How old is retro?

MikeC":1sgcxuaq said:
Does a 2001 Kula with a Middleburn chainset and SIDs count?
My daughter would say anything older than last month was retro.

I notice you're not letting on about the braking system though. You have a rear disc tab on there, and you've replaced the fork, so I'm harbouring some grave suspicions that you have a guilty secret. You've got disc brakes, haven't you? And you're ashamed to admit it! Modernist!

Seriously though, I have a 2002 RM Element Sc and if I went on STW and claimed it was modern, they'd all scoff. But if I came on here and claimed it was retro, these guys would all scoff too. Maybe there's a supposition that there's something in between retro and modern, that isn't either - but if you look in the dictionary, you won't find a word for it. It's a good bike though, whatever it is.
 
Maybe there's a supposition that there's something in between retro and modern, that isn't either - but if you look in the dictionary, you won't find a word for it

Retrodern?



I'll get my coat... :roll:
 
Anthony":fxf4o3ac said:
MikeC":fxf4o3ac said:
Does a 2001 Kula with a Middleburn chainset and SIDs count?
My daughter would say anything older than last month was retro.

I notice you're not letting on about the braking system though. You have a rear disc tab on there, and you've replaced the fork, so I'm harbouring some grave suspicions that you have a guilty secret. You've got disc brakes, haven't you? And you're ashamed to admit it! Modernist!

Seriously though, I have a 2002 RM Element Sc and if I went on STW and claimed it was modern, they'd all scoff. But if I came on here and claimed it was retro, these guys would all scoff too. Maybe there's a supposition that there's something in between retro and modern, that isn't either - but if you look in the dictionary, you won't find a word for it. It's a good bike though, whatever it is.

How about retrern or modro? 2001 was the yellow one? rasta mustard or something bizarre like that? Nice to see you caught the fork, too. It came with a Marzocchi of some kind.

The daughter comment cracked me up. Mine will be two next month, and you pretty much nailed it...anything more than a month old is retro :LOL:
 
It was kinda tongue in cheek so thanks for playing ;) Go on, let me join your club, please

PS - it's got XT V-brakes and Avid levers
PPS - the complete bike came with Marzocchis but I built mine from the frame so bought decent forks instead
 
And I am 32, and I have owned:

a Falcon MTB
a Marin MTB (with the funny, and crap, suspension fork that is probably now classed as a classic)
an Orange Prestige with all sorts of purple bits that I sold and regret it
a Coyote MTB, which I broke
and a Grifter, and a Tomahawk, and a Giant Cadex road bike

I now have a Scott Scale 20, a definite future retro classic ;)
 
Anthony":1wf0olqm said:
Seriously though, I have a 2002 RM Element Sc and if I went on STW and claimed it was modern, they'd all scoff. But if I came on here and claimed it was retro, these guys would all scoff too. Maybe there's a supposition that there's something in between retro and modern, that isn't either - but if you look in the dictionary, you won't find a word for it. It's a good bike though, whatever it is.

I would say it be called "OLD". :LOL: Not modern since it's not within say the past 1-2 seasons, and not aged enough to be considered collectible as being retro.

Now if the frame and components are mid-high end, then you can tack on "GOOD" in front of "OLD". So it would be considered a "GOOD OLD BIKE" ;)
 
To my mind retro means old or old style, but not necessarilly classic. A Raleigh Boulder is retro, but I don't think it's a classic. Old style is retro even if it's a relatively new bike. A Pashley Guvnor is certainly retro.

Classic? I once read in a surf book a definition of the word classic that I think summed it up: "A cool thing with historical precedence."
 
It's odd that we often put objective values ( " Nothing after 1998 " or " Must have cantis or V brakes " etc ) to a subjective concept like " Retro. " Retro itself is not " old " but means an invocation of that which is old; a style or design. Mind you that Kona's still a bit young.....












I'll get me coat.
 
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