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Sorting the shed out today and realised I'm really only a frame and forks off of being able to build an old standards (QR wheels, IS brakes) 26er. Thought maybe could look for an old On one summer season or something like that?
My other bikes are rigid with drop bars. If I build something I don't see it getting used more than a handful of times a year.
Yes/No/Don't bother/Save up for something better?
With the shed sorted out now I could definately squeeze a 4th bike in 😉
New standards aren't entirely driven by evil manufacturers forcing us mugs to upgrade, most of them are actually positive improvements.
I'd get rid of the lot, save a bit more, and get something fresh. A modern B+ hardtail is a great trail centre tool.
Most fun I ever had at trail centres was riding 26" dirt jump bikes.
depends on your idea of fun though. I suppose.
It’s not a hardtail but the bike I miss most at the moment is my old Specialized enduro sx from 2003.
Short travel 120mm front and rear but it just loved to be thrashed flat out and was/is more capable than me.
As soon as I get the rear linkage re made it will be back.
Not all old stuff is outdated
Orange boy.
I have a 2002 SX frame here. (exactly the same as the 03)
including a Pushed Fox RC coil shock for it. and complete new rear bearing kit.
The main pivot is seized in and I couldn't be bothered taking it to a workshop to remove it as it'll be destroyed in the process and I wasn't sure if i'd be able to get any spares afterwards anyway.
Message me if you want it.
Build it, use it. The only reason I don’t have another 26er built up at present is because whilst it’s in bits, it’s just parts. If I build it up it becomes ‘another bloody bike’ in the way in the Garage.
My 'go to' bike is a 26" ht. Had it years & there's not another bike yet to be built that will make me grin as much as that one has.
Build it, use it, grin.
Having recently gone down to just a 29er HT after being a 26" grump for a while, I do still find myself tempted to get an old 26" FS for the odd uplift, maybe an alps trip, but then I think it might make more sense to get something a bit more "current" and 27.5ish, for the sake of a few hundred quid...
Build it and use it, a bike that was good ten years ago is still good.
just because newer standards or newer ideas about geometry have arrived which are ALSO good, it doesn’t change older stuff at all.
Got two 26" MTBs, a rigid ht used for commutes, and a fs. What really lets them down, particularly the FS are the 9mm QR, and the Fox Float 32s are a bit wibbly wobbly. And maybe even the angles.
Saying that, both still fun, but so is my 27.5" Bird Zero TR too.
Still love a blast on my ‘05 Kona Dawg. Regularly ride my Blue Pig, ‘15 vintage. Retired my Bontrager after 16yrs use in ‘15 replaced by the Pig. Plan to renovate and use my Y22 when I get time....
So the only 26 it's you have is the wheels? I'd go for something modern/new with less fatigue in the welds and bolt through its just better.
If the OP had other modern MTB's I'd say don't bother as in my experience having progressed through various bikes and geometries to my 'current' bikes a shift back to 26" and QR would feel very odd and not much fun. That's not to say older bikes have become any less ace but when I tried it I found my tastes had changed considerably.
Saying that, as the OP stated that his other bikes are rigid drop bar things I'd so go for it with your plan of a fun, cheap HT. Always nice to have a bit of variety and you're not polluted by modern standards.
Maybe a C456 with 120mm Reba and go a size up?
Sounds like a good plan to me! Currently my only mountain bike is an Inbred and it's great. The fork was £100 (Rockshox SID XX) from the classifieds on here
I'd be building up a 456evo if I could. I'm tempted to buy all the parts and building one up from scratch. It's the fastest I've ever been on a bike I think and the most grin enducing
Why not get a cheap(ish) 27.5 frame like that Brand X from CRC, some fat 26" tyres (Hans Dampf or WTB Ranger 2.8) throw it all together and see if it works? cant see why it wouldn't, slightly lower BB (prob the same as an older specialized) shouldn't be a problem at most trail centre's
rebuild this up last year ..just old parts...
ragley ti from 2009, pike and magura louise from 2006
just needed a old/inexpensive bike which travels with me for a work trip to the alps...
and which I can leave in the car all the time..
still so much fun !! took me a few minutes to go back..but still brilliant !
"So the only 26 it’s you have is the wheels?"
And a pile of tyres, and IS mount brakes (2006 louise FR as it happens) (only an older 26" fork is going to come with an IS mount)
456evo good suggestion
Cheap hardtail for throwing down things is exactly what I'm thinking, hard to justify spending much money on something I don't really think will get much use but could be fun sometimes. Plus I think the spares might take up less room all bolted together 😉
Build it! Building bikes is fun. 🙂
456evo is a good suggestion if you can find a good fork to go with it..not sure many good forks even from that era will be IS mount but I think you could go a size up on the rotor and use an adaptor
Yep, go for it - as others have said, building bikes is fun, and so is going to a trail centre and having fun on a cheap old bike in the face of those who believe mountain biking is only for those who can afford this years geometry enduro sled.
Sure modern bikes are better and faster, but also f*****g expensive!
Set an example to those who cant afford, or feel they can't afford a "proper" mountain bike 🙂
Saw some u-turn Toras 85-130mm on eBay the other day that were mint. I know they were low end but I had a second hand set of 130mm toras off my mate who thrashed them. I put them on an Orange five for a about year or so then they've been on a couple of hardtails and are now on my wife's bike. They are probably 12 years old and still going strong.
Stick something like that or older pikes on a 456 or ragley blue pig and it'd be sweet.
So the only 26 it’s you have is the wheels?
I agree with this, with the extra point that you're actually only short of the rims and spokes if the hubs are worth saving.
I've got a stash of 26" bits for the DJ/4X bike which is as good a place as any to send them to die. But I've started cannibalising hubs as there's probably more value in old Hope hubs in my shed than there is my entire main bike!
I've also got set of old MX Pro forks and XC wheels for a kids bike in 10-14 year time. I might be tempted to build a commuter if a nice frame came along, but I'm Not actively looking (if anyone has a 20" On-One whippet frame going cheap......)
<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">The only real problem is getting hold of decent straight steerer forks</span>
If it were me I would try and get a tapered head tube- none of the 6 26 ers in the household are tapered and it makes forks an issue in the long run
Also feel free to get a 650b frame with a 44mm head tube (e.g. older cotic bfe) so you can fit all the old 26 inch/straight steerer stuff, but keep the door open to tapered forks and 650b wheels at a later date.