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A genuine enquiry rather than pot-stirring. It's been a few years since I rode off road regularly, but our youngest seems to genuinely enjoy it, and at 9yo it's easier to have fun with him for an hour or so off road than on. Sooo, I've been back on the MTBs and really enjoying it. In fact I've not been out on the road for 3 weeks or so. I've got an Orange 5 and a Genesis iO, both on 26" wheels. I stopped riding as the 29er thing happened, tried one and didn't particularly like it, and had a go on a 650b wheeled 5 which I remember didn't feel massively different to mine. Nothing local is too technical, Greenham and Swinley type stuff, so have the new wheel sizes and geometry anything to offer me? Probably worth outing myself as at the mature end of the age spectrum and a mainly wheels on the ground kind of a rider, although I do tend to wear knee pads whenever out on my own as recovery time from crashes (which I still seem able to manage ok) seems a lot longer than it used to be...
You haven't missed anything that would make any difference to the riding you are describing.
That probably won't stop you wanting anew bike though....
Riding is still great fun.
Fashion trends pushed by the bike industry seem to change more quickly these days. For example, last year we were sold 140mm 650b trail bikes, this season (2017) it's 120mm 29er trail bikes. I just bought an orange 5 26" for £550 and I'm loving it. (also have a carbon hardtail 29er which is also fun)
Surrey is the heart of British MTB'ing, it's radical and dangerous trails pushing the latest technological developments faster than idiots can be parted with their cash.
Riding uphill is considered a bit quaint.
Road biking is now very fashionable and much less messy than actually going out and navigating your way around muddy hills in the rain, granddad.
To maintain credibility, we now have 'gravel' bikes, which are old fashioned tourers without the practicalities.
Some of today's hardmen actually ride them on unpaved roads, Sustrans routes and towpaths without a support crew.
We've worked out that falling off, piles and world conflict were all due to people being confused by front derailleurs, so we don't have those anymore.
What he said 😉 ^
lol.
Wheels got bigger, then smaller again, but not as small as before.
We got more gears, then less...
Handlebars got wider and wider, until you could no longer fit between trees anymore.
Bikes are now often now "fat" as opposed to "phat"
And don't get started on bikes with motors in...........
You missed me. Fortunately, you're not too late.
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Lights became so powerful that they incinerate all life forms in front of them.
Ohhhh, bikes with motors! The latest trend.
You also need a new set of options for your bike's colorway, you can choose between flouro enduro or murdered out.
What he said ^
Oh the irony 😆
The cat and sudocream story.....
There's been some bad news about Joe Cocker...
Welcome back. Still riding my 26" bikes from 2012 with no intention of changing. The whole wheel size shift has meant I've spent less money on biking as 29/275 switch is a hassle
stopped riding as the 29er thing happened
You stopped riding because of another wheel size?
You wait till you hear about e-bikes then 😉
jambalaya - Member
Welcome back. Still riding my 26" bikes from 2012 with no intention of changing. The whole wheel size shift has meant I've spent less money on biking as 29/275 switch is a hassle
Wot he said #26willneverdie
Hang on, there was one massive game changer.
Pushy button uppy downy seatpost thingies... most excellent
We've worked out that falling off, piles and world conflict were all due to people being confused by front derailleurs, so we don't have those anymore.
Funniest thing ive seen on the internet today... 😆
We've worked out that falling off, piles and world conflict were all due to people being confused by front derailleurs, so we don't have those anymore.
So if you see someone with a front derailleur steer clear as they will be a little grumpy from falling off, painful piles and being in conflict with the world 🙂
Budget - yesteryears £1k became £5k and is only just south of £10k now.
Oh and no one seems to do single speed now
[i]So if you see someone with a front derailleur steer clear as they will be a little grumpy from falling off, painful piles and being in conflict with the world[/i]
*waves*
So just after you left everyone got their knickers in a twist about enduro.
Then Strava.
Then 650b.
And now it's e-bikes you need to have an opinion on.
HTH 🙂
Then 650b.
And 650b plus, 26 plus, 29 plus...
No more kylie and you dont have to pedal your bike anymore (ebikes)
If you're local to Greenham then I'm guessing you're based in Newbury? That being the case there is a pretty good local club for wheels on the ground XC that rides twice a week called Buckled Wheel (which you may well already know about). Good scene of people into other stuff if you fish around too for such a small town.
Nigel Farrage is Prime Minister of Engerland and Hilary Clinton has been imprisoned on Alcatraz by Overlord Trump.
We are all Trumpettes now.
Downshift I reckon you're alright on what you've got.
The biggest change is the level of marketing hyperbole.
A set of grips now cost as much as a whole cheap bike from halfords.
We've worked out that falling off, piles and world conflict were all due to people being confused by front derailleurs, so we don't have those anymore
Excellent 😀
TJ is still arguing.
Hora is still Hora.
So some things will always just be..
Your bike is nearly retro, so will be worth a fortune soon. In other news, you now need to take two helmets on a ride with you and will be taken more seriously if you ride/push your bike uphill with your kneed pads around your ankles. I know is sounds rediculous, but this is apparently progress!
If you fancy a new bike 29er are still actually best 😉
1. Hora got a new bike.
2. Wait five minutes
3. See 1
We all rode quick releases, wondered if we'd get something better.
We all rode thru axles, and got something better.
We got sold Boost, and everyone wondered why we needed something better.
Pivot then gave us SuperBoost, and we all wondered just what the actual **** was going on.
*In the interim Specialized squeezed in 142+ as some bizarre proprietary standard.
The lesson is: whatever you buy, it'll be outdated as soon as it gets muddy. That doesn't matter though, as it's still just as fun to ride as when it had five minutes of not being obsolete.
People, you are all lovely. How nice to know that in an ever changing world so much has stayed the same!
After a 15 year sabbatical i returned to the fray back in 2011 - but my Christ its moving quick!!
Welcome back!
Loving the comment about front mechs 🙂
Marketing hyperbole has always been there.
Your old bikes will be fine. New bikes are amazing.