When did it start going rubbish?

[SilverSurfer]

I think when shocks stopped being retrofits and were bunged on every bike it seemed to signal the start of the mass-produced homogenisation of bikes.

Bikes from 96 onwards seem to have less appeal to me (not that I know much!).

Now there is a generation that can't even contemplate a mountain bike without at least 1 set of shocks. Personally I never got on with suspension but that's by the by.

At least the resurgence of BMXers and fixers has gone some way to counter this.

 

[tintin40]

+1 Couldn't agree more. Just stick a shock on it and it will sell. Will ride like a box of frogs.

 

[Neil G]

Agree on cosmetics, I really hate some of the new MTBs that just look like bloody road bikes with graphics everywhere etc.

Still plenty of companies i.e Charge making interesting, nice looking bikes for people that don't want full sus, plastic and hydroforming!

 

[suburbanreuben]

When you look at the sus forks that were around then it's hardly surprising you were put off for life. They were rubbish, all of them.

 

[Harryburgundy]

I reckon roughly from '98 onwards to slope starts to slip.

 

[Neil G]

When you look at the sus forks that were around then it's hardly surprising you were put off for life. They were rubbish, all of them.

+1

Compared to todays offerings they were so, so dire.

 

[Old Fisher]

Agree with the 'must have' suspension making a big difference. A knock on effect being poorer spec for the money to incorperate that bouncy fork.

Another thing that spoilt some of the sport, for me at least, was after being away from bikes for a few years, when I returned there were SO many pigeon holes for bikes to fit in.

It used to be that you could buy from 3 or 4 bikes in a range and they could do everything pretty well. You could commute, tour, race, play and often all you would change was the tyres perhaps to suit, etc.

Now it is all about which 'type' of offroad. When I first thoguh about getting a modern bike I walked into a lbs and was asked was it for XC, hardcore XC, freeride, slopestyle, downhill, etc, etc.

I appreciate some might not agree but that is mho.

 

[lewis1641]

The aluminium revolution was the begining of the end in my mind

 

[suburbanreuben]

Agree with the 'must have' suspension making a big difference. A knock on effect being poorer spec for the money to incorperate that bouncy fork.

Another thing that spoilt some of the sport, for me at least, was after being away from bikes for a few years, when I returned there were SO many pigeon holes for bikes to fit in.

It used to be that you could buy from 3 or 4 bikes in a range and they could do everything pretty well. You could commute, tour, race, play and often all you would change was the tyres perhaps to suit, etc.

Now it is all about which 'type' of offroad. When I first thoguh about getting a modern bike I walked into a lbs and was asked was it for XC, hardcore XC, freeride, slopestyle, downhill, etc, etc.

I appreciate some might not agree but that is mho.

Which kindof explains why most of us have more than a few bikes in the shed. We've bought into the hype and assigned each early '90s XC bike a different duty...

 

[Old Fisher]

No, that is just love for a dying breed