whos got a retro bike and…

93 Marin Palisades Trail – now singlespeeded and wider bars. Feels very fast!

A 93 Palisades was my favourite ever bike.
Much, much nicer bike than the Clockwork I replaced it with.

I’m keeping an eye out for another 93 Marin on Retrobike at the mo.

Currently using one of these as a tourer:

2001 Rockhopper.
Not really retro, but it’s such a great bike to ride.

Here is a picture of my Fisher from when I did the singlespeed conversion:

btw @ zippykona – where is that picture taken?

Picture was taken between Croyde and Puttsborough Devon.

Did have a 96 Stumpjumper for a long while and rode it in various guises. It was just about to be put back together but I noticed a crack in the chainstay, gutted.

Still running a pretty old DMR trailstar though.

zippykona – Member

Picture was taken between Croyde and Puttsborough Devon

Thanks. It wasn’t where I thought it was then.

I still own my second MTB which is a 1989 MS Racing XT Comp.

It has a ’94 groupset and a later addition was a Aheadset converter to get a better stem angle and some wider riser bars.

It is run as a singlespeed, I just leave it at my parents at Keswick so if I find myself their with some time to spare I take it for a spin or use it to go in to town to pick up pasties.

I am ashamed to say that this is languishing in my garage. Back in the day it was a ripper!

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Kona Kilauea 1993[/url] by Michael J Napier[/url], on Flickr

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Kona Kilauea 1993[/url] by Michael J Napier[/url], on Flickr

yep, love my retro bikes, just bought another couple of frames to build up – a Funk Pro Comp and an Amp B5.

Why? hmmm thats a more interesting question.

Old bikes usually remind me that at the end of the day they are all just bikes.

To answer the question about what makes a bike “retro2….

On retrobike.co.uk the cutoff is 1997. Reason for this is summed up by a moderators post on RB about the very same question:

The 1997 date makes sense to me due to a number of technical changes and advances as seen on the widespread introduction of a number of components.

These included, the introduction of V-brakes, forks like the Marzocchi Bomber which were reliable and performed well and disc brakes became much more affordable and popular. There was also the introduction of Shimano’s 4 arm chainsets.
Full suspension was also becoming accepted as not just for DH. Bikes like the Santa Cruz Heckler, GT LTS and the Marin Mount Vision proved to work well for general trail riding and XC racing too.

In 1997 in the UK, the first purpose built trail centres, notably Coed-Y-Brenin had just opened. This was a very significant step which has fundamentally changed and shaped mountain biking (at least in the UK) ever since.

Mountain bikes and mountain biking took a significant evolutionary step forward at around about this point so it seems to be about the right date for me.

But as already stated, it has already been a thoroughly discussed subject in the past.

EDIT: The more I’ve thought about it, the more significant the opening of the Red Bull trail was back in 1997. I visited it for the first time in November 97 and came away thinking that this was a great new experience to have on a mountain bike. Marked purpose built trails where bikes had priority. It was like racing but without the entry fee or the need to compete.

Everything was different after that.

Sold my RC200 recently and regretted it ever since….

Still got my late 90’s IF Deluxe singlespeed frame

Also have a matching Club racer frame in the loft.

oh and a cracked Roberts Dogs Bolx frame too.

The biggest hurdle most people have with the older bikes is that they think they’ll be rubbish to ride. Nowadays there aren’t any really bad bikes, they all go, stop, handle ok, some are amazing but none are really going to kill you…. Older bikes, well, errr they can!

The 1991 Haro I have posted up already was a case in point. It handled brilliantly, maybe a bit twitchy but it was so direct. And it felt like a BMX in the air, not surprising given their heritage. However, it was harsh. Now I know some people think they have ridden harsh bikes but you haven’t, beleive me, until you ride a Haro Extreme. Oh. My. Word. I am pretty good downhill and don’t mind blatting down a Peaks descent on a fully rigid bike. I’m used to the knocks and can handle them. I rode the Haro in North Yorks on some trails that weren’t as rocky as W Yorks where I live but I was reduced to a crumbling wreck, my bones turned to dust and my hands, arms, shoulders cried with pain!! The combination of plain guage cro-mo straight (basically BMX) forks, and the mega rigid wing bar and stem (both cro-mo and in mega rigid 31.8mm OS flavour) were just too much. So if you rode that bike compared to a modern bike you’d be put off for life!

However, my 94 Kona Kilauea is an absolute joy. We did a big retrobike.com national ride in the Surrey hills at the weekend and the Kona was perfection – darting round the singletrack like a dragonfly. 600mm bars, fully rigid. Big tyres absorbed the knocks well (there isn’t many knocks there to be honest!) too. I got to the end of the ride and honestly thought if I came on my own I would bring the Kona rather than my modern Spesh FSR and it was amazing. Thats probably why you see so many old Konas around, and why they fetch a decent amount SH still – they are still great bikes to ride even compared with brand new ones.

It’s great seeing what all these bikes ride like, and there are more pleasant surprises than horrible revelations!

interesting reading and viewing.

I’ve got this, which is a repro (and slight upgrade) of what I rode in ’93

I also have a 1990 Courier Prestige (which I picked up the majority of for £15…. 😀 ) as a pub bike.

oh and a cracked Roberts Dogs Bolx frame too.

Chas and the boys will take care of that for you. I had a new top tube put into my 92 DB and it rides like a dream.

Just misses the cutoff. 1998 1×1

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94 Marin Indian Fire Trail, rarely used these days

I have a ’96 Orange P7 that I’ve owned since new, its not retro though, its just old.

I’m about to start building it up again as its just a frame at the moment, I’m sending the pace rc36 forks I bought with it off for a rebuild on Saturday, taking the frame to be powder coated next week (either blue lilac or signal violet I think, and will the rebuild will be my winter project.

I won’t be doing the whole original group set thing – I’ll be building it up with a new modern groupset.

On that point any recommendations for a v brake groupset. Can’t seem to find an XT one anywhere.

Why do I like it? Its a bike, I like to have a project, I enjoy making things look good again.

I’ve got a 1991 Orange Prestige and 1989 Saracen Tufftrax atm. Both in very tidy condition and both wearing nearly stock kit. Nice.

Don’t ride either much but I like looking at them.

Get some orange Z1s on that trailstar! Or Judy DH’s….

My Patriot LT 2000…. born in ’99, according to the stamp underneath.

Why?

Always liked the look of them, and combined with 150mm forks (same bounce each end) it rides fantastically.

I’ve got a Saracen Trekker Elite back at my parents house. Still got the full Shimano Exage groupset on it too. Not sure of the year but I think its around 1992/93

Go on then. A 96 Dekerf Generation. Not 100% in terms of original features but not far off. Bars are low and narrow which wasn’t a problem for my younger self.

The Flying Satsuma.. not quite retro either by retrobike standards, just old..
Not even approaching, or attempting to be original either.. 😳

I had a 98 ZaskarLE in one of the best colours, but sadly (and stupidly) sold the frame last year.

Had it from new and it was always the bike I wanted as a youngster.

Last incarnation as a road based thing.

And this was when it was built up in its best state.
Lightweight RST XMO air forks and XTR/XT other bits.

Its predecessor is now my dads bike and is still going strong.

95′ GT Pantera with RST XMO Pro forks.

1996 Cannondale M900, that was upgraded alot as it was raced every weekend for years till 2001. Still got it, take it for the odd ride, still makes me smile, but it’s a bit like driving a classic car the brakes aren’t as sharp etc, but it’s still a good ride.

I’ve got a 1994 Cannondale Beast of the East that I’m rebuilding as a single speed. I inherited the bike from an uncle who passed away.

I’ve stripped the stuff off it because it was a bit too old school for me and am building it back up with a mix of old stuff and new. It looks ace so far.

On that point any recommendations for a v brake groupset. Can’t seem to find an XT one anywhere.

.

Have a look on retrobike.co.uk for XT V-brakes, they come up from time to time. Alternatively there are the Avid groups, I have SD7’s on a couple of bikes and they work well, but my current favourites are Cane Creek Direct Curve. I have one set of DC2, two sets of DC3 and have just got some DC5’s. I have just fitted a DC3 setup to one of my daughters retrobikes and she managed to get some matching levers too, they are a really nice shape and better quality than pretty much any of the current Avid range (the older levers where much better).

I like the sound of your build, it’s pretty much what I do. Are you sending your fork to Fork English? Tim really knows his stuff and is a good guy to do business with.

I’d have Avid Sd brakes over XT any day.

GT RTS2 sat in my shed with full first gen XTR and Rock Shox Judys and USE finishing kit. Just needs a bit of TLC to be off road worthy.

At the moment this is my only mtb, I love it though.

I had one from new but some scunt stole it! I found this one on here and it made me so happy to have again.

Gave my 1993 Orange Clockwork to my dad a few years ago, but still love having a blast on it whenever I go to see my folks.

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IMAG0595[/url] by J[/url], on Flickr

It still surprises me how sharp and direct its handling is and how low it feels too! Modern bikes with suspension forks feel like they’re on stilts by comparison. Even though I used to ride it round the Peaks all the time I don’t think I’d want to ride it everyday now though. Those rigid forks are too punishing on Yorkshire rocks for me these days 😉

this thread is my best ever. Never knew so many would have so much.

so yes modern bikes rock (except those worst of both world 27 thingy’s)

BUT retro bikes rock hard!!!!

TBH, i’ll probably upset some but the only thing I dislike about retros are cantis, but a v conversation is simple.

keep the 25 ( +1 ) alive!!!
take the 26 out into the sticks.
kill the 27 and send it to heaven.
not retro but the 29 is fine.
the 26 and the 29 can both be proud and stand in line.

these bikes featured and the insight shared is amazing…

This is our heritage… 26 inch …. I hope it doesn’t die…..

( ok 27.whatever.. is fine as long as it doesn’t replace 26 ).

(Well done Spesh)

Retro bikes rock
this is our heritage..
nuff said.

last two posts were not my orignal intention but seem so related and fitting..imho.

anyway keep the retros coming though if you can…

Several in my collection. The Stumpy comes out for occasional dry weather trail riding; the Kona is my current daily commuter 🙂

I like the sound of your build, it’s pretty much what I do. Are you sending your fork to Fork English?

I am, will be posting them tomorrow, new decals too. Agree that Tim is very good to deal with.

Very excited.

I still have and ride my 95 Kona Kilauea

It’s been broken and repaired, repainted twice, build up in countless different ways and been to the US and France. It’s got little value to anyone else so there would never be any point selling it and it’s got so much in the way of memories that I’d be very sad to see it go.

At the moment, it’s set up for child seat duties or commuting but it gets the odd foray to the proper mtb trails.

As it is now:

As it’s been over the years:

Every one needs some retro action !!!

I have a 95 cindercone/ 1980 Ron cooper/2003(not quite retro tcr)

All ridden when I get chance 🙂

Just a tip – Waxoiling the frame is imho a good idea if the frame is steel and kills existing rust i think as well as preventing further spread.