The good old days when bike manufacturers publicised weights

Re: The good old days when bike manufacturers publicised wei

samc":178frwao said:

23.8lbs is without pedals. So not sub-24 lbs. In the 90s, £900 ish would get you quite a lot (certainly sub-24lbs, even steel framed)

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That is not specifying it must be steel framed.

I merely corrected you on your misreading of the actual weight in a catalogue of a retro steel bike.

I am certainly not going to spend my time pouring over old catalogues to find the few manufacturers who accurately listed weights, no more accurately than modern manufacturers do.

The whole industry was different then, most bikes were ultimately specced at the point of purchase.

If you really want to judge the voracity of claims for sub 24lbs hard-tails, just look at Weight Weenies listings for the frame weights.

Bikes are generally not as light as they were. I never even said that is a bad thing. It is more to do with the design intent behind them.

Another thing, the comparison of a £900 bike from, say 1995, with a modern one of £1500 is ridiculous.

Bike prices have dropped massively over the years due to mass production.

It would make as more sense to compare a £2000 bike from 1995 to one the same price now.

Harrumph!

Re: The good old days when bike manufacturers publicised wei

legrandefromage":335ggh7v said:

Seriously, get over yourselves. Who cares? Give a decent rider any bike and they will make the most of it whether its 4 weeks or 4 decades old.

Its a business, flat lining, burgeoning, whatever. Somebody wants to make money out of you and they will do their utmost to destroy the reputation of whatever last years big thing was regardless of cost/ weight/ height/ smell/ hue...

Just enjoy cycling ffs.

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You know damn well this kind of tripe is grist to the mill for this site!

Re: The good old days when bike manufacturers publicised wei

I can't remember exactly what it was back in the day, but I'm sure it was under £900. I think £800 or £850.

Mine looks like that, except has M775 pedals, and a Flite Ti on it. The clear lacquer has come off a little on the top tube, and mine's lost the right hand side Axis logo on toptube. The tyres are obviously not in such good nick. Logo's missing from the rims too However, no rust whatsoever, and was voted best retrobike on the Urban ride because "it looked new"

I weighed it on my digital fish scales (bought for weighing bikes ) and all in 23.5lb. My Axis R is steel, and bouncy up front, see BOTM, and it came in at 24.9lb with spec as per the build thread. Admittedly this is not standard, and wouldn't have come in under the £900 mark set in this thread

Re: The good old days when bike manufacturers publicised wei

highlandsflyer":3t3sx54l said:

legrandefromage":3t3sx54l said:

Seriously, get over yourselves. Who cares? Give a decent rider any bike and they will make the most of it whether its 4 weeks or 4 decades old.

Its a business, flat lining, burgeoning, whatever. Somebody wants to make money out of you and they will do their utmost to destroy the reputation of whatever last years big thing was regardless of cost/ weight/ height/ smell/ hue...

Just enjoy cycling ffs.

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You know damn well this kind of tripe is grist to the mill for this site!

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Its a bit of fun.... sheesh.

And Tim..... proof of price! Its gone up £50 in the past half hour... nothing but a dated till receipt will do

Re: The good old days when bike manufacturers publicised wei

Pyro Tim":26ttdeq2 said:

I can't remember exactly what it was back in the day, but I'm sure it was under £900. I think £800 or £850.

Mine looks like that, except has M775 pedals, and a Flite Ti on it. The clear lacquer has come off a little on the top tube, and mine's lost the right hand side Axis logo on toptube. The tyres are obviously not in such good nick. Logo's missing from the rims too However, no rust whatsoever, and was voted best retrobike on the Urban ride because "it looked new"

I weighed it on my digital fish scales (bought for weighing bikes ) and all in 23.5lb. My Axis R is steel, and bouncy up front, see BOTM, and it came in at 24.9lb with spec as per the build thread. Admittedly this is not standard, and wouldn't have come in under the £900 mark set in this thread

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The one thing I have in my 95 brochure, is the 95 retail price list - now in 95, the rigid steel Axis - which only differed from the 94, really, on some of the finishing kit, was listed at £999, how much it differed in 94, I can't say.

I'm pretty sure despite trying to pay less... I paid very much list price for my 95 Apex (£699), but then it was an insurance replacement for my liberated 91 Apex, so maybe I could have got it a little cheaper by shopping around.

Thing is, though, the Apex would have been easily within the price range, used the same frame and forks, and trick, over-light 230 rims in 95, so wouldn't have been leagues away from the Axis weight.

Re: The good old days when bike manufacturers publicised wei

I didn't buy one back then. I got mine last year for a lot less than £800

Re: The good old days when bike manufacturers publicised wei

Who paid retail for their bikes anyway? When I wasn't getting trade prices I bought clearance bikes. I am off out on my gammy leg to buy beer. Snow or not.

My WCF Vertex build to well short of 24 with choice components. Even a Klein Pulse can come well under. Lots and lots of mid range lightweight bikes around in the nineties. End of.

Re: The good old days when bike manufacturers publicised wei

Russell":1jfvursr said:

Come on... Somebody link to a retro catalogue that shows a steel framed bike that's sub 24lbs and £900. Lets put this to bed once and for all.

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I started the thread because my Lavadome is sub 24lbs - surely that was about £900 back in ye olden time, wasn't it? I seem to remember them being vaguely affordable.

It's currently a scabby Noleen Vector fork on it and pedals - admittedly I've put some lightweight tubes on it, but it's pretty much there.

Re: The good old days when bike manufacturers publicised wei

I got my Zaskar in a sale

Re: The good old days when bike manufacturers publicised wei

Koupe":pfqhxx43 said:

My 1991 Raleigh Montage, fresh from the bike shop INCLUDING spoke reflectors and full-length mudguards, weighed 20.072 lb, I KNOW this for a FACT because I did an endo on my Mum's bathroom scales. I don't care what the Raleigh catalogue said. In comparison, my LBS has a Lapierre Pro Race 700, and when I tried to lift it off the floor I dislocated my shoulder, and it cracked the floor tile as I dropped it. That's IRREFUTABLE proof that old MTBs were better and less gay than the new sh1t.


Also, I like bikes.

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This is my kind of SCIENCE! Boom, done, case rested.

You're welcome.