What would you do? Retro Vs modern.....

[Lhatch4]

Get an old Santa Cruz Heckler. They came out in 1996 and Santa Cruz still uses the same geometry in the Bronson. It was a bike ahead of it's time. The new bikes are built to accommodate larger wheels but they were able to do that with little modification. There is a cross brace on the rear triangle that can be removed which will make room for the larger wheel. In 1998 they added a disc brakes mount to the rear triangle as well. Get an old heckler or superlight and build with modern disc brakes, suspension and the drive train of your choice. Put a vintage seat on it and a few other vintage parts and have the best of both worlds.

 

[ishaw]

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I'm in the same position. Got far too many nice retro bikes gathering dust. My plan is to keep two (team RTS and either the dbr axis TT or the dynatech torus - none are period tbh, the frame is the soul). A road bike will stay, a folding bike (a pimped airnimal Joey) and my current go to bike, a felt nine elite 29er, which I built recently and decked out with SRAM xo and carbon stuff. Its a really nice ride and extremely light without really trying. Everything else is going to go, though I'm torn about letting the pipedream Scion go, as it's great but is unlikely to get used much.

I did you with the idea of trying to go for an all in retro bike like a klein, fat etc, but they went in favour of the ones I have, just feel them more than I did the others that have passed through.

Good luck in deciding, it is tough to let some bikes and parts go, but I've come to the realisation that it's better to have less bikes and ride them, than have a garage full of them and parts too, that get in the way of getting one out and actuator riding.

 

[WandsworthRouleur]

Re: Re:

I have a couple of retro rides which are really just for occasional fun in nice weather. My go to bike is my Cotic Solaris; a steel 29'er hardtail with 120mm fork.

I can't say enough about how good the Solaris is without sounding like a gushing fanboy, but they really are fantastic bikes. Think the modern equivalent of the original Clockwork.

I had an 26" Anthem, which I thought was just about the perfect all round full sus, but that doesn't get used anymore and has been sitting gathering dust for over a year now.

Anyone who thinks 29'ers are a gimmick needs to try a decent modern one. Oh, and I'm a shade under 5'10" and around 67kg so there!.

That's exactly what I was going to recommend. Get rid of the retros that you don't really ride and get a Cotic HT of some description. A modern bike with a retro steel feel. Best of both. And I remember Cy from BITD at uni. Top bloke then (though I can't remember what he rode!) and I'm guessing top bloke now...

 

[legrandefromage]

I found that I've preferred the geometry of very early generation MTB. Post the slack angled stuff but that little window of (from 1986 to 1991-ish) innovation that appeared before the big manufacturers/ magazines told us what we should ride.

I'd found modern too bolt upright and just a little boring. Ok, so modern smooths out the trails but I still like to be involved in a ride and to feel that I'd achieved something. Plus, new stuff seems to be far more needy than of old. I've always opted for durable over lightweight and it seems to have paid off. There is still a bit of 'fit and forget' equipment out there too if you are prepared to spend real money.

If it were me, find the frame first, then spec it with the best bits you think you'll need for the next few years. Good 26" tyres may become a bit thin on the ground if you go that route.

I've sort of settled into road stuff again as its a lot more interchangeable and they havent fucked about with 700c for some hours at least.

 

[brocklanders023]

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I guess my main retro problem when it comes to a rider is that my interest is only in a narrow bad of bikes so anything outside that holds no appeal. I wouldn't want a retro that was decent to ride but held no interest as I would just go modern.

Then as mentioned earlier I really have to have 21" retro for any decent rides and they just don't look right to me. Since I ride very little ATM the bikes I do have need to look good to me so I can admire them even when they are sat in the garage.

Think I will start the cull and just see where I end up. As mentioned, the cost is not really an issue and if I get rid of a bit of gear it'll make room for something else.

 

[Mikb23]

I've recently purchased a 2017 Marin Pine Mountain One and I absolutely love it. Steel frame, big tyres, bouncy forks and comfy gel saddle make a bike I can ride all day. A little heavy but sooooo comfy!

 

[slackboy]

If saving money isn't really the problem then I'd just buy another bike and decide whether to get rid of anything later.
I'd be looking at a production privee shan or a cromag or a cotic soul/solaris for a nice , good looking, modern steel frame.

Or take a trip up to pateley bridge and check out the stif morf.

I'm in the same boat at the moment - Ive bought a Giant Trance which I'm using for all my riding and looking at my 26" cotic soul and thinking "Do I really need it". I think in the back of my mind that I'm trying to justify getting a new soul in 27.5 flavour on the basis that I can share components between frames later.

 

[brocklanders023]

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Have looked at the morf and do like it but I would probably use c2w and the limit is 1500. Cotic are nice looking bikes but I think they come up a little short in the ett for me.

Keeping all is not really an option due to space. I'm already chipping paint due to bikes bashing against each other.

 

[cherrybomb]

Re: Re:

Have looked at the morf and do like it but I would probably use c2w and the limit is 1500. Cotic are nice looking bikes but I think they come up a little short in the ett for me.

Keeping all is not really an option due to space. I'm already chipping paint due to bikes bashing against each other.

What size bike do you ride & are you coming to Mayhem?

I can always sling my medium Solaris in the truck.

 

[brocklanders023]

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My full suss is XL but thinking large but with a long top tube for the ht. No chance mayhem unfortunately due to kids. :facepalm: