[Closed] Bikes that just look “Right”

Bez, Not a similar era Zaskar?

The Zaskar of course, but rigids/hardtails that look right are ten a penny; the RTS was one of very few early full-sus bikes that nailed it.

And, I mean, look at the shape made by the swingarm and the shock mount, it’s like a little mini bike frame inside a bike frame, it’s a recursive bike. It’s ace.

My youngest brother had exactly that P7, same colour and all. He saved up for so long to get it, was his pride and joy.

I nicked it for a ride without asking him and rode it flat out down a trail I didn't know straight into a barbed wire fence, completely destroyed it. I walked away with a few barbed wire gouges. Good times!

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My mate Steve had a blue steel Kona Exposif from about 2005 I think. I can’t find a good picture of one, but it was the nicest looking hardtail I’d ever seen. I think it still might be.

Not with that mudguard installed!

I thought a lot of those plus bikes that were fashionable for five minutes looked just right, how an 8 year old would draw a brilliant mountain bike if asked.

Stigheed
Subscriber
I’ve been mountain biking (on bikes of varying quality) since 1991. That makes me an old fart but also means that I can remember quite a few mountain bikes that just looked right.

I offer up the 1992 ( I think) Orange P7 in nickel finish with orange decals or

The 1994 Kona Lava Dome in metallic green with bronze P2 forks.

Any others that you can think of?

These two are right up there for me. The green Lava Dome was and still is the best looking MTB. For FS bikes I reckon the winner has to be a Yeti. They pretty much always nail the aesthetics

Not with that mudguard installed

Yeah that does look shit, but the bike itself to me, does just look right.

Most of Cannondale’s original F-series hardtails (with the integrated headset/Headshok forks) Beautifully-made and balanced-looking bikes IMO. Over the years I’ve owned and ridden more of these than any other brand/model MTB

The Volvo Team ones in blue stood out. 2k was a good year:

F5000 (Note the 2x chainset)

Hmmm, Cannondale smooth welds - yes. Not sure that the headshock could be described as a timeless classic, but I'm not going to say you're wrong.

I still have nickel P7 frame in my garage attic, but it has seen better days.

I did go through a retro bike phase and spent quite a bit of money (checks to see Mrs Stigheed can't see the screen), much of it on 2 skinny steel Konas. They looked the bees knees but rode like crap. Viva la disc brakes!

The Whyte 19Ti.

Not sure that the headshock could be described as a timeless classic, but I’m not going to say you’re wrong.

It was fantastic! Buttery smooth, no flex, one twist of the stem cap and it was completely rigid. The yellow boots looked cheap tatty bollocks, though. And they had a bit of a propensity to leak.

I had one of these briefly; aesthetically it’s completely Marmite but I loved it.

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90’s Kona’s had it nailed !!

I always thought these looked perfect

It was fantastic! Buttery smooth, no flex, one twist of the stem cap and it was completely rigid. The yellow boots looked cheap tatty bollocks, though. And they had a bit of a propensity to leak.

I had one of these briefly; aesthetically it’s completely Marmite but I loved it.

Agree if there was some way of losing the headshock boot it would look perfect. It solves the worst aesthetic of any hardtail - the suspension fork.

I can't post pics but this for me....

http://www.secondspincycles.com/2017/05/1994-yeti-arc-team-replica.html?m=1

I had one of these years ago(not my pic)

Looked kind of cool but rode like shit, not may FS bikes look 'right', much easier with a HT.
Cheers.

Original turner 5spot

Looked familiar, the classic double triangle.
I loved mine. Rode it for 20 or so years. As full sus bikes go I think it’s really good looking.

LTS for me.

Mid 80s bikes also, iconic and nostalgic from adverts when I could only dream about a MTB.

Hardtails don't look that different to each other to me now.

Modern full sussers are ugly as

the RTS was one of very few early full-sus bikes that nailed it.

They were a bit shit to ride though.

These on the other hand; not only look bloody fantastic, they ride just as well as they look.

Need a picture of a pretty looking Klein. Very few bikes looked quite as purposeful.

Would have said a Pace RC200 but having looked at some pics, I don't think they've aged as well as the Kleins.

Edit: For example this beauty

Cynic Al

LTS for me

I had an STS before the turner. That was also a good looking bike.
Was that thermoplastic the first of the curvy “organic” looks??

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Always liked the Pace Rc100 with those carbon suspension forks where the brakes were on the rear of the fork, had a Trek Y22 back in the late 90’s which I thought looked ace, and always lusted after a brushed alloy Proflex 957 or whatever it was called. They looked just right in my opinion.

By modern standards they rode like turds. I like skinny step tubes so my Cotic Soul looks perfect to me.

Oh and Giant ATX 1 DH.. blew a few rear shocks on them but loved it

There are so many wrong looking bikes in this thread, considering the title.

This might be the most "right" looking bike I've owned...

It's a MK2 cotic Solaris.

LRS for me - looked like a hardtail but isn't - first full suss to win uci xc world cup.

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That's one of mine set up for 24hour "racing".

Oh, and how could I forget this one? 🙂

White, white, flowers, white, radial spokes, white, beautifully shaped fork, white, flowers, white… check.

It’s a MK2 cotic Solaris

I'd already done that! ^^^

There are so many wrong looking bikes in this thread, considering the title

Yeah, pretty much only the Klein does it for me.

Slack head angles and massive forks might ride well, but they don't look right.

The Merlin would be nice too, if they took the saddle down from low earth orbit.

@MartynS - I remember going out doing a night ride round Hope and Edale when you just bought that 5Spot. Please tell me that wasn’t 20 years ago! 😳

Anyway... I’ve always loved Curtis frames. Despite not having yet owned one. One day. This is proper bike porn..

And I thought this thread was meant to be about nice looking bikes. There’s been some absolute munters up so far, amongst the nice stuff

90s Kleins, no question.

Since getting interested in mountain bikes around 1992 nothing has ever come very close, except honourable mentions to:
Kona
Manitou (hardtail especially, softail also as in 'first FS to look right')
Yeti (with the curved chainstays, Tioga disk drive and drop bars)

On reflection the drop bar ones looked a bit wrong

HCHT

You can't beat 90's Ti. 1995 DBR Axis TT, (rebuilt in 2007 while I could still get a new fork)

Considering how terrible full suspension bikes were in 1993, I'd give the Mantis Pro Floater a nod:

Anyway… I’ve always loved Curtis frames. Despite not having yet owned one. One day. This is proper bike porn..

I do love a Curtis, I keep promising myself to rebuild my SuperX but life keeps getting in the way.

Ads678, cable rub on crown is a no no, let alone rubbing on stanchions, sort it out.🙂

A Klein for me but not that one above with horrible coloured tyres

Did any apart from Binners actually read the thread title? What a load of horrific nostalgia all in one thread

I know some folk on here will call it hearsay, but those Kleins never did it for me.

those Kleins never did it for me.

A riding buddy had one, it looked 'odd' from so many angles, had a rear wheel that kept coming out the dropouts and was truly uncomfortable to ride compared to my Clockwork.

Ads678, cable rub on crown is a no no, let alone rubbing on stanchions, sort it out.🙂

Rearranged cables last week actually, so no more rub on the crown. That's muck on the stanchion, no rubbing there!

I should change the cranks for black ones really as well.....

Did any apart from Binners actually read the thread title?

I don't know, did you actually read the OPs comments? Bikes that look right, from any period with some examples from the 90's sort of steered it in this direction.

You seem to have missed that too with that monstrosity you posted 🙂

had a rear wheel that kept coming out the dropouts

Oh god, my mate's did that as well...I'd forgotten all about that "feature" his had Pace forks on it, that dependent on the time of the month were I think either 80mm or 60mm or 50mmm travel (often in the same ride)

Alex
Subscriber
My mate Steve had a blue steel Kona Exposif from about 2005 I think. I can’t find a good picture of one, but it was the nicest looking hardtail I’d ever seen. I think it still might be.

I have one of those, I remember a PSA on here as Halfords were selling them for about £400 (frame only RRP was £450 I think) with a budget build kit from the Kona Blast or similar. The shop didn't understand what was going on as they were getting calls from people from the other side of the country trying to get it shipped to their local store! Mine doesn't have a perfectly straight rear triangle, I reckon they were all 'slight' seconds.

First and last photos of it, its been geared, singlespeed and hub geared over the years 🙂 However, my wife has had a gold Cindercone and a cream Caldera and I reckon they are prettier!

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I also had a '97 Lava Dome in vomit green that was lovely which got nicked outside work (by a school 'friend' I suspect)

Very few bikes look right to my retro eyes, especially mtbs.

On-one are flogging this beauty at the moment though...

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urgh...road bike. Utilitarian, but never good looking

Munrobikers Evil.

Taniwha Zerode.

SC Bronson mk3.

Cotic Rocketmax.

I like a purposeful FSer.

I still have my carbon fibre kestral bike from the early 90s!

I don't think I'll ever sell it. I keep meaning to put it in a frame and put it on the wall but the Mrs isn't so keen!

Mines in snow camo with bomber forks! 👌

It had a special bolt on front mech that stopped working. Prior to the Internet my local bike shop couldn't get me one so I set it up 1x9 in about 1998 by default in the middle cog. Who would have known that would be the future! 🤣

Anyway, its heavily influenced my bikes ever since and I'm always drawn to bikes with high chainstay that stay out of the way of a bouncing chain.

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I guess that's why I like the look of these so much

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I also had one of these which at the time I thought looked great and in my head it was until I just googled it and now I think it looks pretty terrible!

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For me a 1996 Kona Cinder cone. IIRC the last time the Cinder Cone was made in steel before going to a hideous ally version. Use to come out tops in most reviews at the time.
I had a 1989 version when they came out and regret never getting this version. I remember my local Freewheel at the time had a frame in for £249 in my size and the day I decided I'll buy it it was gone.

@binners

@MartynS – I remember going out doing a night ride round Hope and Edale when you just bought that 5Spot. Please tell me that wasn’t 20 years ago! 😳

Im afraid it might have been.......

Pretty sure the 5 Spot came out in 2005 (I had one, replaced my 98 XCE) so we're old, just not THAT old!

Ok Weeksy, I sort of take your point about nostalgia, but a bike looks right regardless of its age. Of the current crop I do like the Production Privee range - full suss or hardtail. I also think that the Kingdom vendetta looks the business.
It is harder to get full suss bikes to look "right" as function trumps form. Not sure your Nukeproof is a timeless design but I imagine it is a beast on the trails.

Not one picture of a Breezer. Shocking. Here's mine.

What about the latest Cannondale Scalpel, featured on this here publication 2 days ago?

What about the latest Cannondale Scalpel, featured on this here publication 2 days ago?

The dropped downtube - to get the second water bottle in for the marathon racers - ruins it for me. If it ran straight from BB to HT then I would agree with you.

In my opinion only:

MODERN HARDTAILS:

Straight line top tube and seat stays give a bike that aggressive 4X/jump bike look but in an all day bike. bars level with or above saddle - so dropper down in photos.
examples - production privee, bfe 275, zero29

RETRO and XC HARDTAILS:
seat and head tube angles to be visually the same. Carbon and Alu bikes need to be careful when fat tubes are paired with a skinny fork, as this looks out of proportion. Rigid forks should be colour matched to the frame or black. bars lower than the seat (if using a dropper, always photograph in the up position).
examples Kona unit, mark 1 solaris, niner rdo singlespeed

FULL SUSPENSION
As someone else says, very function driven. Bikes made to be ridden fast - so when I see older ones where the frame may be pretty, but its been paired with 1.9 inch tyres, rim brakes, 60mm travel forks and so on, it just looks out of place.

Having a clean look makes them look nice to my eyes. This usually means a solid rear triangle - even if the suspension itself is complex.

examples - all the uppy downy slidey yetis, the previous gen santa cruzes, orange stage 5 and 6.

The 90's hardtails are always a good shout, Kona had it spot on with their slim tubes, straight lines and long/low stance. Long and low by the way does not mean what it means now where the forks stick out at some stupid angle from the front and the bike has an extra 10cm added to the top tube compensated for by having a 10mm stem. No. Long = seatpost length and reach. Low = front end stance.

In full sus terms, Specialized in early 2000's always looked purposeful with their FSR XC.

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Needed a low/flat bar though to look properly racey.

I offer up the 1992 ( I think) Orange P7 in nickel finish with orange decals or

The 1994 Kona Lava Dome in metallic green with bronze P2 forks.

Both great bikes but I reckon trumped by the last of the tange Prestige Kona Explosifs which I think was also 1994.

Kona had it spot on with their slim tubes, straight lines and long/low stance.

That's it, some bikes just have a poise that's all in the proportions and lines. Brodie's clean looks are timeless and where Kona and Rocky Mountain frame shapes started. These from 1990 are about as good as it ever was,

The 1994 Kona Explosif, was that the one in white? That did look great, I had 1991 purple Lava Dome repeated in the same colour scheme. The ride never quite lived up to its looks.

What about litville full suspension frames, quite neat considering the linkage. They need more inspiring paint jobs though

Great to see a number of 90s Kona HTs mentioned. Yes, I am now biased but they do look awesome.

I’ve just finished a tidy up on a 1997 Fire Mountain which was given to me by a friend.

I came on this thread expecting to be disappointed, but in the main, I'm pleasantly surprised. No mountain bike with modern geo (say, post-2012) has a place - I know they ride better, but they look broken. And most mountain bikes from 2000 onwards are generally pretty minging too - those Cannondale F-series excepted.

Jeezuz christ on a bike some hideous abominations in this thread.......

HT

DH

Enduro/Trail

That Production Privee is lovely as is the Curtis.
That ti DB is close but you’ve got to get rid of the bottle cages and the colours accessories.
This to be a pretty much spot on for a road bike.

Jeezuz christ on a bike some hideous abominations in this thread…….

and then posts this ??????????????

A beauty isn't it!

I think my 2008 Carrera Banshee X still looks the business.Could some kind soul get a picture of it up please?You will not be disappointed.

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Wibble.

Good to see some 21st century whips on here.

I think in the noughties Specialized had a great patch.

This was a lovely one when it came out...

Road bikes that llook right:
This one from NAHBS
https://www.englishcycles.com/custombikes/aero-road-di2/

Nice clean lines, looks properly racey and fast standing still.

Whyte T120. Lovely.