Rediscovered hobby

[JamesC27]

Wow as a youth I spend my days hacking about on various bikes (Kona,GT,Giant). As I grew older and gained a car my hobby gathered dust in the garage.

I was given my brothers four year old GT avalanche as he upgraded to a orange in january. Since then I began rediscovering my old passion.

Having updated said steed with shimano MT15 wheelset, deore chainset and discs, rock shox tora SL and a new seat.

First we went to Cannock chase followed by a weekend at whinlatter I think it's fair to say my passion for two wheels is back. Wow tech has moved on and trails the options are endless, gone are the days of building jumps in your local woods.

Great Reading on here chaps
keep it up

JamesC27

[yellowjack]

Oh boy, do I feel old right now. I (mis)spent my youth hacking round on Raleigh's Strika, Grifter, Chopper and later a Record Sprint racer(the one with the eliptical seat tube and the space shuttle graphic). I don't recall the likes of GT and Giant etc even existing as brands back then. You know that you're getting on a bit when you see your childhood in a glass case at the science museum, or the cycling museum at Brooklands. I too rediscovered cycling after a long lay-off, and my current off-road bike is a 2009 GT Avalanche, but my roadie is still firmly stuck in the '90s, being a 13 year old Falcon Proline.

[s.m.h.]

yellowjack said:

Oh boy, do I feel old right now. I (mis)spent my youth hacking round on Raleigh's Strika, Grifter, Chopper and later a Record Sprint racer(the one with the eliptical seat tube and the space shuttle graphic). I don't recall the likes of GT and Giant etc even existing as brands back then. You know that you're getting on a bit when you see your childhood in a glass case at the science museum, or the cycling museum at Brooklands. I too rediscovered cycling after a long lay-off, and my current off-road bike is a 2009 GT Avalanche, but my roadie is still firmly stuck in the '90s, being a 13 year old Falcon Proline.

Not forgetting the Choppers little brother the Tomahawk!
Had a BMX, just a cheapie (though most of my paper-round money went on it!) Burner in red, though it had Skyways Tuff II's and chrome Tange forks.
Has no-one mentioned the Bomber yet? That was one of the earliest MTB style bikes I can think of, though weighed as much as a bedstead and was too big for me as kid.

I dont remember GT etc, but then it was just the main BMX makers that I took notice of!

As for rediscovering, I have finally got the hybrid out of the garage and rode the 5 miles to work yesterday. I say rode, with only 3 gears there was a little walking up the steep hills as my legs were feeling the strain! Might even get the iDrive out for a blat soon...

[MadDad]

Great thread! I am also feeling very old!, I used to race BMX's in my younger years - mainly at the track at Slough, started with a Tensor, progressed to the traditional Raleigh Burner (blue frame and yellow wheels combo that buckled every time you sat on the bike), and then moved onto a Mongoose (silver frame black wheels).

Also had a couple of road bikes, a Raleigh team banana (envy of all my friends) and after that was pinched from Langley station a 'Team Peugeot' 12 speed racer - them were the days!

Progressed onto a Peugeot MTB with Titanium forks (in the days before sus), then got married, had kids and didn't go near a bike for 12 years - until Jan this year when I bought a Felt Q220 - now spend as much time as possible in the saddle and enjoy every moment! Simple things in life eh????

Edited by MadDad on Sunday 20th June 11:38