[Closed] who has the oldest mountain bike (and still rides it offroad.)

1985 Saracen Conquest - comes out a couple of times a year.

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going out for a spin tomorrow on my 94 pine mountain.

ive got a 94ish khs alite which still gets ridden about a dozen times a year

I've sold my 93/94 Trek 970 (the only year when the 970 was the top end model, but only happened for 1 year as they dropped the 990 that year for some reason then brought it back the next year) to my brother-in-law, he rides it a couple of times a month in the local forest to him. Still using the original 1991 Deore DX crankset and the 1996 Mavic outer 52-tooth ring! Has Quadra 21r's on it...still looks a very nice looking bike...kind of wish I'd never sold it to him.

I took my '89 Rockhopper off road last year ... and thought 'never again!' 😯

I had a 2001 Rockhopper which was my only bike until it got nicked in August. That went off road, on road and anywhere else I need to ride it. Off road's easier now with the replacement, granted.

Still occasionally ride my old '90 Cannondale M700 rigid. It's so hard compared to the newer stuff but makes an interesting change sometimes! Saw it at a bike shop in 1990 at Newquay and just "had to get one", metallic green/black fade.

my only MTB is based on a '98 zaskar. Well upgraded but it's still going strong and used several times a week.

Zangolin, Retrobike needs that....!

1986 Raleigh Maveric ATB, mostly used for pub/shop/school runs, still totally original.

Bit of a monster, but it get used 😉

Time to trot out the vernerable ~1989 Pine Mountain, still used....occasionally:

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The bike I ride the most often is a '94 DBR Axis; albeit with a disc brake and singlespeed.

Just sold my '91 Alpinestars cro-mega DX. Got a road bike thats '80s.

My '96 Humuhumu still gets ridden offroad regularly.

I don't really have a classic yet, but my 01 Stumpjumper is currently my only bike so gets used all the time for 'normal' rides with mates, riding on the road with slicks on, doing races/24hr events etc.

Will be a shame to hang it up in a few weeks when my new one arrives, but there's a small scratch on the rear shock piston & the shock needs servicing too, so the expense of getting that repaired & serviced means it'll probably be hung up for good & the bits swapped over to a hardtail.

1985 Saracen Conquest - comes out a couple of times a year.

that's lovely!

1992 Trek Singletrack 970 - comes out occasionally.

I did this years dusk till dawn on a 94 Kona, no problem really.

my 1988 Marin Team Marin is my current favourite if needing a geared bike.

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QuickQuestion - could you post a pic please? Just wondering if it's the same as mine. What colour is it?

zangolin & rowley - class bikes.

Wish I'd never sold my 1990 Marin Muirwoods - the yellowest thing I've ever owned....

Rowley, what's the spec on that Team Marin please. Looks niiiice 🙂 Did they do it in Tange Prestige? I was a bit miffed when I bought my Pine Mountain as they'd sold out of the previous years model which was Prestige rather than dull standard cro mo.

Thanks yes it is tange prestige full XT, i bought it relatively recently from a guy on retrobike as always loved that years Marins as my dad had the Pine Mountain from that year. It really is a great bike and completely original as far as i can tell.

boblo isn't yours a 1988 as it looks the same as my dads?

My summer race bike is a 95 DBR Axis TT. Rebuilt from the frame up a couple of years ago, but still rides like new. 80mm forks & V brakes can be a bit of a handful after the modern FS.
See the ti goodness thread for pics.

I still ride the very occasional off road ride (usually with my six year old boy) on my 1991 Orange Aluminium O. I still can't quite beleive that I used to ride all over the peaks on it rigid.

that's beacuse you were a hard northern git before surrey softened you tony 😉

Ha Ha leggy blonde found out!

Going for a ride in the snow of the North Downs today? I am (last vestiages of "hard northern git") Or now you are a magazine superstar is it all beneath you?

I'll probably head to shirley hills after work with a few of my fans

rowley - Member
boblo isn't yours a 1988 as it looks the same as my dads?

It could be the '88 model. I bought it new in March '89 and it was current then. I really wanted the previous years metalic lilac Tange Prestige one a chum had but it was sold the day before I went in to pick my bike up. Bough it at Phil Corley Cycles in Milton Keynes and they gave me a nice discount to make up for my disapointment 🙂

I think our bikes have the same spec: Deore (which was the XT of it's day), RM20's, Specialized Ground Controls etc. They both had a peculiar velvety covered gel saddle, looks like your's had been changed as well. Used to soak up loads of moisture...

I have a 88 Chas Robers White Spider, take it out one or twice a year gets mainly used on the turbo though these days.

Hardly the vintage of posts above, the 1st 'decent' bike I bought from own wages in '96; grip-shift marvel -

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No idea what make, bought from the short-lived Mountain Magic shop in Edinburghs Grassmarket. Used mainly for adverse weather road-riding now, hence replaced crankset + v-brakes. Occasionally bung on some xc tyres for smoother trail-riding when I'm feeling nostalgic!

I had a Sarascen conquest in green - that picture brings back memories 🙂

my dad has a raleigh something or other that was new in 91, so quite old i suppose.

rowley thats a fantastic looking bike really cool and retro, how does it ride coz tange prestige was a top tubeset around that time!

boblo really nice looking retro bike how is it to ride then!

zangolin - Premier Member
1985 Saracen Conquest - comes out a couple of times a year.

and still with the original forks - you rock. After a while it seemed you only ever saw them with the chrome replacements. Now if only you had a set of 'Groondies' on it as well..

I used to ride my 93 Dynatech MT4 every weekend, and hard, maybes too hard.

It didnt like Snowdon

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My 1990 Carrera's still in bits in the garage, it's just got its new paint and it's waiting to get logo'd up but once it's done it'll be put back into service offroad... Looking foward to it even though it's crap 🙂

Wish I'd never sold my 1990 Marin Muirwoods - the yellowest thing I've ever owned....

Ah, now that would've been the Bolinas Ridge you had, not the Muirwoods... How do I know this? Cos I had a 1990 Muirwoods, which was that dull "Zolatone Grey" as they called it, with Neon Green forks/stem/stickers on it. The Bolinas Ridge was I seem to remember the only one in the range that was a solid colour, Neon Yellow at that!

Sorry, best just take my anorak off before I get outed as a geek! 😉

My father still rides around the by ways in the Chilterns on his 89 Tufftrax...78 years of age and still at it...he sent me a picture last week taken in the snow on top of Coombe Hill...wait for it , he rode his fixed wheel Higgins ultralite trike through the snow....he should know better 🙄

My 89 Scott Boulder with Ritchey Megabites .... often with blackburn rack in use as bike for the train when I go to meetings in London Bristol or Cardiff.
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still got my "original" first real mountain bike a Spesh Rockhopper in coral - sweet probably around 1988 -1989 vintage

Cut down bars, massive seatpost, still has ground controls, built it up from bits from my Muddy Fox courier (all white) as I bent the forks on it coming down the front of the Blorenge mountain - nutter days!!

Ol'man wouldn't buy me a new bike so bought a frame with paper round money and made my own - start of self build addictoin me thinks.

Will have to clean it up and service it and give it a blast

2001 DMR Trailstar. I still ride it, but the headtube weld is cracked so its getting replaced soon 🙁