Retro MTBs

[MC Bodge]

Greendubber said:

Saw a lad riding a Kirk Revolution earlier on, who remembers them?!

I remember them being sold in Halfords. Quite heavy from what I remember (and the frames broke?).

[random_username]

Reading this thread has brought back some memories - started MTBing in the late 80's, I remember avidly reading MBUK, having an unhealthy like of purple components and flouro lycra... Also remember going to watch a race somewhere and talking to Dave Hemmings, who at the time I think was a factory Klein rider, and being over the moon that he let me have a go on his Klein Attitude! I seem to remember he also won the bunny hop competition clearing a shopping trolley?

My bike history:

Marin Palisades - think it was a 1988 model, complete with chainstay mounted U brake. Stolen at a French Camp Site

replaced with:

Trek 7000 Alu circa 1991 - one of the first bonded Alu frames

replaced with:

Gary Fisher Tassajara circa 2002. Suspension forks! Horrible thing, rode like a garden gate and was so sluggish on the steering it wasn't fun on twisty trails.

replaced with:

Cotic Soul, circa 2004ish. Still have it and love the way it rides. Been upgraded along the way - apparently long stems and super narrow handlebars aren't a thing any more!

Also have a Trek Fuel EX (2007ish frame?) full sus that I built from bits a while back - actually rides similarly to the cotic.

I'd like to have a go on a modern big wheeled slack FS - my worry is that they would be slow to turn and not as fun for places like Swinley with tight singletrack, and with the massive amounts of travel most bikes seem to have these days it would suck the fun out as the bikes would make it all seem smooth and easy...

[DailyHack]

random_username said:

- apparently long stems and super narrow handlebars aren't a thing any more!

Give it time...like everything else at the moment, the fashionistas or marketing will make a U-turn and it will be "thing" once more most likely

Same with 26" wheels, be fashionable again probably in some distance future, when wheels become THAT BIG you can't turn them properly on single track, and any feel of the trail becomes so devoid of anything as they roll to well

[crashley]

Oh I recently serviced and replaced a few bits on my old Dawes Edge XT before giving it to my father to muck around on.

I’ve also got an old LTS2 frame knocking around and a ClubRoost semi-downhill setup bike running Marzocchi Z1s and Magura rim brakes. I’ll get some photos at some point!

[Bonefish Blues]

crashley said:

Oh I recently serviced and replaced a few bits on my old Dawes Edge XT before giving it to my father to muck around on.

I’ve also got an old LTS2 frame knocking around and a ClubRoost semi-downhill setup bike running Marzocchi Z1s and Magura rim brakes. I’ll get some photos at some point!

We have the Edge tandem - we bought it for ourselves as a wedding present

[random_username]

DailyHack said:

Give it time...like everything else at the moment, the fashionistas or marketing will make a U-turn and it will be "thing" once more most likely

Same with 26" wheels, be fashionable again probably in some distance future, when wheels become THAT BIG you can't turn them properly on single track, and any feel of the trail becomes so devoid of anything as they roll to well

It is all cyclical - I remember when the trend was a 24" rear on a 26" bike. It appears "Mulleting" is now the thing with 29" front and 27.5" rear...

[wobert]

DailyHack said:

random_username said:

- apparently long stems and super narrow handlebars aren't a thing any more!

Give it time...like everything else at the moment, the fashionistas or marketing will make a U-turn and it will be "thing" once more most likely

Same with 26" wheels, be fashionable again probably in some distance future, when wheels become THAT BIG you can't turn them properly on single track, and any feel of the trail becomes so devoid of anything as they roll to well

Nah, bigger is the way forwards....

[Japveesix]

So said:

g7jhp said:

I've been using my 1991 Marin Muirwoods on family bike rides since lockdown. Usually only used as an occasional commuter to the station.

They were a very cool bike in the day. Still are actually.

My first proper mountain bike was a Muirwood, buy it wasn't that cool as my friends all had rockhoppers, GT LTS-1s and ludicrously overpriced saracens.

[Louis Balfour]

Japveesix said:

So said:

g7jhp said:

I've been using my 1991 Marin Muirwoods on family bike rides since lockdown. Usually only used as an occasional commuter to the station.

They were a very cool bike in the day. Still are actually.

My first proper mountain bike was a Muirwood, buy it wasn't that cool as my friends all had rockhoppers, GT LTS-1s and ludicrously overpriced saracens.

The Muirwoods was cool. It just echoed everything that was going on at the time. You were cooler than your mates, honestly.

[S11Steve]

My MTB days are nearly 30 years behind me - real life, career, house moves but also a fragile back has meant I've got two sentimental wall ornaments in the garage.

1995 Custom sized.Amp Research B3 and F2 forks and XT 95 group. Originally had the Amp Research discs but I was made an offer I couldn't refuse to sell them.






Prior to this, I had a 93 Klein Pulse Comp with Mag 21 forks, and sunrise fade paint scheme. I still regret selling it to this day, but I replaced it with what was going to be a ratty hack bike but really wasn't.

1988 Orange Clockwork from the first production run. DX thumbies and Joe Murray forks - Orange hadn't made their own yet.

[Louis Balfour]

S11Steve said:

My MTB days are nearly 30 years behind me - real life, career, house moves but also a fragile back has meant I've got two sentimental wall ornaments in the garage.

1995 Custom sized.Amp Research B3 and F2 forks and XT 95 group. Originally had the Amp Research discs but I was made an offer I couldn't refuse to sell them.






Prior to this, I had a 93 Klein Pulse Comp with Mag 21 forks, and sunrise fade paint scheme. I still regret selling it to this day, but I replaced it with what was going to be a ratty hack bike but really wasn't.

1988 Orange Clockwork from the first production run. DX thumbies and Joe Murray forks - Orange hadn't made their own yet.

I had a Clockwork. The first great steel frame I had.

[Gompo]

S11Steve said:

1988 Orange Clockwork from the first production run. DX thumbies and Joe Murray forks - Orange hadn't made their own yet.

Very nice, I was looking at those forks thinking they looked a little like P2s, before I read your post. I didn't remember Orange making straight forks but 1988 is a little before my time. A cool bike, regardless.

[stub101]

Just stumbled across this thread as I’ve been clearing my garage out and deciding what to do with my 1995 Kona Cinder Cone and 1996(?) Marin Muirwoods that have been sat unused for a good while. Both owned from new.

The Cinder Cone runs and is pretty much original, apart from the grip-shift swapped for LX rapid fire shifters. It’s in very good condition too for a 26 yr old bike...

The Muirwoods is less original with club roost bars and is in a few bits.

Just wondering what to do with them - particularly the Cinder Cone as it seems they are quite popular. They also look to sell for strong money but not sure I’d want to sell.

Don’t really have the time to spend hours tinkering and I’ve probably forgot more than I knew about bike maintenance so wondering whether to send it to the shop to overhaul and use as an occasional rider.

This isn’t a pic of mine but exactly the same - a real thing of beauty...

Edited by stub101 on Sunday 11th April 07:40

[Bonefish Blues]

I sold my '95, also largely original (albeit with a '96 frame replacement under warranty due to initial corrosion) only last year for what I thought was pretty good money. The older Konas have a good following.

[Pilotguy]

stub101 said:

Just stumbled across this thread as I’ve been clearing my garage out and deciding what to do with my 1995 Kona Cinder Cone and 1996(?) Marin Muirwoods that have been sat unused for a good while. Both owned from new.

The Cinder Cone runs and is pretty much original, apart from the grip-shift swapped for LX rapid fire shifters. It’s in very good condition too for a 26 yr old bike...

The Muirwoods is less original with club roost bars and is in a few bits.

Just wondering what to do with them - particularly the Cinder Cone as it seems they are quite popular. They also look to sell for strong money but not sure I’d want to sell.

Don’t really have the time to spend hours tinkering and I’ve probably forgot more than I knew about bike maintenance so wondering whether to send it to the shop to overhaul and use as an occasional rider.

This isn’t a pic of mine but exactly the same - a real thing of beauty...

Edited by stub101 on Sunday 11th April 07:40

See if there are any Fix Your Bike vouchers left in the system, LBS could sort out one of them for you.

[stub101]

Pilotguy said:

See if there are any Fix Your Bike vouchers left in the system, LBS could sort out one of them for you.

Unfortunately I only found out yesterday they’d released a new batch of vouchers at the end of March and they’ve all gone again.

There’s an Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative near me so may take the Cinder Cone into them for a health check and see what work it needs. I’ll then decide from there - the rims are certainly far from round or true any more! It’ll def need new tyres and Ritchey Logic brake pads (cantilever).

I think the Muirwood will probably end up being moved on - if it turns out that anyone actually wants it.

[MC Bodge]

stub101 said:

Just stumbled across this thread as I’ve been clearing my garage out and deciding what to do with my 1995 Kona Cinder Cone and 1996(?) Marin Muirwoods that have been sat unused for a good while. Both owned from new.

The Cinder Cone runs and is pretty much original, apart from the grip-shift swapped for LX rapid fire shifters. It’s in very good condition too for a 26 yr old bike...

The Muirwoods is less original with club roost bars and is in a few bits.

Just wondering what to do with them - particularly the Cinder Cone as it seems they are quite popular. They also look to sell for strong money but not sure I’d want to sell.

Don’t really have the time to spend hours tinkering and I’ve probably forgot more than I knew about bike maintenance so wondering whether to send it to the shop to overhaul and use as an occasional rider.

This isn’t a pic of mine but exactly the same - a real thing of beauty...

Edited by stub101 on Sunday 11th April 07:40

A set of fat semi-slicks and some bar ends would make it a good city/canal/track bike.

[stub101]

MC Bodge said:

A set of fat semi-slicks and some bar ends would make it a good city/canal/track bike.

Any recommendations on fat semi-slicks please? There aren’t any canals close by but as a city run-around for summer would be good.

Mine currently has bar ends on but I was planning on taking them off. Why are they so out of fashion these days?

[MC Bodge]

stub101 said:

Any recommendations on fat semi-slicks please? There aren’t any canals close by but as a city run-around for summer would be good.

Mine currently has bar ends on but I was planning on taking them off. Why are they so out of fashion these days?

I've been impressed with this tyre (in 700cx35mm) on my cyclocross bike for urban and dirt track.

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/tyres-large/schwalbe-r...

Bar ends are out of favour for technical off-road on modern wide bars, but give more hand positions on a road-orientated machine.

[V1nce Fox]

Schwalbe citijets are a good budget option and have an amberwall version.

I also have a set of michelins on my old gt, theyre a little square but feel great on gravel, etc...