Are all rides suitable for Retros?

[Bobspoons]

Hi

I noticed in the sutton bank ride thread that somebody mentioned that the trails were all ok for retro non-suspension bikes.

Does this mean that sometimes some arent?

Ive read that suspension compared to non-suspension means with non you get your hands shaken about a lot more, but as I have no suspension experience I dont know much more than that.

Has the advent of suspension on bikes made some previously impossible trails now suddenly possible? Or is it that suspension has mainly added comfort and differing levels of control?

Ive always been quite happy with my bike being non-suspension, but suddenly start wondering if it will in future exclude my bike from some rides/trails.

Appreciate thoughts.
Cheers

 

[Minifreak]

There's certainly some trail centres I'd rather not attempt without any form of suspension just because the routes are designed and set out for modern bikes with big suspension and powerful brakes. For these I take a modern full susser but maybe that's because I'm not as young and fearless as I once was and appreciate the greater control I feel I get from the bike compared to my retros, if anything it's also allowed me to ride faster and harder too. However the natural great outdoors can normally be tamed on a retro bike with ease, after all that's what we had back in the day, it's just bike technology has evolved to allow us to ride these same trails in a bit more comfort.

 

[firedfromthecircus]

Talent has something to do with it as well. A trail which may be rideable by any talentless oaf on a modern full susser would only be suitable on retro if the rider is equipped with a high skill level.
Basically modern bikes make crap riders able to ride harder trails faster. Hence when they do fall off it hurts more, so they wear body armour to protect themselves. And because harder is easier trail centres then have to make trails harder yet so they are still a challenge. It's a vicious circle.

Me, I'm talentless and I ride rigid.

Bucking the trend since 1974!

 

[brocklanders023]

Re:

You can ride anything this side of full on down hill on a retro bike it's just that modern suss bikes will do most terrain faster, smoother and let you go further especially on man made stuff.

Saying that, my modern 29" 140mm FS is far too much bike for some riding so then I'd grab retro or my short travel HT.

 

[foz]

Agreed - there's not a lot you can't ride on a retro bike, if you're not a complete novice. I must admit to having never ridden a full suspension bike, and don't have any particular reason to want or need to. Not that my skills are above average (they're probably long forgotten and below average right now, with the little I manage to get out on a bike!)

When I do get out, I always see full sus bikes everywhere - hardly a rigid frame to be found around here. I'm still faster than them though

Bouncy bikes let the best riders ride stuff that couldn't be ridden on anything else, and let everyone else ride "normal" stuff more easily. So long as you have a few basic skills like wheelies, bunnyhops, trackstands, etc, then you can get over more or less anything, albeit maybe more slowly than on a full sus.

 

[Bobspoons]

Awesome replies thank you very much!!

 

[longun]

i ride it all on all of mine, the only difference is speed. im quicker on the ups on my retro and faster down on my lapierre. ride within the bikes ability ( and wether you can replace them NOS tyres ) and any trail can be ridden on a new and old bike. its all about fun nd smiles, youll end up knackered and bruised on any bike haha

 

[FluffyChicken]

Re:

With regards the Sutton Bank, its a new trail centre. And hence the reasoning for mentioning it is fine for old rigid 80s MTBs. It helps people get an idea.

Sutton Bank is not designed to be an all out epic trail centre but a friendly countryside jaunt (which is why you may see bad reviews as it doesn't fill some people idea of what a trail centre should be). Ignore them.

 

[legrandefromage]

Yes, I believe we all got off and walked before 2001.

Not to sink into a modern v old thread but modern bikes just steal any of the passion and fun out of riding so when they are compared directly to something from 1993 or 2003 or 1983, the old bikes are instantly rendered crap.

As long as you can ride a bicycle and its not made of cheese, you will be fine.

 

[mattr]

You'll just end up slightly slower on a rigid.
It's not particularly difficult to do anything almost up to full on dh on a cross bike TBH. You just have to go a bit slower and pick your line more carefully.
it'll be bottle that stops you before the bike.