Have you suffered abuse for riding a retro?

ultrazenith

Senior Retro Guru
Feedback
View
Does anyone here get stick for riding a retro? I've been getting a lot more sneery / sarcastic comments than I used to. Always from chubby, middle aged men on modern bikes. I find it a bit weird to be honest, as I like to see people riding bikes that are a bit different to the norm, and like to stop and talk or complement it, even if I think it's a piece of junk.

Anyone else here getting grief for riding retro stuff?
 
Re:

the opposite if I'm honest.

most look, marvel and ask questions. The generic carbon rigs are often overlooked at the café stop.

the young 20 year olds, who mostly have no sense of sentimentality wonder why someone would ride something heavier or less efficient, but for them it's more wondering why then giving abuse.

I ride the road scene rather than the MTB scene
 
I tend to agree with Pigman - a couple of nice comments about my 1996 P7 recently; similarly some favourable remarks about 'classic steel' when out on the Witcomb by the carbon fibre boys.

Usually the full-sus Specialized Power Rangers have been overtaken by me on the singlespeed, so are not in a position to comment!
 
Re:

Not outright abuse but certainly comments of incomprehension as to why I would purposely choose to ride an old bike on todays trails.
Once at the top of Spooky Woods on Glentress's Red Trail, someone looked at my rigid Raleigh Whitelightnin' and said with shock "Your not taking that down there ?" Which I did with no probs :D
Everyone just needs to accept everyone else. I think modern bikes are clever and often brilliant but I think old bikes have there place too and I prefer old because I grew up with them.
It'll go full circle, 20 years from now some kid on his unobtanium alloy bike with ultra small but powerful powered electric assist will look at today's carbon exotica that is still mainly human powered with the same incomprehension. :roll:
 
Re:

^^ :LOL: Also quite the opposite. Only ever had nice compliments on the retro bikes. Maybe if you hang out at trail centres a lot, you would get some pi$$ taking by the modern full sus crew.

There is a very technical narrow tree gap trail beside a local river to me. It has off camber, rooty, muddy slime all the way through the 100yd section. I stopped with my kid to watch a crew of 5 modern kitted up riders try to ride through the section without ‘dabbing’. They all failed :LOL: An old 20lb retro is much easier to position and navigate through such a testing CX trail.
 
Not abuse but certainly odd looks and comments as to why.
My comeback is why on earth do you require a full sus rig with oodles of travel, full body armour and full face helmet around the terrain that is Thetford or Epping forest.
Yes it may be a little more comfy in the same way a modern Porsche is faster or more comfy that a classic Ferrari but which is more involving and fun?

I also smile when passing the single ring moderns spinning out their gearing whilst in the big ring on my Pace just cruising :)
 
Re:

Not really with any sense of seriousness.

Occasionally I have had some comments at Sherwood Pines, which I find really odd, as you could ride most of that on a shopper bike?

It does seem to be certain types of rider though; either youngsters who weren't even born when the bike was built and who tend to be a bit incredulous if anything or blokes a similar age as me, sporting bellies and riding mega money carbon full sus bikes.

The former tend to be interested rather than dismissive. The latter fall into that mid-life crisis group that seem to have to compete to have the most expensive bike to hang off the back of their company Audi/BMW/Merc and who I then get stuck behind on the trail :roll:

Most of the time though any interest is positive.

Never really had anything but positive comments when out & about rather than at trail centres.
 
If anything then its usually people interested in something different or reminiscing about days of old :)

Most just ride on by enjoying themselves same as me, i should imagine the older gents on full sus carbons are trying to boost their ego's, hence the thousands of pounds of bicycle in the first place :roll:
 
hmmm, had a thunk on this and no, not really. A few odd looks when haring around Cannock with drum brakes and mudguards.

Actions speak louder than words - if you're not fit, theres no rad or gnarlynessness whatever you happen to be riding.
 
Back
Top