What is retro?

Admittedly my focus in the last few months/builds has very much been on more modern stuff but I was looking at a 99 FSR in the 'modern' section and it got me wondering about what actually is 'retro'.

Note i ask this mainly as a theoretical question. A 14 year old spesh full susser must fall into this category but also because we have to face facts, NOS 739/952 is only getting rarer. Not far off it becoming pretty obsolete if you look at what people are willing to pay in recent eBay auctions.

On a more practical note, there is a danger that the next generation of 'retro' riders and appreciators might not see this as a site and community for them, ensuring a long a prosperous queue of hoodie/mug/beanie wanters for Jon and the hard working mods.

This isn't a criticism of the site structure//definitions and all that jazz (I love this site full stop) but it might be worth thinking about.

Some day soon a pair of Race Face cranks will be considered 'retro' and SRAM X0 9 speed be as rare as a quiet night in for Kerry katona. I hope we all can embrace it and not get stuck in the early 90's looking at the world through amber wall spectacles.

TL

Interesting. Not a question that comes up very often.

I agree with what you are saying, in the long run the 97 cut off point is going to seem a limitation. However, there is then the option to remain with the separation of 97 and before and post 97.

1997 represents the birth of v brakes and effective suspension. Its a hard fixed era. Pre97 is like prewar.

Oh god, please no.

Search function is your friend.

So the cut off should be 95 given that Vs came in in 96?

amended for accuracy

The admin crew have explained why it's 1997 before. And ultimately, it's their call.

so my 96 Axis R, which came with M739 V-brakes, was a 97 model? Despite being a 96, in the 96 catalogue?

highlandsflyer":1m0v4o4l said:

So the cut off should be 95 given that Vs came in in 96?

Click to expand...

Or 2001, given that suspension with proper attention to damping and eliminating pedal bob didn't surface until then.

Pyro Tim":3rvhas5h said:

so my 96 Axis R, which came with M739 V-brakes, was a 97 model? Despite being a 96, in the 96 catalogue?

Click to expand...

I've just done a fact correction on my post - XT and XTR v brakes were 96.

Whoops.

I don't think it is too important when what arrived. The cut off point is what it is, pretty much arbitrary.

So is the cut off point for classic cars and such. In the scheme of things, given the very short history of the 'mountain bike' a 1999 model is certainly long in the tooth, given that 14 years back from that would take you to 1985!

So a 1999 model would effectively equate to a car from the mid 20th Century.

I think the whole problem is the word Retro, and what it means relative to how it is used here.

However, we all know the set period for the purpose of this site. The year had to be set some time.

Whether it should advance each year would be a worthwhile debate, but at the end of the day it is just a little fun and nothing serious.

Personally I think a lot of the forks coming out in the mid nineties were very effective.