Building and riding mountain bikes from the good old days

[fiamme red]

https://cyclingtips.com/2018/10/the-...good-old-days/

“It’s such a disconnect from all the stress of life to go back and restore these old bikes, put parts on them that you lusted after back in the day,” Wilk says. “I love my life, but at the same time to be able to go back – things were so much simpler.”

[d_douglas]

Yes, that era was certainly what got me fascinated with the technology side of things. As an aesthete at heart, I have always loved how things look as well as how they perform.

Some of those bikes look great and remind me of the halcyon days of MTB engineering, but the bikes of today are infinitely better than back then (though I know that isn't the point of the article)

I usually reach for my FS bike these days, but from time to time I pull out my hardtail and the feeling of simplicity is pretty satisfying (in spite of the 140mm fork, dropper post and hydro brakes!)

Nice article though. It must be an expensive hobby to restore those bikes properly. There is a guy local to be who does the same thing, but his budget is much less - his rebuilt classics are usually pretty banged up as he grabs them from off of Craigslist.

[rinconryder]

These make for decent townie bikes but honestly the old bikes and brakes compared to the new stuff make them like death traps. If you come off a new bike and ride an old bike you realize just how far things have come - at least I did when I rode my friends stumpjumper.

[spacemen3]

Great article. I love riding the old mountain bikes, and I think it's because of their limitations. You really have to be conscious of your line and how close you are to a painful yard-sale.

[charliedid]

Pretty cool.

The thing that I remember the most about my mountain biking days was just how much younger I was!

1987 - Stumpjumper (team or pro I think)

1990 - Yeti FRO

1992 - Ritchey P-21 Team and a couple others including a P-20 Team that I sold before it rusted to bits like the previous ones.

1995 - Independent Fab. Deluxe (First suspension bike)

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2016 - Focus Black Forest 29 (sold frame here) parts on a SOMA Wolverine

The Yeti held it's line going downhill as well as any bike I have ever thrown a leg over. The Ritchey's were all 19 lbs but the IF was IMO the best all-round bike and closest to what a hardtail is today in many ways and wish I still had it. They were all beautiful. The FOCUS a bit less so but rode very nice IMO.

Thanks for the link.

[d_douglas]

Originally Posted by spacemen3

Great article. I love riding the old mountain bikes, and I think it's because of their limitations. You really have to be conscious of your line and how close you are to a painful yard-sale.

I feel like a good CX bike can accomplish that and be more versatile - disc brakes or not.

[p nut]

Cool bikes. Klein is pretty sweet, as is the Fro.

But "good" old days? I'd say, the "old days." Every few years, I get hankering for an old MTB. Build one up cheap and go for a ride. I am quickly reminded why I moved on.

[choke]

Originally Posted by rinconryder

These make for decent townie bikes but honestly the old bikes and brakes compared to the new stuff make them like death traps.

It's a wonder that anyone who rode MTBs in the '80s/90s is still alive.

[weaponsgrade]

Nice article. That's about the time I got into mtn biking. I still love and ride bikes from that era, but most of the time I reach for either my HT 29er or
FS 29er. Cycling Tips has been putting out some good content lately. Jeff Kendalweed (Ibis sponsored rider) recently made a video of him putting together and riding an old Ibis Ti Mojo. There was a line where he pointed out the odd linkages bolted to the frame and explained that they were called "cantilever brakes" and that this would be his first time riding with them. That hurt.

[DarkStar]

Gee, have to get my FRO back on the trails ASAP.

[Ken Robb]

Originally Posted by choke

It's a wonder that anyone who rode MTBs in the '80s/90s is still alive.

We are still alive because we did not over-ride our skills or equipment.

[rinconryder]

Originally Posted by Ken Robb

We are still alive because we did not over-ride our skills or equipment.

But the equipment held us back no doubt if the skill was there...MTBs are way different from road bikes in my opinion in that MTBs have improved leaps and bounds over road bikes whereas the later has seen incremental improvements mainly in the arena of materials, and now brakes (although that really depends on the terrain you ride). That being said the main improvements have been in suspension which doesn't pertain to road bikes and the brakes, which are more critical than with road bikes so it's an apple to oranges kind of thing.

[pdmtong]

Originally Posted by Ken Robb

We are still alive because we did not over-ride our skills or equipment.

Truth. when you are riding a rigid six-speed with a U-brake in trail hiking shoes and cat-eye toeclips there's a different level of skill involved from today's close your eyes point and shoot

That said, glad still alive and no longer riding those 32# beasts

[Ken Robb]

Originally Posted by rinconryder

But the equipment held us back no doubt if the skill was there...MTBs are way different from road bikes in my opinion in that MTBs have improved leaps and bounds over road bikes whereas the later has seen incremental improvements mainly in the arena of materials, and now brakes (although that really depends on the terrain you ride). That being said the main improvements have been in suspension which doesn't pertain to road bikes and the brakes, which are more critical than with road bikes so it's an apple to oranges kind of thing.

Oh YES! I augmented my 1989 MB-3 with a Marin Rift Zone FS bike in 2001 and it was night and day better in every way off-road. I was pointing out to "kids" who came on the scene after the advent of FS bikes that we didn't ride rigid bikes as aggressively as we did FS bikes on gnarly terrain once we had them.

[avalonracing]

Originally Posted by Ken Robb

We are still alive because we did not over-ride our skills or equipment.

Yup, I meet so many guys now who think they have "mad skillz yo" because they can just plow through/down/over sh*t with their 29ers with huge tires, 5" of front and rear travel, and $400 dropper posts. I know some of these dudes wouldn't have done well climbing and descending on our old rigs.