Are there old standards you would no longer touch?

There's a new standard I wouldn't touch, threaded cup external bottom brackets, engineering madness for the sole purpose of turning bottom brackets into a consumable item.

There's nothing wrong with pressfit if its done properly, unfortunately most bike manufacturers don't know how to machine the bottom brackets to the required tolerances.

Shimano cartridge bottom brackets had lifetimes measured in years, modern BBs have lifespans measured in months or less.

I can’t think of anything that couldn’t be easily replaced.

Find me some 170mm straight steerer 26 inch wheel forks for my Patriot that are as good as the 66s.

"press fit arse bearings"
Definitely avoid those... 🙂

Another set of 66's? I've got some Super T's that probably weigh less.

Second hand market is your friend in that scenario, for just about all others you can still pick up compatible equivalents new.

Whitworth, never again!

There’s a new standard I wouldn’t touch, threaded cup external bottom brackets, engineering madness for the sole purpose of turning bottom brackets into a consumable item.

There’s nothing wrong with pressfit if its done properly, unfortunately most bike manufacturers don’t know how to machine the bottom brackets to the required tolerances.

Shimano cartridge bottom brackets had lifetimes measured in years, modern BBs have lifespans measured in months or less.

Yeah, I've not really had much trouble with HT2 bottom brackets TBH, as you say manufacturing of BB shells is typically the issue and mine seem to last several years, but yes square taper BBs were generally far longer lived (for a minor weight penalty) Hence I have both in the fleet.

Press fit was really a cost saving measure, simplify the BB, reduce the cost of manufacture, inevitably these turned out shonky and now we're back to BSA (and T47 for some). I'd agree that PF bearings should be better, the trouble is execution didn't match up so when people say PF BBs were shite, they're generally right, in use most people's experiences were poor.

26"

QR

front derailleurs below xtr

anything not a disk brake

apart from that im fairly easy.

ISIS are not all bad. I have the RF serviceable ones and the axle and cups are original from the early 00's, about the 3rd set of bearings, occasionally topped up with grease. I cannot fault them. In that time Square, Octalink and whatever the SRAM one is called have fallen by the wayside in our house , and everything goes in the bin when they do.

I'm about to touch a lot of these. 100/135mm hubs, 26in wheels.  Wire bead tyres, inner tubes, QR skewers, rigid, straight steerer forks, V brakes F&R.  Building up a Bonty Privateer as a pub type bike. It's going to be incredibly real.

birdoFree Member
So I ve been out of the game for a while (12 years ) to find everything has changed. My trusty old 26 inch wheel, ridged single speed seems to be different to every new standard.
so I’ve started looking for a new steed  ( secondhand) and have found a few but they all have something different going on.

would you be worried about buying something without a thru axle or with a front derailleur for example.
Posted 15 hours ago
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Nope and nope, not worried at all. If you are testing the waters to see if you get back into biking then go on condition and price of the bike.

There are no 'standard' bikes and second hand bikes that have reasonably 'modern' geometry can always have peculiar sized components that are difficult to get hold of.

If you want bleeding edge technology then get your hands in your pockets and buy new, but even then a new bike can be out of date next year.

For my main bike I will pretty much avoid anything older than 275/29, straight steerer, older than Boost, etc because I want to put nice shiny new stuff on my my bike.

Straight steerers are all but extinct now, few wheels aren’t some form of Boost, Seat tubes are wider. Why limit yourself to worn out old bits when new standards are widely available. Although I have hated every 35mm handlebar I’ve tried so will stick with 31.8 until I die (or they do).

Saying that I’ve just built up a steel hardtail for pump track/parenting duties that’s 1 1/8th straight steerer, 135qr rear hub, 100 x 20mm fork, 27.2 seatpost.

But it’s made from mainly spares as a cheap hack bike so that’s ok.

Internal gear cables = ball ache to replace

Most of our bikes have this now, it's really not that hard at all. Yes, more work than external, but hardly a ball ache - an extra few minutes tops.

Second hand market is your friend in that scenario

That just highlights the issue. Being forced to get whatever someone else is selling on in whatever condition is a significant disadvantage in my view.  And you can't get spare parts which is more of a problem again.

You say ‘with the exception of forks’ but that’s a huge deal for a decent MTB. Forks aren’t the most reliable part of a bike, and they are pretty important. Your top end trail bike from 2008 can deal with lower quality wheels or an old rear mech or whatever, but if you have to fit a cheap fork it’s really going to reduce the performance. Same for tyres.

Perhaps, but equally the chain stay might crack, writing the frame off. I don't see 26" 2nd hand parts disappearing any time soo, e.g. you hei-hei. There might not be a Charger3 SID with 35mm stanchions that'll fit, but there's probably a practically endless supply of other forks on ebay.

On the original question though, not particulalry, but then I'd also say why buy a 2nd hand bike older than 1x12 and boost hubs unless budgets are really tight. My Vitus Escarpe was only a smidgen into 4 figures and the only 'standard' I'm even slightly worried about is SRAM's insistence on obsoleting drive chains every 5 minutes, but it does have a UDH.

But by the same token, anything older than boost hubs or even UDH is probably owned by someone who isn't the target market for drivechains that coast more than my whole bike. Things move on, the best £1200 upgrade to a ~2015 bike isn't a £1200 drivechain, it's a whole new-ish 2022 bike.

That just highlights the issue. Being forced to get whatever someone else is selling on in whatever condition is a significant disadvantage in my view. And you can’t get spare parts which is more of a problem again.

Is it though, I can't give 26" stuff away locally. Sold some NOS still fashionably wide enduro rims for £5, had a front wheel and NOS spare rim up for £5 and only go "would you deliver to Slough" (nope). Rear wheels went in the bin as no one wanted them.

The only problem with the 2nd hand market is the shear lack of value in some stuff means people would rather keep it "just in case" and ride it once a year to remind themselves it's rubbish than actually list it for sale.

That just highlights the issue. Being forced to get whatever someone else is selling on in whatever condition is a significant disadvantage in my view.  And you can’t get spare parts which is more of a problem again.

Absolutely. I want something I can mountain bike on and get new parts for at my convenience, not grot around refurbing something from an online jumble sale.

Sadly you seem to be describing all my current mountain bikes, and some of my road bikes............

The thread has gone off on to a massive tangent where folk are listing their annoyances.

There have been plenty of helpful answers but they are a bit lost amongst the noise!

The only old standard to avoid would be straight steerer tube - and they've been long gone. The op will be able to get non-boost hubs and 31.8 handlebars for a long time to come, even if just 2nd hand kit.

Superboost was a 2 fingers up at the pointless exercise that was boost spacing but it never took hold so became the exact thing it sought to destroy. Therefore spares are limited and should be avoided - but you'll have a hard time stumbling in to that one.

Press fit BBs can be fine (we've had 2 for 8 years plus) but check reviews as some manufacturers seem to get them wrong.

Buy a good bike that you like the look of and go have fun. Check reviews for obvious shortcomings and crack on.

...but then I’d also say why buy a 2nd hand bike older than 1×12 and boost hubs unless budgets are really tight. My Vitus Escarpe was only a smidgen into 4 figures and the only ‘standard’ I’m even slightly worried about is SRAM’s insistence on obsoleting drive chains every 5 minutes, but it does have a UDH.

Thing is a bike with 142mm spacing from 2015~2018ish will still take most modern parts and new 142 standard hubs are still readily available, they've implemented them as the standard for Road and Gravel bikes now. So if you're going to get another 3-5 years use from a mid-late 2010s bike and the alternative is spunking ~£3k on the modern equivalent, spending up to ~£1200 to keep it going might actually be a "sensible" choice for some.

But by the same token, anything older than boost hubs or even UDH is probably owned by someone who isn’t the target market for drivechains that coast more than my whole bike. Things move on, the best £1200 upgrade to a ~2015 bike isn’t a £1200 drivechain, it’s a whole new-ish 2022 bike.

If you're actually shopping for a new/recent used bike yeah OK why not aim for more current standards (they're likely to be getting phased out within another few years anyway).
I do think UDH is worth having, but it wouldn't be a deal breaker, especially if it nudges a budget higher. suppose you're looking at a ~2021 bike it's a good price and ticks all your other requirements has more current geo' etc, would you really pass on it if it just lacks that one most recent mech mounting standard?

It is sort of amusing that the bike industry, especially for MTBs, has now gotten their customers forever chasing to 'keep up' with ever changing "standards"... It does feel like a little more pushback might be in order.
Perhaps an open letter stating we're collectively happy for them to spend time refining geometry but maybe we freeze changes to standards for the next what 5-7 years?