Discussion
Sheetmaself said:
Inhave a pine mountain and love it, but cant ride it easily as geometry way too stretched out for my comfort and not sure worth the cost to change or even if possible. Plus the forks have collapsed and would need a good service.
Shame as heavily specced with either xt or hope titanium (hubs) and manitou sx titanium forks.
Similar here, I have a 1990 Trek 8300 which is a very smooth light ride but stretches my back, which I didn’t realise was down to the geometries of bikes back then Shame as heavily specced with either xt or hope titanium (hubs) and manitou sx titanium forks.
Venier said:
Sheetmaself said:
Inhave a pine mountain and love it, but cant ride it easily as geometry way too stretched out for my comfort and not sure worth the cost to change or even if possible. Plus the forks have collapsed and would need a good service.
Shame as heavily specced with either xt or hope titanium (hubs) and manitou sx titanium forks.
Similar here, I have a 1990 Trek 8300 which is a very smooth light ride but stretches my back, which I didn’t realise was down to the geometries of bikes back then Shame as heavily specced with either xt or hope titanium (hubs) and manitou sx titanium forks.
Yes they do stretch you out a bit !
They did come very well speced, mine has a white industries front hub and Shimano xt, it's the brake calipers that are really unique though, called afterburners!
It still amazes me though just how compliant and pleasurable it still is to ride when compared with modern stuff.
They did come very well speced, mine has a white industries front hub and Shimano xt, it's the brake calipers that are really unique though, called afterburners!
It still amazes me though just how compliant and pleasurable it still is to ride when compared with modern stuff.
How retro is retro when talking about mountain bikes?
I’ve got a Santa Cruz Superlight of indeterminate age in the garage that has pace forks and hope brakes, but I’ll likely get more use out of a Road Bike. I bought it second hand in 2011 and it was maybe 3 or 4 years old then.
Does that fit into the bigger scheme of retro bikes?
I’ve got a Santa Cruz Superlight of indeterminate age in the garage that has pace forks and hope brakes, but I’ll likely get more use out of a Road Bike. I bought it second hand in 2011 and it was maybe 3 or 4 years old then.
Does that fit into the bigger scheme of retro bikes?
Mine is definitely only worth a few quid for the parts and nothing else.
The brakes were a fairly old addition I guess by the first owner, but then Ive added the fork (I'm sure that would anger some of the folk on the retro MTB groups!), and I've also had to change the wheels and pedals, and every consumable part such as bottom bracket, cables etc.
The brakes were a fairly old addition I guess by the first owner, but then Ive added the fork (I'm sure that would anger some of the folk on the retro MTB groups!), and I've also had to change the wheels and pedals, and every consumable part such as bottom bracket, cables etc.
cml24 said:
Mine is definitely only worth a few quid for the parts and nothing else.
Ditto! 
I've had a lot of fun with a similar approach to yours, though - bought an anonymous rigid singlespeed off eBay a few years ago which after a bit of digging turns out to be a mid-90s Univega Alpina Pro - something held in medium regard, at least! I've spent the last few weeks tinkering and modernising a bit to make it a nice usable trail bike, including a set of 2000 Marzocchi Z4s in decent condition and a 10-spd XT/STX rear mech, cassette and shifter that came up as a second-hand set. I've found a nice 20-mile loop near me with some fun singletrack and great fast, technical descents, and Strava tells me the old bike doesn't do too bad against modern machinery.
It's definitely snowballing though - I'm now looking at tyres. And if a nice retro set of Magura HS33s were to crop up at the right price....
I've got a Kona Caldera which I built up as part of the Kona Custom program in 1997. It's the last of the CroMo frames they did I believe.
Used to have RST 461 elastomer shocks and then Marzocchi Z1 Bam forks but I replaced them with a set of Project 2 forks a few years ago (still have the RST and Marzocchis but the RST elastomers are shot, and the Marzocchis have no oil left in them).
It's still running the original XT V brakes with XTR levers, and the Sachs Plasma gears with the Sachs grip-shift before SRAM bought them out.
Bontrager crow-bars, IRC seat post (I think). I had Shimano SPDs on it originally but have switched to Crank Bros egg-beaters or DMR flats depending on use.
The only things I've had to replace for something newer is the wheels and saddle.
It doesn't get used much, but I've got no reason to replace it or get rid so it'll live in the garage for as long as I have space.
Used to have RST 461 elastomer shocks and then Marzocchi Z1 Bam forks but I replaced them with a set of Project 2 forks a few years ago (still have the RST and Marzocchis but the RST elastomers are shot, and the Marzocchis have no oil left in them).
It's still running the original XT V brakes with XTR levers, and the Sachs Plasma gears with the Sachs grip-shift before SRAM bought them out.
Bontrager crow-bars, IRC seat post (I think). I had Shimano SPDs on it originally but have switched to Crank Bros egg-beaters or DMR flats depending on use.
The only things I've had to replace for something newer is the wheels and saddle.
It doesn't get used much, but I've got no reason to replace it or get rid so it'll live in the garage for as long as I have space.
My '03 Marin East Peak. First year they went to multi-pivot from single pivot. I think only the frame, seat post, and bars are original.
Still my only bike, gets used for everything; even if it was worth £2k i have no idea what I would replace it with?
Everyone at work refers to it as retro, cheeky b
ds!
Still my only bike, gets used for everything; even if it was worth £2k i have no idea what I would replace it with?
Everyone at work refers to it as retro, cheeky b
ds!bern said:
My '03 Marin East Peak. First year they went to multi-pivot from single pivot. I think only the frame, seat post, and bars are original.
Still my only bike, gets used for everything; even if it was worth £2k i have no idea what I would replace it with?
Everyone at work refers to it as retro, cheeky bds!
Bloody hell, that's high tech state of the art to me!Still my only bike, gets used for everything; even if it was worth £2k i have no idea what I would replace it with?
Everyone at work refers to it as retro, cheeky b
ds!here is my entry for this thread, my trusty GT Zaskar LE
I originally built this up from a frameset brought in from the USA back in 1996. The first build had a set of Mag-21 rockshox but they soon died and wanting something less flexy I went for a set of Girvin Vector 2's which complimented the ball-burnished frame perfectly.
The bike got raced at many events around the South East and I have many happy memories of ragging it round the weekly 'Beastway' MTB series at the old Eastway circuit in Stratford.
Its one of the bikes I will never part with as after 24 years its become an old friend...
I originally built this up from a frameset brought in from the USA back in 1996. The first build had a set of Mag-21 rockshox but they soon died and wanting something less flexy I went for a set of Girvin Vector 2's which complimented the ball-burnished frame perfectly.
The bike got raced at many events around the South East and I have many happy memories of ragging it round the weekly 'Beastway' MTB series at the old Eastway circuit in Stratford.
Its one of the bikes I will never part with as after 24 years its become an old friend...
Top Banana said:
here is my entry for this thread, my trusty GT Zaskar LE
I originally built this up from a frameset brought in from the USA back in 1996. The first build had a set of Mag-21 rockshox but they soon died and wanting something less flexy I went for a set of Girvin Vector 2's which complimented the ball-burnished frame perfectly.
The bike got raced at many events around the South East and I have many happy memories of ragging it round the weekly 'Beastway' MTB series at the old Eastway circuit in Stratford.
Its one of the bikes I will never part with as after 24 years its become an old friend...
Now THESE are sought after.I originally built this up from a frameset brought in from the USA back in 1996. The first build had a set of Mag-21 rockshox but they soon died and wanting something less flexy I went for a set of Girvin Vector 2's which complimented the ball-burnished frame perfectly.
The bike got raced at many events around the South East and I have many happy memories of ragging it round the weekly 'Beastway' MTB series at the old Eastway circuit in Stratford.
Its one of the bikes I will never part with as after 24 years its become an old friend...
Gompo said:
That is awesome, the Girvins especially. I've had a couple of GTs and always liked the idea of a Zaskar oneday; it's a shame the new ones have probably tarnished the name slightly.
The Girvins are lovely, they track as well as a rigid fork with no horrible flexyness, but have just enough travel to work as a niceXC fork..
I converted mine many years back from the original elastomers (which degrade and go hard over time) to a US made speedspring conversion kit - it did mean sorting the damper out as the oil didnt match the spring rate but that was easily solved...
I would love for GT to bring back a proper ball-burnished modern incarnation of the Zaskar, but you cant beat an oldie..
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