[Closed] How old is too old?

I sold a 15 year old frame recently. Had a follow up email from the buyer telling me how it was possibly the best bike he's ever ridden.

Obviously depends on what it is and what condition it's in.

If my head hadn't been turned by the updated carbon version, that then turned out to be a pup, I'd still be riding it now.

Talking used MTB here. Serious brand and spec but the bike my eye (and budget) is drawn to is 16 years old. Would you?

Not alloy ... steel yep , titanium def.... (don't think they did carbon then?)

Age will bring some issues to take into account:

Modern bikes have got better geometery, so compared to a modern bike, an old one will ride very differently. You have to decide if its better or worse for you. I rode an old bike a while ago and it felt different in a bad way.

Old bikes may have an issue with compatibility with modern spares not fitting, steerer tubes, BB, dropper post compatible come to mind.

Also, will it just be knackered due to age.

Id take it for a test ride and if it feels fine buy it.

It'll be safe but if it's a mountain bike it's unlikely to be as competent as a new bike that costs the same.

I’m using a 2005/2006 0range 5 in conjunction with my ebike, I still love it, but I also bought lots of 9x3 and 1+1/8 and rapid rise etc spares when they were cheap and unwanted, straight forks have gone up massively in price( e.g I sold a new pair for more than I paid a dealer for them) and I suspect that 9sp will eventually follow. The word retro seems to add value, I’d have a look at what spares/consumables you might need and see how available/ how priced etc they are before making a decision.

Modern bikes have got better geometery.......

For what? Hills are still hills. The only thing to really change are the sculpted skate parks of BPW et al. My local trails are still the same as they were 20 years ago.

I probably enjoyed my riding 16 years ago as much as I do now, maybe more. And I was probably better in every respect. The bikes were different then, but the trails are still the same.

Personally I wouldn't want something that old, it'll well out of date geometry wise and getting spares might be a big issue.

I'd much rather have a modern bike which in my opinion will ride better and be more reliable.

Purely a personal view though.

the biggest issue is probably replacement parts - in particular forks, but also starting to be tricky to get hubs, rims etc. One of my bikes is 20 years old, and is fine for a bimble about. Whats the bike?

For what? Hills are still hills. The only thing to really change are the sculpted skate parks of BPW et al. My local trails are still the same as they were 20 years ago.

That. It will be just as good now as it was then.
There is however a world of difference between new-old-stock and old & knackered...
A mint E-Type is a very good car, an abused boy racer's modern M3 probably isn't

Still riding a 28 year old
Kona. It’s not quite up to the pace of my 2017 carbon enduro rig but still a lot of fun!

For what? Hills are still hills. The only thing to really change are the sculpted skate parks of BPW et al. My local trails are still the same as they were 20 years ago.

Good point!

Is it a 26er? XC style 26ers handle terribly compared to a modern 29er - it was so much easier to go over the bars if you made a mistake on steep stuff with those abrupt head angles and small wheels. Not a serious proposition nowadays if you're talking about actually riding the bike, rather than a nostalgia-driven purchase to own / look at.

Maybe. It would have to be an exceptional model in great condition to get around the component compatibility limitations though. I had an Ellsworth Epiphany from around that era that I maintain rode better in 99% of trail situations then my current modern carbon trail dandy horse - it was built up for less than half of the value of the modern bike and was 4lbs lighter too, despite being Alu. I would happily ride that bike as my current bike if I could, and know that I'd be giving up nothing in ride quality...except for maybe a handful of seconds per ride when the terrain is steep enough or rs puckering enough for modern geometry to win out....but then I'm defo OldSKool.

Not alloy … steel yep , titanium def…. (don’t think they did carbon then?)

I have a carbon fibre kestrel mtb from 1988. I've owned it since 1993 (I think I was 14). Far too small now but still one of the best looking bikes around (in my eyes)

So about 32 years old 😲

Not my bike but still awesome

https://www.cycleexif.com/vanguard-kestrel-mx-z

If my expectations of a bike were the same as they were in 2004 and I wasn't going to demand any more of it than that, and it was in great condition, then I'd be happy.

But I wouldn't, because now inevitably I've been spoiled by more modern bikes, have become used to them and like most of the changes that have come in, so I expect I would find it frustrating, bits would likely break and then may be harder to replace. Some people clearly still ride the same stuff in the same way and can probably benefit from some 2004 bargains - but it won't work for everyone's riding ambitions even if it's an amazing deal. And I say this with a lot of affection for my 2005 RM Slayer in the garage, dual control shifters and all 🙂

Personally, I wouldn’t. Some of my old bikes were fabulous at that time (imo). But I would never swap them for my current full suss of HT. My current hardtail rides so much better than my old bikes that it’s in a totally different league imo. My local hill is completely identical, but I enjoy riding it so much more with a slacker head angle and a 200mm dropper. And my HT climbs so much better than my old bikes, even with a 150mm fork.

But the big issue, as others have said, is getting parts. If you knacker the fork, then getting a new one could be really tricky if you’re limited only to 1 1/8 straight steerer tubes.

More modern geometry is, effectively, also a skill compensator.
So if you've still got the skills or you're riding tame trails slowly or you are still young and bounce (as opposed to being old and brittle), then go for it...
😉

Only bike or N+1? What sort of riding would it be for? And crucially, how much are you saving compared to something newer? I bought a 2008 Seven last year and it's absolutely lovely to ride on 95% of my local stuff - partly because it's pretty different to my other bikes and handles like a big BMX in comparison to the 29er barge 😉 Equally, I sold a 2004 Five this year for £600 as in reality I didn't think I'd choose it much over my other bikes and couldn't bear to split it for parts.

Thanks all, some interesting points there. It would be a bike to ride rather than admire but I am old, slow and brittle 😁 and it is for XC rather than DH or AM.

I’ll keep looking for a newer 29er I think.

@RichPenny - only bike but the immediate difficulty is finding anything new/newish at a decent price. New are in v.short supply and S/H prices are highly inflated still.