're right. Which is why anyone earning a living riding finds 25 year old kit more than adequate.

... but I don't - hence the word "former" in an earlier post. At my age, it's now about ownership, not fixing things these days. Is that a little more than you expected?

Maybe a little more thought is required.

 

[fagin]

Obviously you're right. Which is why anyone earning a living riding finds 25 year old kit more than adequate.

... but I don't - hence the word "former" in an earlier post. At my age, it's now about ownership, not fixing things these days. Is that a little more than you expected?

Maybe a little more thought is required.

You might note I said earning a living riding. No reference to you.
Maybe a little more comprehension is required.

 

[PurpleFrog]

Personally, I like:

Lightweight steel bikes with skinny tubes and rigid forks
Sorted rider-tuned air forks

One of the things the designers should be doing is to perhaps make components that are easier to maintain and to tune. Maintenance and tuning probably set the effective limits so far beneath a mid-end bike's potential for most people that increasing the absolute potential is pointless.

 

[rjsdavis]

Obviously you're right. Which is why anyone earning a living riding finds 25 year old kit more than adequate.

... but I don't - hence the word "former" in an earlier post. At my age, it's now about ownership, not fixing things these days. Is that a little more than you expected?

Maybe a little more thought is required.

You might note I said earning a living riding. No reference to you.
Maybe a little more comprehension is required.

...right underneath a quote from me and you that you'd amended to remove the actual text, and then further referring to the "25 year old kit" (Dura Ace) that we'd previosuly been debating? Of course it didn't refer to me.

Time to engage brain before writing and then trying to weedle out of such comments afterwards on such a lame basis. Or maybe a spine may assist?

 

[Nutters22000]

One thing we share, or should share, is our passion for retro bikes. I like modern day bikes as well and have owned a few myself. BUT retro bikes especially those with rigid forks offer a harshness to the ride and keeps you on your toes. Thumbies are ok as long as they are well maintained and lubed. Trigger shifters do seem better providing you use a good quality set.

 

[fagin]

...right underneath a quote from me and you that you'd amended to remove the actual text, and then further referring to the "25 year old kit" (Dura Ace) that we'd previosuly been debating? Of course it didn't refer to me.

Time to engage brain before writing and then trying to weedle out of such comments afterwards on such a lame basis. Or maybe a spine may assist?

Huh!
Seriously, it's not all about you.

The reason I chopped stuff out was to stop a single post being stupidly long. And personal insults are unnecessary.

The only point I was trying to make, was that if 25 year old kit (or 20 or 10 or 50 for that matter) was as good, it would be used by pro riders. It isn't and they don't. Nothing to do specifically with your attachment to elderly Dura Ace bits.

Anyway detracting from the thread.

Retro is fun, nostalgic, whatever, but I'm not trading my widescreen LCD for the B&W set my granny had.

 

[brocklanders023]

rjsdavis: Unfortunately, I can't take this list of examples very seriously at all:

Geometry has changed (slacker head angles, shorter top tubes) - not necessarily for the better. Are you either a racer or frame-builder? These changes are more orientated towards comfort for the masses than out and out performance, combined with sharper rising stems and sit up and beg bars.
Riser bars have been about since the early/mid 90's and stems probably have less rise overall compared to bitd. Modern geometry isn't just for comfort and the trend is actually for longer top tubes + shorter stems now.

Tyre compounds improved - is that why a very large proportion of people on here would still chose a Panaracer Smoke above all other tyres? A tyre compound and design that hasn't changed in 24 years?
The key words being 'on here'. It's retrobike, of course we love Smokes. Any number of modern tyres perform better though. How many retrobikers put Smokes on their modern bikes?

Along with the weight in many instances. Most riders don't even need suspension. It's only really a requirement for down-hilling at high speed.
Wrong. A decent full suss bike improves off road climbing as much as downhill.

I think you'll find that you're in a very small minority in suggesting that the M730 series Thumbies are anything other than the best shifters ever made.
I love thumbies but the XTR Rapid Rise STI I had from new back in 2009 were the best shifters I've ever had. Thumbies work well but good quality modern shifters are better.

Seriously good hydraulic brakes (cheap entry level Shimano Deore are unbelievably good). Again, Magura were making "seriously good hydraulic brakes" in the early 90's - rim stoppers like no other that would stop you immediately upon a gentle lever pull.
I've had Magura hydraulic rim brakes and they were very good. I have the current Deore disc brakes and they are superb. Decent disc brakes are better then any form of rim brake.


Retro bikes are great fun and you can ride them almost anywhere you can a modern bike. However, to claim the above shows you either have never used a modern bike or are just trying to cause an arguement.

Anyway, back on topic..............

 

[legrandefromage]

FIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!