The greener side of retrobikeness..........

2manyoranges

Old School Grand Master
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the background....I’m still using some of my retrobikes in anger...but we also run things like the latest Stantons and Transitions and Ragleys. Each have their merits. They are all good, in their own special way.

But modern mountain biking somehow seems less green.

About six weeks ago I acquired a whole stack of barely used Specialised tyres, all had been used tubeless and had latex cack all over them. I have always cleaned up my own tubeless tyres and thought these would be simply too. Nope. Barely worn, they will do thousands of miles more. But they are massively compromised by dried on latex. I tried the usual ‘leave them in a bucket of water for two weeks’ method, and then ‘maybe for one week more’.... and it has still been a nightmare to get the stuff off the beads. Done, but I assume that few would do this. OK, you can whack a tube in, but that’s not what most would do. It’s just..discard...move on.

So...I imagine that people around the world are abandoning perfectly good tyres. Contrast the 20 year-old tyres I still have in the barn, most of them still good. And then I think of the inner tubes which I have used - most equally ancient with a story-board of patches over them, each one telling the tale of where we sat and chatted whilst the repair was done. Green....lots of long use and re-use.

And that’s only tyres. The huge variation in axle standards means wheels quickly become redundant and are bike-specific. Wheels which just hang in the workshop - great rims, great builds, but 142 and not 148.

It just doesn’t feel right in a world of diminishing resources.....
 
Re:

I might wander off a bit here but...

What you're saying translates to virtually every market and product.

I'm greatly troubled by how many people accumulate so much, with so little understanding, or care, for the real cost. So much I see in our local charity shops, and at our local recycling centre, that has had little or no use. We've actually taken possession of furniture, and other goods, in unopened original packaging, that's just being thrown away.

It's almost as if the purpose, or enjoyment, of something lies solely in its acquisition. The quest for new stuff is relentless.

For some, consuming is everything. New is good. Nearly new is old. Old is bad.

As for obsolescence by design - or 'how to insult your customers' - should be regarded as a totally unacceptable business practice in a world of diminishing resources.

I'm a retrobiker because...it's affordable, practical and almost everything is (self-)serviceable: and I'm not driving a market to produce lots of disposable crap I don't want or need. I'm trying to use what is already out there.
 
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In many cases nowadays we are in a throwaway society. I much prefer older stuff as not only is it easier to work on, it’s often just as, if not more reliable.

I personally would never start a job if I didn’t want to do it properly and also have a habit of keeping things, much to the annoyance of my wife!
 
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I find modern stuff over-complicated, especially hydraulic brakes etc. It's simpler and cheaper to replace faulty units with cable operated items.
Hubs are easier to strip and service plus parts are, by and large, cheaper to buy.

Or is it 'cos i'm getting older?
Hmmmmm.
 
Re: Re:

Corblimeyguv":14rz5hp7 said:
I find modern stuff over-complicated, especially hydraulic brakes etc. It's simpler and cheaper to replace faulty units with cable operated items.
Hubs are easier to strip and service plus parts are, by and large, cheaper to buy.

Or is it 'cos i'm getting older?
Hmmmmm.


Hydraulic brakes are the bane of my life, I dug out my sons bike the other day and it hadn't been used for a good six weeks, the brakes had almost seized and sounded like a flock of geese every time he brakes :D and

Give me v brakes anyday!!
 
Re: Re:

widowmaker":2b0jmtf1 said:
Corblimeyguv":2b0jmtf1 said:
I find modern stuff over-complicated, especially hydraulic brakes etc. It's simpler and cheaper to replace faulty units with cable operated items.
Hubs are easier to strip and service plus parts are, by and large, cheaper to buy.

Or is it 'cos i'm getting older?
Hmmmmm.


Hydraulic brakes are the bane of my life, I dug out my sons bike the other day and it hadn't been used for a good six weeks, the brakes had almost seized and sounded like a flock of geese every time he brakes :D and

Give me v brakes anyday!!

Performance-wise I prefer V's over canti's, some will shoot me on sight for saying that :LOL:

I like disc brakes too but have only one bike fitted with them and i'm happy with that.
 
2manyoranges":2brjqq7x said:
About six weeks ago I acquired a whole stack of barely used Specialised tyres, all had been used tubeless and had latex cack all over them. I have always cleaned up my own tubeless tyres and thought these would be simply too. Nope. Barely worn, they will do thousands of miles more. But they are massively compromised by dried on latex. I tried the usual ‘leave them in a bucket of water for two weeks’ method, and then ‘maybe for one week more’.... and it has still been a nightmare to get the stuff off the beads. Done, but I assume that few would do this. OK, you can whack a tube in, but that’s not what most would do. It’s just..discard...move on.

Had this a while ago. Sat with a Pernod in the sun and pecked away at the ridges.

Then took tweezers to remove thorns, then slapped in a tube. First time on it today.

Seated fine and rides great - it was £50+ tire a while ago.
 
Re: Re:

Sjh1986":3rfnhhw3 said:
In many cases nowadays we are in a throwaway society. I much prefer older stuff as not only is it easier to work on, it’s often just as, if not more reliable.

Are hydraulic brakes that problematic? I'm biased as the bulk of my riding has been with them. I had Avid BB7 (I think) for about year before putting on Hayes Mags.
Honestly I had a set of M675 SLX that I never bled, changed pads maybe twice and they were bullet proof. I mean I didn't touch them at all.
Sealant on tires does annoy me, can it actually be scrapped off, maybe with a steelo or something (pot scouring pad)?
 
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Thanks for the steel thought....yep....tried that. Of course for tubeless ready tyres. most have a thin coating of buytl rubber on the inside, which is easy to damage and remove if you use anything too aggressive. If that's damaged, then the tyres become weird latex-leaking things all over....
 
You should see what the construction industry does to our planet, whilst building 'green' grass-roofed commercial structures ... !!!!


:facepalm:
 
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