Strong steel frame opinions
- Thread starter widowmaker
- Start date
Ive little experience of steel[4 bikes] but of my 4 id recommend wholeheartedly the 99 Orange Clockwork
It's been used as a pack horse carrying of all things 2 calor gas bottles, heavily disguised as the police for some reason dont like cyclists carrying gas bottles
Its also been used for general commuting at speed on a non road route and before i sold it i was using it to jump around on off heights of about 3'. After the 8 years of abuse i gave it it survived and in very good condition.Certainly no dents or bent bits
My recommendation is anything made by Orange in steel before they went all weird and modern.
I really must get another
It's been used as a pack horse carrying of all things 2 calor gas bottles, heavily disguised as the police for some reason dont like cyclists carrying gas bottles
Its also been used for general commuting at speed on a non road route and before i sold it i was using it to jump around on off heights of about 3'. After the 8 years of abuse i gave it it survived and in very good condition.Certainly no dents or bent bitsMy recommendation is anything made by Orange in steel before they went all weird and modern.
I really must get another
velomaniac
MacRetro Rider
Low to midrange workhorses from the big american brands such as Specialized Hardrocks and Rockhoppers, Diamondback Topangas, Konas (Canadian I know), Scotts, Marins, GT's etc. All built to last and have lasted as an average trawl through ebay will show.
Another nice old eighties clunker (possible stuck seatpost)
http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewit ... 0982900200
http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewit ... 0982900200
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velomaniac
MacRetro Rider
Technically not a clunker but a full fledged mtb. A clunker is a bike not originally designed for mtb'ing that was converted to the role like a classic Schwinn cruiser bike. Saying that though its a nice 80's mtb
Fair point, though I do think these doughy eighties stalwarts (which I love, I have an 87 Avanti) are in a category of their own. Decent mtbs from about 89 (and even to today by a serious amount of evolution) are tight angled speed machines while these are more like off-road tourers. Just an interesting (maybe) aside, rather than to disagree
velomaniac
MacRetro Rider
Yup pre 89 mtb's would be better suited to trekking/adventure touring. My 87 Emmelle dolomite is long and slack and just says old school in big letters. My 89 plus bikes are definitely well thought out xc bikes so my 88 Bridgestone MB3 is a bit weird as its pre 89 but has post 89 handling, but then Bridgestone invented the 89 plus geometry before 89
So I'll qualify my steel bike recommendation by saying something from the 90's onward would be best
So I'll qualify my steel bike recommendation by saying something from the 90's onward would be best
velomaniac":2cib66qy said:So I'll qualify my steel bike recommendation by saying something from the 90's onward would be best
I'm with you on the recommendation (my Avanti is second favourite to my 92 pine mountain) but part of the OP's intention was to recreate his trail riding experience of the 70s and 80s - speaking of which where is the OP?? We seem to have hijacked his thread! ;-)
