When did it lose it for you.....
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I got into mountain biking 96 and 97 and my love affair was relatively short lived in comparison.
I think I lost interest in bikes generally when it went 9 speed and suspension came as standard. 1999 to 2000 and it became impossible to distinguish a great bike from a good bike. The fuss of oils and worrying about shocks.
I had a 1997 Marin Eldridge grade hardtail. No suspension. It was my bike for 20 years.
I think I lost interest in bikes generally when it went 9 speed and suspension came as standard. 1999 to 2000 and it became impossible to distinguish a great bike from a good bike. The fuss of oils and worrying about shocks.
I had a 1997 Marin Eldridge grade hardtail. No suspension. It was my bike for 20 years.
Chopper the ex Copper
Alpinestars Fan
Brands come and go, as do fashions. I still love cycling and general and MTB'ing in particular, worked for many years as a professional MTB trainer to the emergency services, and the bikes of today kick the bikes of 30 years ago in the plums and steal their lunch money. Without a shadow of a doubt.
I love old bikes - hence being here! - and while some brands sold out and went the Argos route, most of those that survived embraced new designs, materials and technologies, and the bikes of today are a marvel. For example, I love my old Saracen, but it doesn't even compare to a modern one in comfort and ability. It would be laughable to suggest otherwise.
So while my heart is with the bikes of the 80's and early 90's, my head freely admits that many of the ones revered back then were actually rubbish compared to modern gear.
By and large I embrace the changes. There are some done just for the sake of commercial or marketing goals, but in the overall trend has been for the product to improve each year.
I love old bikes - hence being here! - and while some brands sold out and went the Argos route, most of those that survived embraced new designs, materials and technologies, and the bikes of today are a marvel. For example, I love my old Saracen, but it doesn't even compare to a modern one in comfort and ability. It would be laughable to suggest otherwise.
So while my heart is with the bikes of the 80's and early 90's, my head freely admits that many of the ones revered back then were actually rubbish compared to modern gear.
By and large I embrace the changes. There are some done just for the sake of commercial or marketing goals, but in the overall trend has been for the product to improve each year.
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It's not the answer to the original question for me, but I just want to support the opinions that 4-arm cranks are ugly.
novocaine
Old School Grand Master
The day a bicycle cost more than my motorbike. Somewhere round 2008 I think.
No idea what year my inbred is, perhaps 2011 feels about right for it, it's moved with the times to an extent, but it's still a light, steel, flickable bike that cost pennies by todays standards.
No idea what year my inbred is, perhaps 2011 feels about right for it, it's moved with the times to an extent, but it's still a light, steel, flickable bike that cost pennies by todays standards.
Thias
Klein Fan
Got into mountainbiking when I was in 7th grade, about '90ish. It was the new cool thing coming from the USofA. The first bike magazine in Germany came out in '89. I had always been a rather flimsy kid and bad at sports as I missed the early opportunitys to join the soccer team. Or handball (that was very popular in the little village I grew up in). The mountainbike was my chance to finally join the "cool club" I guess.
And I also liked it, because it had that wrenching aspect.
My ideal mountainbike was shaped (in my head) by reading the bike magazine - or rather memorizing them thorouly. Everything that was new was automatically cool. The parts and bikes I wasn't able to afford (that's basically all of them) had to be even cooler. I was riding hard up until I finished school. I was 21 at that time. 1997. I remember the last bike I was drooling over was a GT Thermoplast frame that was hanging at the bike store near my school.
Then I went to university, moved in with my girl, that's when I lost Interest. Life happended. I got a job, my first Kid. A house.
When life was stable again thats when I started to remember my ... well ... past dreams, I guess. I didn't even bother looking at the new stuff too much. The bikes I had lusted after were "suddenly" rather affordable. So I went for them. Had (still have) a lot of fun.
Buying, selling, tinkering. It's the stuff I already know. I don't have to learn too much new stuff. It's safe. It's relaxing. That's what I like, I guess.
It's not that I dont like the new stuff. I don't really know if I like it, because I never really tried. And I don't feel the need to do so.
I'm really tempted by the ebike-stuff though. But I'm holding out until they get cheaper, so I can afford a few and really take them apart and get wrenching.
And I also liked it, because it had that wrenching aspect.
My ideal mountainbike was shaped (in my head) by reading the bike magazine - or rather memorizing them thorouly. Everything that was new was automatically cool. The parts and bikes I wasn't able to afford (that's basically all of them) had to be even cooler. I was riding hard up until I finished school. I was 21 at that time. 1997. I remember the last bike I was drooling over was a GT Thermoplast frame that was hanging at the bike store near my school.
Then I went to university, moved in with my girl, that's when I lost Interest. Life happended. I got a job, my first Kid. A house.
When life was stable again thats when I started to remember my ... well ... past dreams, I guess. I didn't even bother looking at the new stuff too much. The bikes I had lusted after were "suddenly" rather affordable. So I went for them. Had (still have) a lot of fun.
Buying, selling, tinkering. It's the stuff I already know. I don't have to learn too much new stuff. It's safe. It's relaxing. That's what I like, I guess.
It's not that I dont like the new stuff. I don't really know if I like it, because I never really tried. And I don't feel the need to do so.
I'm really tempted by the ebike-stuff though. But I'm holding out until they get cheaper, so I can afford a few and really take them apart and get wrenching.
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raidan73
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Agree with loads of the comments, particularly 4 arm cranks and the demise of the thumbshifter. I got the bug in the mid 80's but it was 87/88 before I got my first, a Raleigh Chinook. My interest was waning around 1994 when university etc got in the way. My newest bike now is from around 2010. It's a steel hardtail with 26" wheels, disc brakes, suspension fork and 1x9 gearing. I couldn't afford the purchase and maintenance costs of a modern full susser - but I'd like to have a go on one.
I still love quill stems and u-brakes. I've never had a rider with V brakes, mainly because I missed that era completely.
I still love quill stems and u-brakes. I've never had a rider with V brakes, mainly because I missed that era completely.
xxnick1975
Old School Grand Master
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I think it's all been said here already, that late 80s, early 90s rush of the new, coinciding with the time in our lives when we were so open to this new excitement.
Bit like when a new band breaks, cool insiders at first, momentum builds, break out, hit singles, cool and mainstream for 18 months then the haters and it all fades out a bit
Bit like when a new band breaks, cool insiders at first, momentum builds, break out, hit singles, cool and mainstream for 18 months then the haters and it all fades out a bit
