bagpipes
Old School Hero
I have to say that today’s FS bikes or hard tails with 120mm front travel do quite a bit for the average rider but all these old school hard tails designed to be rigid or with minimal travel are the true test of how good you are as a rider. Most people with a few skills can tear up a trail on bike that will suck up the bumps and compensate for inability.
I have a FS bike that I use regularly for very technical riding but for fast single track you can't beat a steel hard tail. Aluminum seems to be the most common material for off road bikes today but anyone who has ridden a steel frame will cringe to move back to aluminum for reasons that you must experience by yourself; no amount of schooling will explain it.
As for drive trains, 7 and 8 speeds are far more reliable. 9 speeds are too fussy and require tweaking to maintain a smooth shift. I can't dispute the evolution of brakes though; many are taking in old frames for disc tab upgrades, myself included. In the world of brakes, discs are the cats a$$ when they get wet.
Bottom line is that it's not a mid life crisis type thing. I'm nowhere near that stage yet. I have however, discovered what it truly means to "ride". I ride bikes that I control on a trail not a bike that controls the trail for me.
Take an old school bike out for a ride and discover the "illusions of skills" that newer bikes create. After a few rides you will be a better rider.
I have a FS bike that I use regularly for very technical riding but for fast single track you can't beat a steel hard tail. Aluminum seems to be the most common material for off road bikes today but anyone who has ridden a steel frame will cringe to move back to aluminum for reasons that you must experience by yourself; no amount of schooling will explain it.
As for drive trains, 7 and 8 speeds are far more reliable. 9 speeds are too fussy and require tweaking to maintain a smooth shift. I can't dispute the evolution of brakes though; many are taking in old frames for disc tab upgrades, myself included. In the world of brakes, discs are the cats a$$ when they get wet.
Bottom line is that it's not a mid life crisis type thing. I'm nowhere near that stage yet. I have however, discovered what it truly means to "ride". I ride bikes that I control on a trail not a bike that controls the trail for me.
Take an old school bike out for a ride and discover the "illusions of skills" that newer bikes create. After a few rides you will be a better rider.