I remember reading reviews of DeKerfs back in the day, and magazines always raved about them. I picked up a couple of brochures, and almost bought one – they were very expensive even then.
I’m also interested about the geometry side of things. I have a Saracen from 1995, and when I recently attended a skills class the teacher said he wouldn’t ride it, and also warned me against doing so! Part of that was because it has canti brakes, but he took time to point out all its ‘wrong’ geometry. It’s a 19” frame, and I’m 6ft tall, but have to have the seatpost extended to the maximum mark, and could probably do with it slightly higher than that. However, the drop to the bars is very noticeable, plus it has a relatively long stem (somewhere between 110 and 130mm) and flat bars. He also pointed out head and seat angles being steeper, and the fact that the bars are pretty much directly above the front hub.
I’m looking at different bikes and frames, a couple being a new Ritchey P26/P29 and a Breezer Lightning (names from the infancy of mountain biking). Would those bikes be similar to mine in terms of geometry and riding position (albeit with shorter stem and slight riser bars) or have even these builders changed their bikes’ geometries over the years such that they’re no longer like those earlier bikes?