When did it lose it for you.....

retrobikeguy

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I like to think the reason mountain bikes took a back seat for me was when I went into a 'relationship', spending time with loved ones and creating a 'home' was priority ...

Or was it?

I think it was 1994 when I started to lose interest, everything just started to look pants and cost more, and style.... Style just disappeared, as did the era of bikes I could look at and think ..... Wow, that's nice.

So like....(for me)

Kona nailed it with splatter paint, even the following years had cool looking bikes.... Downtube decal change, disliked it!

GT also had some of the best paint jobs available, and I loved U-brakes..... U-brakes disappeared 😔 last GT I ever truly liked was the cosmic sunrise zaskar...

Marin, .... I lovedThe early years up until they got rid of the fluro colours... Maybe even liked the 93's a little

Shimano.... 95 was the last time i liked XT, getting rid of exage killed it for me.... Altus, alivio..... Urgh!

Suntour..... What a loss 😔

V-brakes... Yeah, they work brilliant (better than disc (to me)) but they're not as .... Aesthetically pleasing on the eye.

Thumbshifters ..... Why oh why did they get rid.... Mumblegrumble

Muddy fox...... What the fox went wrong!@#!?

Saracen ..... So cool then 1992....losing it, and .... 😔

These are just my thoughts/takes/feelings/rants.

What are yours?
 
Being a roadie until about 18. TDF 1982 was the pinnacle. Joop and Raleigh.

MTB was a curiosity in about 87. I dipped in a toe but mainly stayed on the road. The yellow Muddy Fox Explorer was my crush.

After that it became less recognisable I suppose.
 
Ahead stems! Hated them then still hate them now too fat and too many visible clamp bolts ....fattest part of a bike! I like pretty stems

Too Fat tubes...the aluminium onslaught...😐
Light bikes that look big and heavy? Nah

Suspension didn't need it then still don't need it.

Hooooge decals and not enough glam paint and style

So I lost the excitement of new bikes about same time as you....94/95 I guess! Everything seemed fat bouncy and bland meh!
 
Fat n bouncy, I went through that period with the settling down 😉
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Yeah, manitou FS sept 95 edition, it cracked!
 
From 18-22 years old. Loved biking as transportation, at 18 it faded a bit. After a few years of college got back into it, freeride & north shore/whistler. Took another break due to lack of local trails in my late 20's-early 30's and then fell back in love. Been appreciating the retro stuff & using em for excersize. Although the collection is getting out of control... Time to purge a few this summer. Riding the modern bikes harder than ever.
 
Turned 18 and also passed my test in 1996 which was probably the catalyst.

The first time I remember thinking this is all a bit sh*t must have been 1999. I had a full time job, no bills and a friend who worked in the local bike shop who said he’d get me an incredible deal on finance for whatever I wanted. I remember looking round thinking I’d have to spend a few grand to get something I really really liked the look of. Before ‘96 even £400 bikes looked good to me!

*ended up buying the cheapest Specialized Hardrock and never really liked it.
 
Would say mid 90’s for me. 94/95.. Orange bikes lost there appeal to me.. same with Alpinestars and Marins, after 93 also..
 
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