Going retro nouveau or keep it simple and get a 29er??

[baldbones]

Apologies if this has been asked before...

I'm been a mainly road ride for 30 years but in the last 5 years I've been riding more off road on cyclocross bikes, continually trying to fit fatter tyres.
I tried a Singular Swift a couple of years ago just for fun and really liked it but thought I'd stick to a cyclocross bike, i.e. a Kite I later had changed to take discs as I was shredding rims regularly.
Now I like a project too and quite like the thought of taking an 71/73 mid 90's mtb and getting a new disc fork and sorting out the rear as I did my Kite.
When I first started riding in the late 80's as a courier there was fixed or mtbs with slicks I went fixed but still hanker after a GT and still do!
I don't do technical although I live in the Surrey Hills and would just use it to ride the fire trails and farm tracks.

So I am I mad, as most of my mtb mates think or is it worth a go?

The geometry seems pretty similar to a cross bike to me.

Anybody ride a retro mtb bike most of the time?

Cheers

Rick

 

[k-rod]

Re:

I put slicks and a slick road-style seat on a minty '94 KHS Montana Pro, and use it for extended road rides (20 - 50 kms) quite often (fair weather only, tho) ... and I am absolutely stoked with it!

 

[legrandefromage]

Went around a sleety Derbyshire Peaks on a 30 year old MTB a couple of weeks ago.

Cant complain.

 

[KDM]

Re:

I'd get both, Use the 29er for the heavy stuff and use the retro for the smiles moments.

 

[Silvergoat]

Re:

Those Singulars are nice bikes...

I ride my 89/90 Clockwork pretty much everyday through the seasons, 66Km each day, 5 days a week commuting through London. The route is mostly road, although I have found some fun off-road sections to break up the grind and experience some traffic-free riding and there are some surprisingly big proper steep hills.

Despite London being both a capital and international city awash with high finance, the vast proportion of its roads are in a terrible state – disintegrating from overwhelming heavy vehicles and a lack of maintenance with huge fissures and potholes developing (particularly around drains and manhole covers) that have killed or maimed cyclists, or being constantly and randomly dug up by the various utilities.

With the above in mind, one needs a bike that's up to the job. My choice is the only bike I own which just happens to be a both mountain bike and retrobike – an old Orange Clockwork frame with F7 forks. It's a combination of retro and modding – retro plus! Most of the old bits have either been taken off or are no longer repairable museum pieces. So, it runs with old 7speed thumbies, a cheap 7speed cassette, a 50t SS ring, a Charge Spoon, DMR V12s, V-brakes, new wheels shod with either Race Kings or Onza Canis or X-kings, all 2.0 width and pumped to 45psi for a fast n furious velocity. Of course, being retro it has proper bar ends too.

But I'd recommend a cyclo-cross or mountain bike with narrower, fine-treaded tyres pumped up hard. That said, some loon on a proper fat bike with balloon tyres out-smoked me through South Bank and left me for dust last Friday night. Boom!

 

[Rodrigues]

Re:

I also live in the Surrey Hills - and also mostly ride on bridleways, farm tracks and some single track (no big air though!). Up until recently I've been doing it exclusively on retro bikes - 89 Kili Flyer, 96 Stumpjumper and one or two others. It's awesome :-D

Saying that I have recently got a 29er - Salsa El Mar. Again rigid like the old bikes. Main reason is for winter and commuting. I was just hammering old parts.

Definitely get an old bike. Shameless plug but I'm looking to sell the Stumpjumper. If you're interested PM me.

 

[The History Man]

Go 69er

 

[Silvergoat]

Go 69er

oo er! I say, that's hot stuff – particularly the front end, although I don't mind the rear either!

 

[The History Man]

Thanks assembled from leftovers.

 

[baldbones]

Re:

Ta for the replies
Looks like I'm heading retro..