Originally Posted by
Miradaman
Indeed, I've rented several new MTBs over the last few years on trips out to CO. There's no comparison, you'd get killed taking my old GT on some of the trails I took those rental bikes on. Not to mention you'd never be able to do the ascents, you'd be walking up the whole way...
Go look at the videos of XC and DH World Cup runs from 1995-2005. Then compare those courses to a modern XC course is far far more technical than those older bikes were ever designed to handle. Most of those old World Cup courses would be greens on a modern trail map, some might get to blue.
There's really no comparison between and old bike and a modern bike with 5+" of suspension, massive hydraulic discs that you can brake with one finger, and 2.5in wide tires.