Retrobike geometry

The truley good modern bike rider is good but the mediocre to awful seem ok on modern bikes that absorb your failings. I refer to suspension as incompetence dampers and when I'm not on top form I need this. Old bikes required you to be as good as you could be because they left little margin for error.
My favourite quote from modern bikers to old is:
Q: 'Why are you not wearing armour ?'
A: 'Because I'm not going to crash !'
We ride well (IMHO, so far from Gospel) because we attended the school of very hard knocks and dont ride beyond our ability as the bike will not soak up our mistakes, but we still get it wrong as my friend ZZ discovered in Aviemore. Getting it wrong without the skill on a modern bike at greater speed could well have been fatal !

I have my cantis set up so the levers hardly move to lock the wheels. You may need to adjust the pads to improve performance, and / or change the cables. You probably don't need to change much else on the bike. With rigid bikes you move your weight around much more than modern to go over and round obstacles and downhill. Core strength also eases the pressure on wrists. Post a pic of your bike, and any obvious requirements should stand out.

Fair point velo

Thanks. I'm in the middle of changing the handlebars, and have just bought some used V-brakes, levers, and shifters from the forum. Hopefully that should take care of things once I get them fitted. I'll maybe take a photo of the bike after that.

A little unfair of the 'coach' to simply dismiss your bike out of hand like that but if 'new' is all he is exposed to along with the cult of the MTB magazines, that is all he will point you to regardless. Lots of the above perfectly describes whats is going on in the world without me wasting more oxygen on another rant...

Not knowing your height/ frame size etc, I found the below bike absolutely perfect for going up... and then down. A bit later than your bike but you can always change stems and seatpost height to bring the bike into something you are comfortable riding again. Not every ride is a white knuckle suspenshun' pounder, being comfortable on your bike is paramount. Next is to ignore what others around you are riding, if you are confident, then it doesnt matter.

I laughed at the bit where:
"He did say it was better for climbing,"

SO his point is that modern bikes are set up entirely for technical descents and long draggy climbs at trail centres where you have a manicured climb ot winch your way up before the next blast downhill...

Meanwhile, for those of us who ride in the real world, on routes we have made up, actually have to climb hills.

Thanks. It's quite similar to your bike. Here's a picture of it after I pulled it out of the shed. I've since fitted MTB tyres and removed the Minoura Spacegrip etc. I'm about 6ft tall, and it's a 19" frame. If I were riding on the road I could do with the saddle being a smidge higher than this, but it's on the limit mark.



The handlebars I've bought are more of a 'North Road' shape, and have 90mm of rise.

Get yourself a longer seatpost then, as it sounds as though it's not long enough.

Front end wise, there is nothing wrong with it, however, if it's not comfortable, you can look at changing the stem. Short, more rise etc.

I'm 6'1 and ride 19s. I find my 6 degree rise 130mm long stems leave me too stretched these days, and am playing with stems to get the right position. My top tube length is 22.5"

Good on the instructor in knowing nothing about the old bikes and trying to kill you by setting your brakes up wrong.
They should engage the rim at the point your hand feels comfortable sat with the levers in your hand and you feel a good power grip on them, all the rest is there for you braking/modulation pleasure.
Seems he only knows how to ride new bikes in, my opinion...OK setup new bikes but the two should go hand in hand.
I wouldn't have a proper clue about a modern full sus job with discs and levers to tweak everything.

If you can ride a bike you can ride a bike. If you trainer doesn't have the skills to ride your Saracen well then there is nothing he can teach you. Is it too late to ask for your money back?

I think one of the biggest differences in riding styles is, when they're not pushing them uphill, today's full sussers riders rarely get out of the saddle...

...going down a steep hill BITD involved hanging your *rse off the back and stretching for the bars til your stomach was resting on the saddle, then keeping to the line you'd spotted from the top.

None of this sitting in the saddle, holding on for dear life and riding roughshod over everything!

That's why I prefer good old traditional XC with plenty of single track