[Closed] Back after 10 years - what have I missed & what's everyone riding?!

Welcome back. You’ve missed loads. We’re all riding hoverboards now.

Gravel is the new XC, XC is about to become the new gravel.
Everyone bought and then sold a single speed, a fat bike, a CX bike and a 27.5er.
EBikes are a big thing, they either let you have more fun in the same time frame, whilst working just as hard or they’re for fat, lazy biffers who don’t like pedalling. There is some truth in both statements.
TJ has gone and come back. Others have followed a similar path.
This place is still rammed full of awesome people and the very occasional idiot.

(Please show me your bikes!)

Guess you'll be wanting locations and any alarm codes as well?

Ive been away for 2 years and just come back and its chaos. You're going to be stuffed ...... 12 gears on the back and one on the front ........... no fat bikes......... different axles......

All the cool kids have skinwalls. On gravel bikes, obviously.

My pubes have gone grey, and I have a lovely new Orange Clockwork Evo.

Damnit, teamslug - I knew Marty was right!

Lunge - this is exactly the executive summary I was after 👌

Thrustyjiat, this what I was afraid of - when I left everyone was getting excited about 29ers - is that still a thing?! (Not actually joking)

My pubes have gone grey, and I have a lovely new Orange Clockwork Evo.

Pics?

Lol

Next question - is a gravel bike not a cx bike?

To add further:
Listen to Flashy on tyre choice but not on footwear.
Brexit.
Running is the new road riding, road was the new MTB. See previous comment on gravel and XC to complete the circle.
Stems are either very short or very long. There is no-one who runs a 100mm stem anymore.
Zwift can be glorious, many smash huge mileage on it and boast of vast FTP’s. It can also be mind numbingly boring and frankly you need to man up and ride outside in the rain.
Commuters are still, and always will be the bravest and hardest of all cyclists.
Tyres are now good, and actually grip. Even ones made by Continental.
Think your old bike was long enough and had the right geometry? Wrong. It is too short, to steep and has the wrong size wheels.

Next question – is a gravel bike not a cx bike?

No.
CX - shorter, steeper angles and very stiff, no bosses or mounts, 35mm tyres, designed to be trashed around muddy field for an hour.

Gravel - longer, slacker, more comfortable, for longer days out. Often covered in way more mounting points than you’ll every need. Room for huge tyres, some are basically 29” MTB’s with drop bars, some are slack road bikes with bigger tyres.

Oh and plenty of debates on seat tube angles and the need for at least 20 bottle mounts in various places. Some bikes have fork angles like Orange County Choppers and facial hair is now silver not brown................
Its all fun to get into this again though, even if a run of the mill bike is 7 grand and must weigh 40 lbs due to needing a dropper post and handlebars wider than the Thames Estuary.
Now, I only have shillings and pence for a new bike as needed as my 29er hardtail has 3 chainrings on the front..

Gravel bikes are like old light weight touring bike with mud guards removed. An ideal all round bike really plus some marketing bullshit.

This is very informative!

So, what actually constitutes a "standard" trail bike? Is that even still a thing?!?

I currently don't have a bike (not for want of bloody trying!) but now I fear even if I do manage to find one for sale that will actually fit me - it might be ALL WRONG! What if it doesn't have enough bottle bosses or the seat angle is just too steep?!

The main thing you've missed is bikes are actually good now. 1x, dropper posts, suspension that works etc etc. As much as people like to complain about the minutiae, performance vs price is as better than its ever been.

Its basically impossible to buy a bad full suss trail bike from any major brand in 2020. There is too much choice, so pick something that sparks joy and go ride it.

My only knobbly-tyred bike is a CX, and all of my bikes have drop bars.

Downcountry will be the new Gravel, which was the old XC. Maybe...

Back after 10 years?

Long time! You'll probably find the "air got dirty and the sex got clean."

Commuters are still, and always will be the bravest and hardest of all cyclists.

I ♥ you Lunge.

The two basic rules haven't changed.

Rule 1.
Rule 2, all bikes are great.

Ah OK, I'm beginning to get the picture...

It's great to hear that bikes have come on so much. I used to have a steel HT back in the day, so 1x appeals. Gravel bikes sound fun too, but I'm definitely keen to get myself a mountain bike first...

It's just a shame I appear to have inadvertently picked the worse possible time to buy a bike! Does anyone know anywhere that has any in stock?

Obviously I'm keeping an eye out in the classifieds, but as a 5'3" woman options are often a bit limited - even at the best of times.

Does anyone have any tips on places that might have something suitable for sale still or any good sites for secondhand bikes/frames (which would definitely be my preference)??

Welcome back.

Now listen carefully:
- every bike now weights 50% more
- every bike is an enduro bike in some capacity. Except gravel bikes, those are xc bikes
- every bike must have enduro tyre, or better yet, DH casing tyres
- if you're not "shredding" or "stoked" you'll be publically lynched.

Good luck

27.5 is the new 26". As in its going Dodo.

All the cool kids have 29ers now.

Yes, I'm very cool.

Welcome back by the way. With the state the world is in, it's a great time to get back into riding. Whatever the wheel size!

One word...mullet. You're welcome

I’ve just realised who you are! And we have one of your old bikes in the shed!
Now running 1x11..

https://imgur.com/a/kEUGsrY

29'ers for wheels on the ground ploughing!

Dropped chains are rare with 1x gearing even when clattering the shit out of your bike.

Droper posts make riding steeps better.

Oh and people don't use XC tyres made of tissue anymore. Guess what punctures don't happen as often, it's a miracle who'd av thought it.

If we did a straw poll road bikes would come out on top here.

What's riding? We only talk here.

Lionheart - hello! 👋 Awesome that you're still here & still riding, etc. I don't suppose you fancy selling that bike back to me, do you?? Please 🙏 🙏

What’s riding? We only talk here

Ah it's good to know some things haven't changed.

35mm tyres

The UCI offical would like a word about your excessively large tyres. Those socks look a bit long too

Obviously I’m keeping an eye out in the classifieds, but as a 5’3″ woman options are often a bit limited – even at the best of times.

Bought an electric bike for the current Mrs TJ ( no not that one) and she is 5ft and getting lower. We were lucky in that we got one, as they sold out soon after, even for teeny weeny size. Being your height you may have a 'better chance' of finding something than a medium to large, but its going to take time trawling as everyone has bought everything. 29 er for your height is daft. Wifes bike is a 650B plus and the wheels look huge.
Hope you find something soon and get back out there 🙂

mountainmonkey2.0
Member
<snip>Obviously but as a 5’3″ woman

Aw crikey, that's got their attention... That much hasn't changed at least, 'they're' still like hormonal teenage boys 😉

The main thing you’ve missed is bikes are actually good now.

Bikes were always 'actually good'. Everything is different, everything is the same. You still sit on them and pedal. You still get tired and laugh and cry and occasionally fling your bike into the gorse in frustration.

You still meet up with your mates, or head off on your own and come back hours later tired and happy. You still eat cake and drink coffee or do beer and chips post ride. The industry still comes up with new standards, new materials, new gear configurations, new BS, just as it ever was.

But when all is said and done, riding bikes is still just riding bikes 🙂

That much hasn’t changed at least, ‘they’re’ still like hormonal teenage boys

hormonal teenage boys never change no matter what age we become.....

Obviously I’m keeping an eye out in the classifieds, but as a 5’3″ woman options are often a bit limited – even at the best of times.

Largely unrelated to your absence (but welcome back anyway!) but sadly this isn't a great time to buy a bike of any sort. As you've probably read elsewhere, bikes have been the bog-roll of lockdown with the supply chain more or less cleared out of new bikes and used bikes (at least those of a certain type) being heavily in demand and commanding stupid prices.

That's not to say that there won't be some out there, but just at the moment the "12 month old bike for less than half price" norms of used bike purchases seem to be very much in abeyance 🙁

Riding bikes is still just as fun though 🙂

Basically it's only pensioners and 9 year olds that ride hardtails now, the fitter pensioners bought into gravel, everyone else is on super capable FS bikes now.

somewhat XC but looks like small should fit 5'1"
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/mountain-bike-xc-050-id_8575904.html

hi Mountainmonkey 🙂 I remember you! - unfortunately the little red Rock Lobster found a new home a couple of years ago. I did thoroughly enjoy riding all that time but moving house and a new bike meant I no longer had space for it.

I've not been through the thread in detail but looks like you're after a new bike. I bought a Giant Anthem a couple of years back, my first FS bike after years on hardtails. I went for the 2017 model though which has 27.5in wheels with 130mmm up front and 110mm on the back. There's probably none left now though unless you looked second hand. Are you still after a hardtail though?

Do pubes really go grey? 😩 At what age roughly does this happen? Sounds awful, the old chap will look like a sickly Gandalf 😆

Hmm, well from what i can figure out:

29ers are the thing to be on, unless you're really small, but even then the really small 29ers are ace.

XC bikes are slacker and more capable than a trail bike from 10 years ago, they also weigh less.

No one really rides traditional XC anymore, they just plough through it on 130 to 150mm travel gnarpoons, which are also quite light, if between 26 and 30lbs is light.

Gravel bikes are just morphing into the original shonky 29ers from the dawn of 29ers and they most definitely are not CX bikes in disguise.

I am deeply unfashionable, still riding 26" wheeled bikes (and the same 26" wheeled bikes I had 10 years ago at that), much of it on hardtails (steel ones) and don't own an electric bike (and don't intend to, until I'm so decrepit that it's the only option).

I have slightly modernised most of my bikes to 1x set-ups though.

Welcome back to the fold says the man who has only been back himself a week.

I go away seven years, then come back and my 2009 Orange 5 26" is a relic.

Hey ho, it was still fun last night carting over the tops of Rossendale giving the old light a run out.

Like as said above, some thing dont change, these being getting out and having a right load of fun.

Enjoy

A big change for me has to be costs of bikes which I will say are an absolute joke. Although still fun.

A big change for me has to be costs of bikes which I will say are an absolute joke

I've noticed the same. I'm still riding my 2003 Epic and I think I will continue to do so given the cost of the current ones which run from £4K to about £11K or so!

Hey Keva! Ah that rock lobster was a beaut - I'm glad you got a good few years out of it!

I've always liked the look of the anthem for a do it all bike, sadly there are none to be found at the moment, but who knows what the future might bring.

To be honest, I'm a bit torn between a HT or FS - I can see the benefits of both. Though at the moment - I'll go with whatever fits me & my budget.

There are a few 160mm bikes around, they look like great fun, but that just seems like so much travel... But I don't know, maybe that's the norm these days? I guess that's partly why I need this thread - I've no idea what most people ride these days!

I'm desperate to get on the trails, but in the meantime, I'm very grateful I still have my road bike to keep me sane!

I go away seven years, then come back and my 2009 Orange 5 26″ is a relic

That was my last bike - I bloody loved it! Such a huge grin factor after always riding hardtails! If one popped up SH, I'd buy it like a shot! Plus, I'm so short, I can't help but think 26" wheels still make sense for me.

I am deeply unfashionable, still riding 26″ wheeled bikes (and the same 26″ wheeled bikes I had 10 years ago at that), much of it on hardtails (steel ones)

You sound like a kindred spirit epicsteve. I'd love an old steel HT to crop up in the classifieds - even better if it were singlespeed, which I can only assume would make me even more deeply unfashionable...?

I am deeply unfashionable, still riding 26″ wheeled bikes (and the same 26″ wheeled bikes I had 10 years ago at that), much of it on hardtails (steel ones) and don’t own an electric bike (and don’t intend to, until I’m so decrepit that it’s the only option).

X3

Oh and nobody posts bikes any more, that's another great thing you're about to find out.

I am deeply unfashionable, still riding 26″ wheeled bikes (and the same 26″ wheeled bikes I had 10 years ago at that)

Same here.

Hi mountainmonkey - hope you get an mtb sorted soon. I'm another who is getting back to riding after a few years away, and will continue to ride my old bikes. I'm also on the small stature end of the scale (5'2") and suspect I'll be happiest to stick with 26". Like you, I'm swithering over which bike (for me, to fix up first) - FS or HT - will probably go with FS ... HT is singlespeed at the mo - was considering going back to geared, but the gearing changes have thrown me a bit!

I’d love an old steel HT to crop up in the classifieds – even better if it were singlespeed, which I can only assume would make me even more deeply unfashionable…?

Maybe I should list my Inbred in the classifieds - although it's just recently been returned from rigid singlespeed to geared hardtail spec! I've got a Soul and a BFe so the Inbred isn't getting that much use.

Hey, good to see you back! I only pop in from time to time but still riding and yup 26" still rocks for us tiny folk (although I must admit to spending more time on 20"ers now).

Hmmm the feedback so far feels a bit like a synopsis of what's changed in mtb over 10 years...if you are over, ahem, "a certain age".

Over that time new riders have grown up into the sport and that has definitely changed some of the influences mtb has had - the younger crop of riders and social media has changed some of the attitude manufacturers seek to reflect in their bike lines, not just 50:01 but that reflects this a bit. Not always great (Sick...) but it would be weird to leave this out of a "what's changed" update. But then, you knew you were asking on STW...;)

There are a few 160mm bikes around, they look like great fun, but that just seems like so much travel… But I don’t know, maybe that’s the norm these days? I

Ah well that'll be the Enduro effect - everyone "needs" more travel these days. 160 is the new 140, 130 is the new 100 etc.

Though actually modern damping and suspension design means that long travel isn't as much like riding a marshmallow as it used to be so pedaling a bigger bike up hills isn't much of a handicap, and short travel is way more capable so riding a smaller bike down hills isnt much of a handicap 🙂