Not discussing at work… what current bikes do you think will be a classic in 20 years time?
From the mundane to the extra-ordinary.
Orange 5?!
Anything Ton has owned!

My ancient Epic – although with any luck I’ll still be using it in 20 years!

SB66C

Mondraker Foxy (or even the Dune) is about the only bike I can think of that really has classic written all over it, with it’s radical geometry and distinctive design that captured the imagination and gained accolades for it.

Soul
Orange 5 already a classic?

Is classic the same as iconic?

Salsa ti Fargo
niner RLT9

My wife’s 2006 Horst Link Turner 5 Spot.

SC Hecklers and Blur 4X

Proper Spesh Pitch’s

Nicolai GeoMetron

Orange 5
Cotic Soul
YT Capra

*waits to see how many suggestions are likely to crack long before reaching classic status*

singular swift.

cant really see anything made from plastic becoming a classic.

santa cruz V10

Colnago C50

Camber evo – the do it all bike nailed

Brompton

Not sure about classic but I think the Orange 5 and specialized enduro will become iconic names.

Probably something that takes things too far in the fashionable direction which we can look back on with nostalgia by then, rather than just something like whatever’ll be about but older.

So yeah, Mondraker Foxy or Dune sound like good candidates 🙂

Original Lynskey built 456ti

Not sure any mtb’s could ever be called “classic”, just old really. Things move on so fast, they’re just consumables , I can’t think of any bike I’ve had that was better in any way to my current ones.

Specialized Pitch
DMR Trailstar

Sadly, I don’t think many if any current MTB’s will be considered classics. As a relatively new sport, with significant technologocial advances (percieved or otherwise) every few years, there’s very little time for heritage or passion it would seem. Certainly I think many iconic bikes from the 90’s such as the Ritchey P20, Proflex 955, Orange P7, Fat Chance Yo Eddy and the like will all be remembered far more favourably than anything current, no matter that the current bikes will be light years ahead in terms of development.

Colnago C50

Is already 10 years old, but yes, a definite classic already, just as the C40 before it, and presumably the C60 will end up being. That’s the thing with Italian Road Bike brands with heritage, they produce bikes that transcend the justification of the price tag based on desirability alone!

Soul
Pugsley

Stuff becomes ‘Classic’ due to either being a clever,radical design or because of nostalgia as everyone had one. There has to be a desire to own one in the future.

The first category would be things with travel adjust like the Canyon Shapeshifter and some of the pioneering fatbikes. The second would be your Specializeds, Capras and Orange 5’s. You’ll also have tho odd bike that’ll be not very good, rare but desirable for some reason. Maybe put the Evil’s that disintegrated into this group 😉

Hi
How about things that were only available in small numbers.
The one that springs to my mind is the Rocket with 26inch wheels?
Maybe that’s because I have one though

Anything without obsolete standards?

Enduro 29er – for being the first long travel 29er (why aren’t there more already!?)

Process 111 – for being such a unique bike that confounds expectations and totally ignores genres (and being so fast and fun)

Capra – not just for how it rides, also as the bike that saw direct sales brands get cool.

Specialized Pitch
DMR Trailstar

These both pretty much are classics already, no?

santacoops – Member
SB66C

agreed…

also Santa Cruz Stigmata

SC Solo (before they changed it to 5010)

26″ rocket could be a good shout

Enduro 29er

ever ridden one?
turning circle of a intercity 125. good in straight lines.

On One Fatty

None of the above say Future Classic to me, bar the Geometron just because it’s so different from other bikes. Maybe the Bionicon Edison for its travel adjust system?

OnOne Inbred?

obviously the tripster atr…

Not quite current(!) but the old Enduro must be a candidate. Was out on my 2001 S-Works one this evening:

Pointless me buying a newer full-suss as it’s still way better than me!

Not sure most of the above scream classic to me, but FWIW my thoughts:
Orange five (probably already a classic)
Mondraker Foxy
On One Inbred (yes really)
Cotic soul
Jones

Cotic soul…preferably mk3

Just built up an XS for the wife and it’s being kept for my son to grow into in about 5 years time!

Surely a classic has to be one that changed the game – if so the pugsley is a candidate

The Cube LTD black and white hardtail 29er will always be a classic. A workhorse that needs minimal maintenance, great front forks, great gear setup and overall a comfy ride

I used to have a thing for steel Marins and Kona’s and the speed they sold when I had finished with them suggests I wasn’t the only one.

However the most influential off all bicycles to my mind was the English 3 speeders made after the war which played a significant part in mobilising a nation to work, play and breed over greater distances than would otherwise have been possible.

Given that even those bikes arent given much recognition I doubt there’ll be much for even the best modern mtb designs which are really just toys.

i don’t even know what half of those are! a classic surely has to either be iconic, massively popular, unnatainable beauty or another solid reason, think of the bikes you look back on fondly. the giant atx 1, peatys i drive, spooky metalhead, 24seven dark angel v1, the original dmr trailstar, spesh fsr with the iconic swoopy design, and anything by brooklyn machine works.

Future classics for me are definitly the carpra, (if any survive) I don’t like them but everyone knows what one is, so popular, rave reviews, changed the game in terms selling and being the first mass available enduro bike.

nicolai geometron, the orange five is already a classic as is a soul and a v10, although the mk4 (the first carbon one stands out for that reason) the current Demo definitely, stanton slackline, I’d probably go for either a kingdom vendetta to round it up, as they’re so rare and beautifully finished, or any evil, depite the obvious failures, there’s a certain lust for one. thats probably about it. as has been said, things are moving so fast but it’s all small changes it’s hard to keep up.

classic bike parts on the other hand, that’s where we’ll look back on as real game changers, the pike, the 36 one ups expander rings, race face n/w, absolute blacks ovals the minion dhf and reverbs.