CassidyAce
Senior Retro Guru
I don't know if you could have a 26er with 'truly modern geometry' because the geometry evolved to work better with the larger wheel sizes. And if you could find one, how would it handle?
Anyone else gone to the dark side? Confession: I’ve just bought a 29er..
- Thread starter sparkybhp
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I understand your point, given the most daring riding I've done to date has been on my vintage hard tails. I have ridden modern bikes (not my own but demos) and am well aware that the riding style between vintage and modern is not comparable.
But I am optimistic that there is merit in trying faster riding on a modern bike, for the sole reason of getting used to speed. The sensation of speed in itself can be scary, and the quickest way to get over that should be by doing it on the easiest possible bike to ride. That won't translate to building skill / being more stable on a vintage bike, but it will at least help one past the mental roadblock keeping one from faster and more technical riding. Think of the modern bike as training wheels. The exception would be riding the modern bike hard enough to where raw skill is required.
I've seen those on the market and was curious about the geometry. I haven't looked at actual numbers, but I would assume that the geometry is not quite modern enough given the frame is designed around smaller wheels. Those frames are also generally very small and might not be sized. Closest you could get to having a 26er with modern-ish geometry is by buying a quality early-2010s MTB. 26" wheels were still standard on "real" mountain bikes as late as from 2013 or 2014. Old but not quite vintage.
Yep, exactly this. Just need to remind myself when I'm on an old bike, things can happen...
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Nah, 2010 was closer to retro geometry than it is to current stuff. Up until that point I could happily ride retro or modern and not really notice too much difference.
Think Cotic made the Bfe in 26" quite late, as did Transition with the Spur? Orange still did the Alpine 160 in 26" up until 2015 too so a decent option.
Orange Bikes UK
Orange Bikes - UK manufacturer of high performance bikes - from road to mountain, since 1988.
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Ren Rawbor
Fat Chance Fan
Nah, not yet... Tried 27.5 and it's OK I suppose, but no significant improvement for me.
Actually going the other way with my next build, going with 26x24 mullet. Possibly being a lanky git has some bearing on my choice.
Actually going the other way with my next build, going with 26x24 mullet. Possibly being a lanky git has some bearing on my choice.
CassidyAce
Senior Retro Guru
2018 was the last of them IIRC.
Are there at least minor differences in the geo numbers? I was under the impression a 26" all mountain bike from the 2010s would be more modern in the sense that it could accommodate longer travel forks and/or rear shocks and not look slammed like most '90s bikes would. I'm not trying to be a contrarian, rather I'm genuinely curious about this topic.
I had a look at Orange bikes of late. While any 26" bike's geometry is outdated by today's standards, this one's geo is beyond anything from the 1990s AFAIK. If I were picking the best possible 26" bike for all mountain riding, I'd certainly go with the latest "real" 26er I could find. https://www.orangebikes.com/bike-archive/bike/alpine-160-26-rs/2015
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It's interesting to see some of the old pro's talk about the riding experience of retro and newer bikes.
Listening to Ned Overend and Greg Herbold, they apreciate the retro gear for what it was at the time, and also apreciate the modern technology on newer bikes.
Ned Overend - 1992 Stumpjumper
Greg Herbold early 90's Miyata
Interesting what Overend say's about the XC Pro groupset he used:
Overend is not a huge fan of the vintage group. “The chainring technology [was lacking],” he says. “You don’t see any ramps or anything in the chainrings. To me still, the front derailleur is one of the most primitive mechanisms on the bike. They never really totally figured it out.” Pointing out some significant wear on the chainstay Overend says, “A major factor in racing in those days was chainsuck.”
The current S-Works Epic comes equipped with a SRAM drivetrain which provides a 500% gear range thanks to a 10-50t cassette. It is a 1x drivetrain, which is now the standard. “[It’s] a huge benefit to go to one chainring,” Overend says. Eliminating the front derailleur has made shifting simpler and more reliable, and the risk of dropping chains or experiencing chainsuck is now almost non-existent.
Listening to Ned Overend and Greg Herbold, they apreciate the retro gear for what it was at the time, and also apreciate the modern technology on newer bikes.
Ned Overend - 1992 Stumpjumper
Greg Herbold early 90's Miyata
Interesting what Overend say's about the XC Pro groupset he used:
Overend is not a huge fan of the vintage group. “The chainring technology [was lacking],” he says. “You don’t see any ramps or anything in the chainrings. To me still, the front derailleur is one of the most primitive mechanisms on the bike. They never really totally figured it out.” Pointing out some significant wear on the chainstay Overend says, “A major factor in racing in those days was chainsuck.”
The current S-Works Epic comes equipped with a SRAM drivetrain which provides a 500% gear range thanks to a 10-50t cassette. It is a 1x drivetrain, which is now the standard. “[It’s] a huge benefit to go to one chainring,” Overend says. Eliminating the front derailleur has made shifting simpler and more reliable, and the risk of dropping chains or experiencing chainsuck is now almost non-existent.
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Yeah, tbf that Alpine is a fair old jump from the older bikes but even so, will probably feel more comfortable for retro riders than the current stuff because the top tube is quite short, the bb is quiet high and for a hard core AM/DH type bike the angles are still pretty steep. That's where I've felt the biggest differences as I've changed my bikes as the older kit feels like you're perched on top of it rather than sat 'in' it, if that makes sense? Shock/fork technology makes a huge difference too as the current offerings are miles better than suspension from 2017, let alone 2010!
