Marin ti & Kona ti return for 07

The Scott Spark ( ? ) is even lighter I think .

I honestly think that it all depends on how you ride your bike .
My average ride is probably 2 to 3 hours and it is not all off road . If I was riding for 4 hours plus on a regular basis , I would have a full sus or a titanium frame . I cant afford neither of them but that is another story .

hey, the offer to ride yer hardtails & fully rigids with me around the brecon beacons is always open yeh its do-able, but is it fun?!

horses for courses. you probabily wouldnt ever really need a XC FS in warwick? that said 15-ishyrs ago you wouldnt find anyone with a hardtail. times are a-changing. only the sternest ride rigid for the sake of it types be will on hardtails in 15yrs time. mountain biking rate of change is pretty big. friction shift to index. cantis to V brakes, V brakes to disks. rigid to hardtail, hardtail to FS. natural progression & evolution of the sport. yeh they'll always be minority sections IE s.spd, etc...

the carbon frame material is another thread in itself. but when trek & scott are building 110mm travel XC FS frames sub 4.4lb in weight (yo eddy weight!) it gives you a hint at what the future holds.

I know this is a retro forum & I'm not trying to try & sell ice to the eskimos! This is a retro forum! we love the older stuff. I dont think we'll ever return to the "glory days" of the early 90s. BUT, take a look at any mtb centre carpark, see whats at the tradeshows. see whats selling & before you say "not for me" hardtail forever! try a few test rides.

I was a hardtail holdout! It took a trip to the french alps on a borrowed bike to convince me & continued lend when I got home to confirm. XC FS bikes, you'll all be converted 1 day

And I dont think we are seeing more hardtails . I think it is more the SS and 29 fashion which makes them more visible . If you look at all the big brands they all have a massive choice of full sus , while their offers o hartails is limited to 1 or 2 models .
What would be next ? A german guy is manufacturing a 10 speed hydraulic shifting system . 1500 euros for the shifters and both mechs . and 200 gr lighter then a 2006 XTR system .

I dont want to ride around the Brecon Beacons.

deelam":3232um13 said:

Interesting thread this is becoming.

What do you think? A resurgence in the hardtail ethos could lead to BMX type prices for all our retro-lovelies? I am still amazed by the prices some of the old BMXs fetch. But then, they have a few years head start mainstream I suppose.

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retro pricing is happening already. cook bros cruiser frames & parts in the US make a mint. white onza porcs worldwide. fat chance yo eddy forks for $400....

I dont think that a Fat for $400 is bad . I mean how much was it new in todays money ?
Bike prices have gone down a lot I think .

jez-2-many-bikes":141o0qok said:

I dont want to ride around the Brecon Beacons.

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its mountain biking jez, you should try it! <joke!>

cchris2lou":jcqlmwfg said:

I dont think that a Fat for $400 is bad . I mean how much was it new in todays money ?
Bike prices have gone down a lot I think .

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thats for a fork only chris. they were $350new. webby tells me last fat chance ranch made big 1 inch forks were made in 99.

sorry did not read properly .

I just dont think prices of retrostuff have gone mad , with a few exceptions of course .

Attitude problem methinks.