Old 11-28-20, 11:12 AM
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Hiro11
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Join Date: Jun 2010
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Bikes: 2022 Specialized Allez Sprint custom build, 2019 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 0, 2018 Seven Mudhoney Pro custom build, 2017 Raleigh Stuntman, various others

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Late 80s - early nineties mountain bikes: the pinnacle of practical bike design?

Whenever I ride around here, I notice a trend: seemingly everyone in my area went out in 1992 and purchased a $500-$600 rigid mountain bike that has since sat in a garage and been passed around a family. This bike is taken out every summer with zero maintenance. It's been ridden in rain, mud, and dust. Zero maintenance has been done: chain lube, tires barely inflated. It doesn't matter, these bikes just keep going.

Similarly, I recently discovered Old Shovel's YouTube channel ( https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzr...x2JFfJb-ipGk8A ). He specializes in buying old mountain bikes, in some cases for less than $20, and restoring them on a budget. He reuses almost all of the parts, generally repaints the frame, replaces all of the cables and tires and these bikes are good to go for another 30 years. There's something desirable about the results, you start to understand what these old bikes have some qualities that modern bikes lack:

1. Every part is user servicable with basic tools. Square taper loose ball BBs, threaded headsets, cup and cone hubs etc. This stuff on Old Shovel's finds have clearly been used and abused for decades... but disassemble them, clean and lube them up and they are good as new. Even shifters from that era could be easily disassembled and overhauled. Cantilever brakes are extremely easy to align and service. Alloy cranks look brand new after a light sanding and quick polish. Etc.

2. Every single component is standardized and tried and true design: the seatposts are round and simple and effective two bolt affairs. The seat clamp and axle QRs are 100% reliable steel covered cam designs. Quill stems are easy to work with and height adjust. If anything does loosen up, it can be quickly re-tightened with a 3,4,5 allen key. If anything breaks, standard parts are for sale everywhere for cheap and installed in minutes.

3. Everything back then was made to last. Thick chains, cogs and chainrings. Everything is made out of polished metal. Even the nastiest looking component can usually be hammered straight and polished. For all the hype around rust and steel frames, these things are 100% fine with a new coat of paint.

These old mountain bikes were nowhere near as capable offroad as something modern. Bikes these days are way better to ride, but I feel like we've definitely lost a lot from a practicality perspective. Let's see how a 2021 $10K Santa Cruz looks after 30 years.
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