"Vintage" Bikes on Modern Trails

[wobert]

Having bought my son a Trek MT220 for Christmas, and also down to the fact that my "get-fit campaign" is now in it's 10th week (swimming & spinning), I thought we'd try out our local trails at Coed Llandegla over the weekend.

Haven't ridden my '94 Orange Clockwork for nigh on 10 years but TBH I felt a bit out of place. No probs on the trails / hills (the spinning has helped there), just felt peeps were staring at me an' my bike?

Do "Vintage" bikes (as a Santa Cruz owning colleague put it), cut the mustard these days, or do I just look like a cheapskate trying......

Even ventured into the local Specialized dealer to see what you get these days, although I'd probably stay loyal to Orange and go for a Five.

Any thoughts gratefully received!

Robert

[wildoliver]

forget what other people think, if it makes you happy, you've already got it and it works just go for it!

Then again I have just built my bike out of the scrap bin just about!

[beyond rational]

Some may just be looking to have a reminisce. I like to have a look if its a bike I haven't seen for a while, had a good look at a San Andreas the other day

[hughjayteens]

I had a 13 year old Fat Chance Wicked which I dug out and took at the Afan Valley a couple of years ago when I got back into biking. It did a much better job of the 60 miles we did over a weekend than I did, although when I rode my mates new full suzzer I could see what I was doing to myself and sold it shortly after!

[rico]

wobert said:

my '94 Orange Clockwork

They were probably staring due to that being a SERIOUSLY cool bike!!! So cool in fact that Orange have released it again as a special limited edition.

Don't be ashamed of riding a Clockwork!

[wobert]

rico said:

wobert said:

my '94 Orange Clockwork

They were probably staring due to that being a SERIOUSLY cool bike!!! So cool in fact that Orange have released it again as a special limited edition.

Don't be ashamed of riding a Clockwork!

Maybe.....will have to see when I go again this w/end. Really getting back into MTB now....makes me wonder why it's taken me this long to get back into it.....[redface]

Full Spec of my bike for those who are interested.....

'94 Orange Clockwork
17" Frame with Wide Forks (Rigid)
STC RC Cranks, shifters & brakes
LX Headset, BB, front & rear mechs
Campag Atek rims with LX QR hubs.
Orange post, stem & Hotrod bars
Tioga Psycho II tyres

[pdV6]

Every time I take my '97 Trek Y33 into a bike shop, the staff get all sentimental about it!

[Neil_Bolton]

pdV6 said:

Every time I take my '97 Trek Y33 into a bike shop, the staff get all sentimental about it!

Bloody new fangled Y bikes. I remember in 96' when they made the Y bikes properly

Edited by Neil_Bolton on Tuesday 9th January 12:04

[pdV6]

[snotrag]

Agreed - cool bike!

Think of it like classic cars...

There cool, there fun to drive, everyone looks as you drive by - but ultimately there gonna get bummed on a track by anything modern.

Keep the clockwork for special occasions, and buy a new bike for day-to-day.

[oddman]

wobert said:

Do "Vintage" bikes (as a Santa Cruz owning colleague put it)

I've got a 10 year old Santa Cruz and just bought a fully rigid single speed. Go figure.

I'd say you were ahead on style, taste .....

Full suspension makes longer rides more comfortable but for speed I think the swings/roundabouts argument of hardtail vs. full sus is so close that a good pair of legs and lungs settles it.

You can never have too many bikes so you obviously need a full susser if the that's the answer you want

[pdV6]

oddman said:

Full suspension makes longer rides more comfortable but for speed I think the swings/roundabouts argument of hardtail vs. full sus is so close that a good pair of legs and lungs settles it.

Indeed. Neil, Mech & I were out in the mud last week. Neil's younger, fitter, lighter & a more skilled rider than me and was on his featherweight GF hardtail but still commented that as soon as it got bumpy I was pulling away.

[Neil_Bolton]

pdV6 said:

oddman said:

Full suspension makes longer rides more comfortable but for speed I think the swings/roundabouts argument of hardtail vs. full sus is so close that a good pair of legs and lungs settles it.

Indeed. Neil, Mech & I were out in the mud last week. Neil's younger, fitter, lighter & a more skilled rider than me and was on his featherweight GF hardtail but still commented that as soon as it got bumpy I was pulling away.

actually read this comment as in: "Neils still a fatty, but only ever slight less so than me "

But Pete is right, this was on technical bumpy uphill stuff, whereupon I couldn't maintain a rythym, and Pete just pulled away.

I've no doubt that downhill, a hardtail is able to match to a degree the speed that a full susser can as well as smoother harder pack flat and uphill stuff, however, there are places where suspension really aids the riding, as you just can't maintain the level of control required to get the grip and rythym.

Overall though, in terms of compromise: full sussers providing they are not prohibitively heavy and energy wastful in pedalling, are great at XC. This is why the Trek Y bikes are great, work well when sat down, and are feather light compared to pretty much everything else on the market.

Makes riding a much nicer prospect - I'd forgotten just how uncomfortable a lightweight stiff hardtail can be, however quick it is.

[Justin S]

Have a look here and this will answer your questions
www.retrobike.co.uk

[madbadger]

Retrobikes are cool but new ones are bouncy!

2005 Orange 5
1995 Yeti Kokopelli
1990ish Yeti FRO

[wobert]

Justin S said:

Have a look here and this will answer your questions
www.retrobike.co.uk

What a site......don't feel quite so lonely now....PMSL!

[MTY4000]

Still got my old skool 'dale. 1991 (I think?) - thumb-shifters, panaracer smoke & dart tyres, flouro coloured grips, bar ends, long stem (for the essential, old skool aero position) and numerous false "sponsors" stikers (I was a kid at the time). Probably even got the peperonni fork somewhere.

Rapid fire shifters, pah!

[I always ride my 2006 StumpJumper (hard tail naturally) now... but I can't see me ever getting rid of the 'dale. Too many happy memories.]

[mark r skinner]

MTY4000 said:

Still got my old skool 'dale. 1991 (I think?) - thumb-shifters, panaracer smoke & dart tyres, flouro coloured grips, bar ends, long stem (for the essential, old skool aero position) and numerous false "sponsors" stikers (I was a kid at the time). Probably even got the peperonni fork somewhere.

Rapid fire shifters, pah!

[I always ride my 2006 StumpJumper (hard tail naturally) now... but I can't see me ever getting rid of the 'dale. Too many happy memories.]

1990 `Dale SM 1000 owner here. Rapidfire shifters.

[beyond rational]

talking of retro,

one of the online bike parts people are selling these, where the hell did they find them?

[ewenm]

I've got a Flex-Stem sitting on a shelf that will go nicely with that

My 1995 Fat Chance still performs very well on XC routes. Not so hot on downhills partly because it's fully rigid and partly because I'm a wuss.