Old Bike New Skool Trails

[Bluestoesonnose]

I've been taking my Klein Pulse to the Marin / Gorlech / Afan / Coed Y Brenin Trails over the last year or so, and whilst I know that the Klein is an XC bike and very much in the old skool theme it does seem to cope ok with its high seat, low flat bars & narrow tyres. On the climbs I am a god, the Klein doing what its meant to, however on the descents over large rocks it all seems wrong.

I do have a few spills mainly on the Gorlech, though I think its a fast trail that makes me go for it more.

The thing is my mates with their new skool bikes with the shopper bars, short stem and upright riding position seem to cope with the man made trails better.

I don't want to modify the Klein as its taken me this long to get her to fit me, trouble is I don't want a new skool bike as they just don't go up hills, do I just grit my teeth and go for it or stick to the Klein's natural habitat and stop trying to make it do things it was never designed for?

 

[scant]

i hate to tell you this but new skool bikes climb as well, if not better than older bikes.

 

[shogun]

I've found when it comes to descending, practically anything is rideable on practically any bike (well, within reason).

However, this often means going very slow , or taking somewhat unorthodox lines are your only options. And of course, weight back off and behind the seat on the really steep - straight - stuff (not so much with the behind the seat malarky if you have to turn!).

So, look for smoother, simpler lines, and if in doubt, slow right down. Trail riding in my opinion is not racing, so having to take descents somewhat gently should be no problem. Sight your lines well ahead, maybe further than you currently do, and give yourself plenty of time to apply the brakes or move the bike around.


Ultimately you can go anywhere if you are careful about where and how fast you do it.

 

[scant]

I've found when it comes to descending, practically anything is rideable on practically any bike (well, within reason).

However, this often means going very slow , or taking somewhat unorthodox lines are your only options. And of course, weight back off and behind the seat on the really steep - straight - stuff (not so much with the behind the seat malarky if you have to turn!).

So, look for smoother, simpler lines, and if in doubt, slow right down. Trail riding in my opinion is not racing, so having to take descents somewhat gently should be no problem. Sight your lines well ahead, maybe further than you currently do, and give yourself plenty of time to apply the brakes or move the bike around.


Ultimately you can go anywhere if you are careful about where and how fast you do it.

while all sound advice the trail centre places Bluestoesonnose has listed are largely semi-rough singletrack where you really cant avoid the rougher sections, linked up with boring/ smooth fireroad sections. I can say with some authority after also riding a klein pulse for some time, that while places like afan are all easily rideable on rigid/ hardtail they certainly arent as much fun. Fun? yeh while it takes all sorts & people can enjoy pain, I certainly never enjoyed getting battered & dropped on the DH sections by my same skill set mates on their XC FS rides. I firmly believe in horses for courses & after years of riding hardtails at afan, c-y-b etc the average person will enjoy those type trails more on a modern XC FS bike... espically if you want to go faster on the DHs

a retro forum is never a good place to preach modern stuff, espically XC FS but go blag a few demo test rides & see for yourself. a klein pulse IS 1 of the stiffest, most unforgiving frames ever made. something like a yeti ASR, titus racer X would only way a fraction more than your pulse, yet be a revelation in comparison on the DHs & I can answer that truthfully as I made that exact swap

 

[missmyfat]

Got to agree with you there scant. Riding has changed a fair bit since the early 90's and so have the bikes. Things like suspension forks and disc brakes are waaaay better than they were.

(pulls up chair and waits to see what others think.....)

 

[REKIBorter]

Riding has changed a fair bit since the early 90's and so have the bikes.

Agree with that, riders of modern bikes are spoilt with powerful disk brakes, suspension with more than 60mm travel etc etc and ride on tailer made trails. Not like the old days, we lived in a shoe box on the hard shoulder of the motorway and ate coal for tea (if we were lucky). When I were a lad the only brakes we had was the sole of our shoes and any suspension came from a nearly flat tyre.

 

[scant]

Riding has changed a fair bit since the early 90's and so have the bikes.

Agree with that, riders of modern bikes are spoilt with powerful disk brakes, suspension with more than 60mm travel etc etc and ride on tailer made trails. Not like the old days, we lived in a shoe box on the hard shoulder of the motorway and ate coal for tea (if we were lucky). When I were a lad the only brakes we had was the sole of our shoes and any suspension came from a nearly flat tyre.

I used foot on back tyre braking all the way thru uni commuting on my totally fooked old trials bike.. awesome way of burning heals into your vans shoes

 

[Bluestoesonnose]

Hey Guys, well I guess I'd better stop trying to thrash the Klein down hill then, well until I crack the frame (its not going to be long now) then its Endorfin Time for the every day bike and start looking for a Pace frame for those special weekend XC Thrashes in the woods.