Retro & classic bicycle discussion forums, classifieds, events & news

Long-time bike journo and photographer Seb Rogers is launching a new mountain bike magazine this spring. Called Cranked, it’ll be published four times a year and, in a move that cheerfully sticks two fingers up at the conventional wisdom that digital is the only place where it’s at, it’ll also be available only in ink and paper form.

“It’s intentionally different”, says Seb. “High production values, the best paper and printing we could find, and features that are put together with time and thought rather than rushed out to meet a tight deadline. Think of it as a digital detox – two-wheeled, fat tyred vinyl to everyone else’s MP3”.

Due out around mid April 2015, you can sign up for email updates – and a chance to win a year’s free subscription – at www.cranked.cc , or visit Facebook.com/crankedmtb for more.

The January 2015 Bike of The Month contest was taken by FatMikeyNYC’s 1983 Fat Chance #138.

The full result is as follows
1. FatMikeyNYC’s 1983 Fat Chance #138
2. The Pro’s Closet’s 1983 Series III Breezer
3. drystonepaul’s 1993 Saracen Traverse Elite

The December 2014 Bike of The Month contest was taken by ridevintagemtb’s 1990 Yeti FRO.

The full result is as follows
1. ridevintagemtb’s 1990 Yeti FRO
2. mauricer’s 1991 Merlin Elevator
3. tigern’s 1996 Klein MC2 Attitude

The UK’s largest gathering of classic pre-1995 mountain bikes, ‘icon•o•classic’, is taking place at the historic market place in Warwick on September 14th 2014.

icon•o•classic will provide a showcase for these bikes – both to the general public, and for all the exhibitors and other like-minded enthusiasts.  We’re sure that like us you will relish the opportunity to show your bikes, and to be able to see so many others all at the same time and in the same location.

All up to date details, including registration information can be found at www.iconoclassic.org as well as in the dedicated section on Retrobike – both of which will be regularly updated.

The aim for icon•o•classic is to showcase at least 200 pre-1995 mountain bikes, in one location, at the same time.  Simultaneously 100 different Team jerseys and strips will be displayed around the town centre, to further add to the atmosphere and augment the setting of the bikes.

We would like a broad range of classic mountain bikes on show.  One aim for icon•o•classic is to get bikes that members of the public can relate to – possibly bikes the same as they might have owned themselves back in the day. The only requirements are that the bikes are from 1995 or earlier, and that they are presentable for what will in effect be a ‘show n’ shine’ event.

Further to this, there will be a unanimous ‘Best in Show’ competition with the exhibitors and general public encouraged to vote on the day for their favourite bike.

The show will be managed through a pre-registration process – if you would like to come along please register your interest here. (more…)

The March 2014 Bike of The Month contest was taken by Halaburt’s 1983 Steve Potts Brazed MTB in what turned out to be a two horse race despite some stern competition.

The full result is as follows
1. Halaburt’s 1983 Steve Potts Brazed MTB
2. Sinnermans 1989 Roberts Stratos
3. Kirbdugs 1993 DAWES Double Edge Tandem

Click here for more details and full results

The April 2014 Bike of The Month contest was taken by Giom6′s Dave Yates Vulcan E-stay, from some solid competition.

The full result is as follows
1. Giom6′s Dave Yates Vulcan E-stay
2. Richieb’s 1990- Brodie Catalyst
3. mauricer’s 1990 Rocky Mountain Blizzard

Click here for more details and full results.

The February 2014 ‘Special Edition Special’ Bike of The Month contest was taken by huelse’s Ibis 1989 SS Kogler special edition.

The full result is as follows

1. huelse’s Ibis 1989 SS Kogler special edition
2. oneschnark’s Fat Chance 10th Anniversary
3. jonnyboy666′s 1993 Orange Aluminium Elite Limited Edition Gold

Click here for more details and full results (more…)

I read lots of mountain bike magazines. There’s currently a four foot high stack of them in my back bedroom. I’ve taken out subscriptions to all the major ones at some point over the last 20 years and even had articles and photographs published some of them.
So I am always a bit sceptical whenever I see a feature on the history of mountain biking. Experience tells me that it’s usually a disappointing sidebar feature which is compromised by brevity and sometimes spoilt by inaccuracy.

A few publications, notably the now defunct Privateer, have got it right though. Nice long in depth articles from highly regarded sources; so when ‘The History of Mountain Biking’ landed on my doormat I wasn’t expecting to be impressed.

On a first quick flick through of the 154 pages I was struck by the lack of advertisements. In fact unlike the mainstream magazines which have so little content compared to the volume of adverts, this had none, apart from on the inside covers. This was all content; a good prospect.

Scanning through the list of contributors revealed a range of very highly regarded journalists and significant figures in mountain biking’s past and present.
Tym Manley, Charlie Kelly, Steve Worland, Jacquie Phelan, Steve Behr, Wende Cragg to name but a few…

The first article written by Tym Manley, is engaging and well written, summing up the story behind the ‘official’ rise of the mountain bike in California. It’s in depth and really sets the scene, introducing many of the key figures of the time.
(more…)

In the early 1980s, Chris Chance, an American frame-builder who specialized in TT and criterium bikes, formed Fat City Cycles in Somerville, Massachusetts, and began building mountain bikes. He had an intuitive and prodigious talent, and over the course of the decade was building the best handling off-road bikes in the world, including the Fat Chance with a relaxed, upright position and the more responsive Wicked Fat Chance with quicker-handling geometry. For the 1990 model year, Fat City Cycles launched a new top-of-the-line racing model, the Fat Chance Yo Eddy! Team. Combining everything Chris knew about designing efficient, quick-handling bikes for criterium races with almost a decade of building the sweetest handling mountain bikes, his resulting effort was perhaps the finest handling mtb ever built.

The Yo Eddy was hand built in the Somerville, Massachussetts factory, and TIG welded from quad butted, heat-treated True Temper 4130 chromoly steel. The frame weighed 4lb 5oz, and the fork 1lb 12oz, and every bike was a work of art. All the major cycling magazines praised the Yo Eddy’s sublime handling characteristics, incredible climbing and descending abilities, and almost telepathic responses to rider inputs. Seasoned bike journalists were astonished by the craftsmanship, examples being the silver brazed cable guides, strengthening gussets around high-stress tube junctures, and frame alignment accuracy to within one thousandth of an inch. (more…)

The January 2014 Bike of The Month contest was taken by wadsy’s 1993 Diamondback Axis Team Titanium, from some excellent machines as is shown by the three way tie for 2nd place!

The full result is as follows
1. wadsy’s 1993 Diamondback Axis Team Titanium
2= Giom6′s 1992 John Samways Formula One
2= Richieb’s 1990- Brodie Catalyst
2= mauricer’s 1990 Rocky Mountain Blizzard

Click here for more details and full results (more…)

UK MTB scene stalwarts Orange Mountain Bikes can trace their ancestry back to wind surfing company Tushingham. Orange’s Lester Noble worked for Tushingham back in the 80s and there the Tushingham mountain bike range was designed. The lucky owner of this Tushingham B-52 which is being offered for sale on ebay picked it up without realising the bike’s significance and is now selling it. The B-52s apparently came from the same factory as the Muddy Fox Courier, hence numerous similarities. Tushinghams are a rare beast, later in the 80s Lester Noble went on to form Orange with Steve Wade and the rest is very much history!

Click here to discuss in the forum.

The December 2013 Bike of The Month contest was taken by CCMDoc’s 1989 Merlin/Mongoose John Tomac Signature, from some excellent machines.

The full result is as follows
1. CCMDoc’s 1989 Merlin/Mongoose John Tomac Signature
2. Giom6′s 1992 Zinn Z-Centaur
3. theproscloset’s Missy Giove Yeti ARC ASLT

Click here for more details and full results (more…)

Stuck on last minute Christmas gifts for the cyclist and retrobiker in your life? There is still plenty of time to pick something up either from your local bike shop or most of the online retailers. Let us help you avoid a last minute dash to Marks & Spencer’s for a pack of socks on Christmas Eve with our top ten last minute gift guide. (more…)

The Christmas 2013 Specials are now online, click here to see the Retrobike Xmas Specials. We are doing various bundle deals all of which represent a massive saving off normal price.

Numbers are limited to stock so if you want a combo be quick

Barnoldswick. It just sounds like a Northern village name. I can’t hear it without thinking of a northern accent saying it. The kind of place you find in a rom-com where Cameron Diaz goes to find herself but finds Ewan McGregor instead. What you actually find in Barnoldswick is Hope.

Pulling up at the house of Hope is quite different from most of the British bike industry I’ve visited. It’s, well, kind of American actually. At least in appearance. Kind of huge in presence and neat in display. You’d never think this gentrified modernised church of British bicycle family silver was actually made in this incredibly smart building, it’s just too nice, too neat, too, well, American. But this front of house is entirely appropriate. To the founders, to the workers, to the ethos, to the product. (more…)