Ride my 1998 1x1 Rat Ride regularly.
Its ability to take 3" tyres or 2.8 650B tyres or 2.35" 29er means it's pretty versatile.
Retro? I'll give you retro!
'Trusty Rusty' started like this in 1990....
Then this...
& this...
Then this...
Followed by this...
& currently this...
Triggers brush hasn't got a look in, the only two original tubes of the frame are the r/h seat & chainstays.
When/if it dies It's going on the garage wall.
∆ Now that is something!
There's a 94 Rocky Mountain Hammer frame in a random bike shop in Bordeaux, every time I pass I hope it's been sold but it's looking like I'll have to buy it...
I have a '97 Ibis Alibi in the shed.
I took it for a short spin this summer, it's unspeakably horrible.
The roadie/XC race geometry of the era was just grim.
Horrible skinny SIDs on it too. Bars must be all of 500mm wide.
I've got a '96 Kona Cinder Cone that I bought brand new. Now running 100mm travel Rockshox, 1x10, dropper post etc and it still rides well enough to do a few hundred singletrack miles a year 😄
IdiotdogbrainSpooky – that looks exactly like mine did 30 years ago! BioPace FTW!
When I picked it up a few weeks ago it was 100% original - still had 30yr old Specialized Ground Controls on, with the moulding nibs still present! Complete timewarp machine, couldn't believe my luck.
A good tip for a retro-mod bike, is that if you don't like the sound of rim brakes in the wet (and killing rims!), but on the other hand don't want to get disc tabs welded on, then modern drum brakes work surprisingly well.
The one on my IF is a for a screw on SS freewheel, but Sturmey also do Shimano compatible freewheel ones too.
ajantom
A good tip for a retro-mod bike ... modern drum brakes work surprisingly well.
Agree, I have had them on my 1x1for the last 12 years.
Still ride my 92 Kona lava dome. It’s been a singlespeed for the last 12 years with middleburn cranks hope Hubs and has still got its original bb and headset. They made stuff to last in those days!
My 1996 Orange C16R still gets ridden occasionally, other than the narrow bars it feels great.
If we're counting 26" and 2010 as retro, my 2008 mk 1 Soul is fair game I guess.
Up until it got somewhat relegated by a "more modern" 2011 Saracen Ariel it got ridden for all my riding, which is 90% local XC and natural trails. Fantastic bike 🙂
I have a 1998 Schwinn Homegrown USA, which is currently dismantled. It is really light and very agile. With a 120mm stem and 680mm bars it was quite good for winter xc riding as a single speed or with an old 8speed setup.
The thing that caused me to pack it away was not geometry or handling characteristics but an absence of a disc option for the rear brake. The rear triangle used to clog like a **** around the v brake and stopping 90+kg of me and kit was challenging in full on winter filth.
Got a 1995 Trek 970 rigid. 3x8 XT and low profile STXrc cantis. It's currently shod with slicks, but the last time I rode it was over 2 years ago. Horrible thing and it's starting to rust through paint chips.
Modern bikes are better in every way.
I loved my single speed Explosif enough that when it got destroyed by an inattentive driver, I found another one and rebuilt it. 2004 frame with a Salsa CroMoto fork, Thomson dropper, Mono Mini brakes and tubeless KOM rims.</
My previous bike was a '97 Saracen with Magura HS33 Racelight brakes, SRAM X0 9sp, Hope/D521 wheels... absurdly fast and still in use with a good friend.
Old bikes make normal trails so much fun.
What constitutes retro? I've been running my 2007 wheels and forks on this 2012 frame for almost a year, but intend swapping all the bits over onto an older Kona frame I acquired soon, just to see how it rides:
Not sure of its age, assuming mid-noughties by its sliding dropouts and both disk and V-mounts.
Still rolling on my 95 DBR Axis TT, I believe it's an ex world cup team frame. Rebuilt it 10 years ago & the only thing I'd change is a dropper.
My slop bike is an Orange Evo4 from 2004 ,does that count? It's done a couple of hundred miles this month . 🙂
That counts.
good to see so many retrobikes still in use. I think maybe some were better than others.
I was out last week in Surrey on my 1989 Marin. Amazing fun was had - such a great bike to ride once you adjust.
1x anything isn’t retro!
1x1? 🙂
Don't have any photos of my 99 Dekerf Generation from when I bought s/h in 2000 with the original paint and decals and the Bomber Z2 Fly fork.
Here it is looking a bit worse. Chas Roberts repair and reinforcement to the headtube, (dodgy) respray and new style decals
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and a bit better
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and better still. Dave Yates put a disc mount on the back, removed canti bosses,replaced cable stops with hydro guides and painted it all pretty with a Cromoto fork to match.
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Now has a 3" front tyre on a Hugo. Handles like a dream and makes me smile every time I ride it.
I ride both on bridleways and easy xc
And around fields
Nice! What are those tyres?
@tomvanhalen, Dropper post and front rack... nicely done
I've just retired my 92 Kona Cindercone and replaced it with a 2011 Sunn Modular for commuting duties
What are those tyres?
A stalwart of "What tyre...?" threads of days gone by, the Kenda Small Block 8.
Just seen the OP's question:
Do you use a retro mtb and what for?
Little green bike gets used for local ragging, mostly all the same trails, plenty of steep rooty stuff. Jumps and drops with the harsher landings get taken a bit slower or avoided. Being SS, it gets taken out when I'm really in the mood for a thrash, or when I'm not in the mood at all, but I know I need it - no choice to sit and twiddle and sulk up the hills, you have to stand up and gurn and get all the endorphins you miss out on if you take it easy.
Not the bike of choice for bikepacking and long epics, though!
I have a Fisher Celerity that has seen various guises since I bought it new in 1990.
Currently a singlespeed used for quick xc routes and towpath bimbling. It needs a bit of headset TLC soon. I have done the hub and BB so it is just getting round to it tge headset bearings next hopefully.
nice bikes. Thanks everyone for contributing.
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'88 Giant Super Sierra
Running 1x9 11-40 with a narrow-wide and a thumb shifter
The bike I ride the most for the last 12+ years
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2003 Trek Fuel. With the carbon seat stays.
Bought the frame off here years ago. Rode it, sold it, bought it back.
Thought "I'll just ride it round to check out the components then put them on Mrs imp's bike."
Never happened. Been riding it ever since. Now commuting on it (part XC).
Love it!
1992 Raleigh Dyna tech now used for errands / pub duties. Still has the original cranks and ti bars, later additions include Surly 1x1 fork for the disc mounts, rear rack and panniers. Rear disc mount brazed on by Argos cycles in Bristol, which will offend the purists.
1993 Merlin MLM here, was ridden often in the Chilterns but riding in Cheddar, Blagdon now and it's a bit scary given my skills so it's going to be retired to Bikevillage in France as a wall ornament 🙂
1995/6 Fat Chance Yo Eddy with M950 XTR, King hubs and headset. The modern width bars, decent pedals and nice grips make it a brilliant little bike and I ride it regularly when it’s dry out. Only the forks are terrible - and even then not too bad for a 20 year old product. Very flexy.
2003 Whyte prst-4 for commuting duties (not that it sees much use in that role, or any other)
2005 Trek Liquid on Weeride and Chariot duties
2007 Inbred on Weeride and shopping duties (gret big plastic box stuck onto the rear rack plus a front basket)
1989 tip find Kona Explosif thats been made to look like an ersatz Pashley Guvnor but with bigger tyres. Great fun to ride but the wheels are falling to bits.
1989 Raleigh something or other that was going to be made to look like a Bomber but languishes on my turbo trainer.
All the above bikes seen kosher near as much use as they should have over the last year. Hopefully this coming year will see some changes to that.
1988 Kona Explosif - the pistachio with yellow spatter one. Only the frame and forks are original, naturally. With Magura HS33 Racelines for extra appeal....
I take it out on group rides occasionally, to give the youngsters a laugh. The laugh is often short-lived though - with modern tyres (tubeless, of course) and wider bars than bitd it’s still no slouch around typical moorland/plantation stuff.
up til a couple of years ago my only mountain bike was a 1995-ish Merlin XLM. On the right day on the right trail it was an absolute flying machine, but those situations started happening less and less, I started riding less and less and I sold it and bought an inbred as a forget-it-for-months-with-no-guilt MTB
92 Kona Lavadome (purple, natch). Very few replacement parts. Has done all sorts - raced it, ridden it in the Peaks and Lakes, single speeded it, commuted it, turned it into a utility bike. Will never part with it.
And for those who consider the 2000s retro, 2004 Cotic Soul. Hasn’t been ridden in years (due to road cycling and then no cycling since 2012). Won’t part with this one either.
Might be able to do some pottering soon if I get the ok, so either of these two will be ideal for the local towpaths.
1998 or 99 Lava Dome
2001 or 2002 Rock Lobster 853
Obviously they have different seats and bars these days
I still use my titanium Airborne Lucky Strike it’s the only mtb I have, so even though it’s getting on a bit I still have fun riding.
2002 Kona lava dome. Got some disc mounts brazed on and some 80mm SIDs
Rides lovely
