Retro feel on a modern hard tail.

brocklanders023

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I'm at a bit of a cross roads and am not sure which direction to go with my bikes at the moment. I had decided to replace my Orange 5 with a new one but have had my head turned by some lovely retro metal recently and the BDW'er didn't help. Problem is that I'd want some decent forks on any bike I choose as the riding I usually do doesn't suit fully rigid but most of the retro I want have 1" steerers so bang up to date forks are out :?

I'd decided I didn't want a modern hardtail after having an Orange Evo4 (130mm travel) and having a go on giant-ones Ragley Bluepig (150mm travel) as they both felt like my 5 but without the benifit of rear bounce.

Having said that.... Using my Clockwork and Vit T has made me question if I want full suss at the moment. Was out on the 5 at the weekend and found myself wondering what sections of the ride would be like on a light hardtail.

So to get to the point :roll: I'd like to have a look at a modern hard tail that feels less like a Bluepig and more like my Clockwork. Been thinking good quality skinny steel with short (80/100mm) travel and the Pace 104 and Orange R8 have caught my eye. Would getting something like that with flat bars and stem give me the feel I want or would it just feel like all the other modern hard tails I've tried? :?

I'd have to sell stuff to buy one and don't have the cash to experiment too much so would need to get it pretty sorted from the off. other option is just to find the best 1" forks I can and go chasing some Fat content. ;)
 
I reckon flat bars and a longish low stem should give you some of the feel but the modern suspension geometry may still rob you of some of it. A 80mm travel fork may get you nearer to old school than 100mm though.

Reverse engineering a new bike does seem a wee bit daft though. Going for a genuine old bike would seem more sensible and by mid nineties most decent stuff had 1&1/8th headtubes and could fit 2-3 inches of suspension travel without too much upset.
 
Cheers chaps. I guess I want my cake and to eat it. Late 90's bikes don't really interest me so I'm stuck with retro up to '95 or modern as I can have my pick of them. As mentioned, the modern hard tails I've tried feel just like any other modern bike so I might as well stick with full suss :?

Any bike I have has to be usable as I don't have the room or funds for garage queens. Just fancied the advantage of modern forks as that's one area where I think things have really improved. We'll see.
 
brocklanders023":39xr3v64 said:
I'm at a bit of a cross roads and am not sure which direction to go with my bikes at the moment. I had decided to replace my Orange 5 with a new one........etc

What colour you going for then? :LOL: :LOL: ..... just ordered a 2011 in Neon green! :cool:

Tried a 29er, not for me...
Single speeded the scale... good but missing something?
1x9 on the scale.... great bike, but hang on...too much of a cross-over with the retro hardtails.
Orange 5.... can't wait!

Cheers,
boy" :LOL: "boy
 
Neon orange with maxel rear and hope m4's ;)

Think that's what I'll end up with Ben but have had my head turned by retro recently and have so much swimming around in my head it feels like it's going to fall off! :LOL: My choices for next bike currently stand at 5/R8/Pace 104/Orange 'O'/Yo Eddy/Prestige/99 Clockwork/etc etc. Can't decide and can't have 'em all. :(

I think part of the problem has been that it feels strange getting on the 5 after the Clockwork/Vit and not the other way round. My modern bike just feels so big and clumsy next to my retro rides. Not saying I prefer the ride of one or the other.... They're just very different. My 5 is a 20" so I might try an 18" and see if that makes a difference. Deffo don't want a hard tail that feels like the ones I've tried though.
 
brocklanders023":15abqoqg said:
Neon orange with maxel rear and hope m4's
:shock:
Erm, that'll be the hardcore end of the Five range then! Make your mind up! :LOL:

Five all the way for me, which one have you currently got?

Mine is a 2007, the last year before they started slackening the head angle. I've just put 150mm forks on it and its taken it up a notch. Great bike, I'll keep it till it breaks. In honesty I'd rather keep it then get the new one at the moment!

I have a 2008 Prestige (120mm) for the retro/hardtail feel but if you really want a retro feel on a modern hardtail buy a stumpjumper. Flat bars - check, low slung - check, stretched out - check.

What kind of riding do you actually do?
 
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