Is Retro faster?

ultrazenith":3bfx6kdm said:

So if I've understood correctly, a bike's speed (for a given rider fitness) is primarily down to its ability to smooth out the bumpiness of the trail?

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Not necessarily, there is a lot more to it that that. But being able to ride rough stuff with more traction and control (by far), greater grip (even just modern rubber, not necessarily big wheels), far better brakes letting you maintain speed longer into corners and trail features, so on and so forth. You can ride anything on an older bike, but you can't necessarily ride it the same. Things might be close on the climbs, and on featureless flat terrain (paths, fireroads) but when it gets rougher and more tech the same rider on an equivalent modern rig will walk away from themself on a vintage bike.

This seems to be going round in circles!!

Are we all agreed modern is faster for 99% of people 99% of the time or are some of you claiming that retro, on the whole is faster?

brocklanders023":27jhvios said:

This seems to be going round in circles!!

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nothing unusual then. the joy of chat rooms

Its almost impossible to ride retrobikes on rooty trails because of the lack/limited suspension.

I see all the modern riders zipping by effortlessly on dual suspensions.

I do take my time and have fun, but sometimes I wish I could go faster with less fear for the bike and safety.

brocklanders023":3foiwqfl said:

This seems to be going round in circles!!

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You're a three-eyed goldfish, you're supposed to go round in circles :mrgreen:

Something that puzzles me is how it took the MTB community so long to work out that fat tires and long travel front suspension make for a faster ride? Surely somebody connected to the main manufacturers or their racing teams must have bothered to try out all kinds of (at that time, in the 90s) unorthodox MTB configurations to test what would give the fastest XC times. My suspicion is that modern XC MTBers ride (or race) trails that are rougher / rockier / rootier than we did in the mid 90s. If this is indeed the case, then such trails (and race courses) would clearly favour modern MTBs over retro MTBs.

spwal":liol6bit said:

Its almost impossible to ride retrobikes on rooty trails because of the lack/limited suspension.

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Is it :shock:

Myself and the rest of the Yorkshire lot seem to get by pretty well. Many a modern full sus bike has been overtaken in Dalby by some of our better riders on their retro bikes.

My Wednesday night ride group are building up a lovely set of KOM's on Strava too on our local trails.

My experience of this compares me, a 20 year old average fitness but skilled rider on a 94 marin bear valley vs a work colleague of equal fitness less skill and on a full sus marin.

when riding into stream his easily adjusted seat post height, front suspension and wider bars means he drops in hell of alot easier when its steep. In the stream its equal and coming out of a muddy bank the other side it appears to be pot luck.

I can ride up the big stairs on either bike, he can only do it on his. But 15 years ago he could do it on his rigid zaskar le so.......

along the trail the weight is equal but his suspension saps some power, as does me bouncing out of the seat.

my 580mm bars slide straight through those gates, his 720's do not

best type bike imo? Retro frame. Late 90s drivetrain, modern forks with the right travel and 680mm wide bars but keep a retro head down stance

Ill stick to retroish. Modern stuff where its needed to make it faster but I like retro and it isnt all about speed.

My friend has a 205 gti 1.9. Hyped up to hell. Not much faster than my 2002 toyota yaris1.3 in any circumstance. But cool points? Well thars a matter of opinion. My doesn't look bad with jump leads hanging off it starting up the old girl......

Raleighracer":9umkwj0e said:

My friend has a 205 gti 1.9. Hyped up to hell. Not much faster than my 2002 toyota yaris1.3 in any circumstance. But cool points? Well thars a matter of opinion. My doesn't look bad with jump leads hanging off it starting up the old girl......

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That's because when you mess with a one nine they become less powerfull . Does he run it on 95 octane?

Bottom line......... dunt matter.