Old VS. New: They almost got me!
#26
Senior Member
Thread Starter
So I just ordered a fork from Bikeman.com, and I have a sweep back handlebar coming for my birthday on the 16th. I guess I'll be building a Budget Bridge Club for my 50th!
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#27
Sunshine
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9sp alloy cassettes won't be taught to find any time soon.
Quality 26" tires are getting rare, but even more rare is a time when I need a tire immediately and can't wait a week for them to deliver. Just buy a 3rd tire if you think you may suddenly need one. No point in buying whatever mid-low level tire a local shop has on hand.
Thru axles are not a solution looking for a problem. In your specific instance, they are a pain, but that also isn't a riding issue it's a transport issue. If you had a rack it wouldn't even be a discussion point. But yeah, if it doesn't work for how you have to transport bikes then it's good to not get a bike with that type of axle.
Disc brakes are not more fidgety than cantilever or vbrakes. i set up some hydraulic disc brakes a few years ago and havent touched em since. It's the same for my other brakes- vbrake, dual pivot, and cantilever- I don't touch em after they are set up. Disc brakes work fine when properly set up, just like other common brake styles.
3x9 is cool. 3x7 is cool(not really, but sure). 1x9 is cool. Yada Yada Yada.
1x has become popular for mtb because it allows for a wider tire, it reduces chainring strike, and also because it doesnt require you to shift multiple times both front and back when you turn a corner and suddenly see a steep short hill to climb.
Post pics of the changed bike once you are done.
Quality 26" tires are getting rare, but even more rare is a time when I need a tire immediately and can't wait a week for them to deliver. Just buy a 3rd tire if you think you may suddenly need one. No point in buying whatever mid-low level tire a local shop has on hand.
Thru axles are not a solution looking for a problem. In your specific instance, they are a pain, but that also isn't a riding issue it's a transport issue. If you had a rack it wouldn't even be a discussion point. But yeah, if it doesn't work for how you have to transport bikes then it's good to not get a bike with that type of axle.
Disc brakes are not more fidgety than cantilever or vbrakes. i set up some hydraulic disc brakes a few years ago and havent touched em since. It's the same for my other brakes- vbrake, dual pivot, and cantilever- I don't touch em after they are set up. Disc brakes work fine when properly set up, just like other common brake styles.
3x9 is cool. 3x7 is cool(not really, but sure). 1x9 is cool. Yada Yada Yada.
1x has become popular for mtb because it allows for a wider tire, it reduces chainring strike, and also because it doesnt require you to shift multiple times both front and back when you turn a corner and suddenly see a steep short hill to climb.
Post pics of the changed bike once you are done.
#28
Extraordinary Magnitude
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One has a Samsung French door main fridge with a pull out freezer below with a water dispenser and ice maker. The other has an insulated wooden box chilled with blocks of ice delivered weekly.
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"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
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#29
Mad bike riding scientist
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Cons: Still a 26" wheeled bike with cantilevers / linear pull brakes and not as many mounting options...
I like that the Trek was built in the US, I like that it was a ridiculously cheap initial purchase, and I like that I have it in my possession right now. Bird in the hand, you know... But I don't like that after all is said and done, I'd still have a bike limited to 26" wheels and cantilever/linear pull brakes...
But conversely, what major advantage would a new Bridge Club have over a well kitted older MTB?
What are your thoughts?
I like that the Trek was built in the US, I like that it was a ridiculously cheap initial purchase, and I like that I have it in my possession right now. Bird in the hand, you know... But I don't like that after all is said and done, I'd still have a bike limited to 26" wheels and cantilever/linear pull brakes...
But conversely, what major advantage would a new Bridge Club have over a well kitted older MTB?
What are your thoughts?
The mounting points on the Bridge Club look inviting but there are any number of ways of putting the same mounting points on the Trek…from the low rent use of hose clamps to more sophisticated band clamps. Topeak Versamount work very well as do the Zefal Gizmo. If you are planning on bikepacking with the bike, bikepacking bags don’t really need mounts anyway.
I use a 1998 Moots YBB for bikepacking. Because it is titanium, adding permanent mounts is rather trivial but I have used both the Versamount and Gizmo in the past. The bike has linear in the rear and disc in the front. They both work exactly the same at the lever and I can tell no difference between them. I wouldn’t have a problem with linear in the front but finding shocks with cantilever mounts is difficult.
Here’s the bike loaded for touring.
I will say that I use the upper range of gearing on the bike often…even off-road. On pavement, and on steep downhills, it’s nice to keep pedaling up over 30 mph. Spinning out at 25 mph and having to coast for hours is painful on the legs. My low gearing rivals (and even exceeds) 1x systems and I have a high gear for when I want to go fast. Keep the Trek. You won’t miss much.
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Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#30
Senior Member
Thread Starter
I'll be keeping it for sure. I think it's interesting that there's really "nothing new under the sun", particularly when it comes to bicycles. Sure, disc brakes are good, but they're not new. I recall working at Fishers Cyclery in Salt Lake City in the early - mid 90's and working on a bike boom ten speed with Positron shifting and disc brakes. But the marketing sure would have you believe your stuff isn't up to par. Another example I recall from the early 90's is reading glowing MBA reviews on the Tioga Psycho TT tires. A year later, the Onza Porcupines came out, and all of a sudden the Psycho tires were garbage. This same thing happened to the Porcs a few years later. But what changed? The trail didn't change, the bikes didn't change, the riders' abilities might have changed, so why all of a sudden is last years stuff so bad? Maybe 8 speed was better than 7, and 7 was better than 6 only when 7 speed cassettes finally had an increased range. I like 9 speed and triple cranks. If you pair up an 11-34 cassette with a 20 or 22/32/42 or 44 tooth crankset, you've got more gears than you'll ever need. Yeah, there is some redundancy in gears but who cares? It's not like we're all top pros getting paid to ride a manufacturers' equipment. And if you're worried about 30 extra grams on your bike, maybe you should look at the extra 20 pounds you're carrying around on you waist...
I agree with you Cyco, there is nothing wrong with 26ers. I find my 89 Panasonic mountain bike converted to commute duty with slicks to be faster (by 3-7 minutes) than my 700c hybrid with skinnier, higher pressure tires. That bike feels sluggish to me in comparison.
And I also agree about cantilevers/V brakes. They work as well as anything else if set up properly, and have no real disadvantage. Other than maybe wearing through a sidewall on the rim.
So I'll be building this Trek as an all road touring style bike, much like the Bridge Club is advertised to be. What that amounts to, really, will be replacing the fork with a rigid, raising the handlebars, installing a swept back handlebar, and probably some new tires. I'll post up as I go along....
But I do find it interesting that the BC geometry is so darn close to my old Trek.... And I guess that's been my biggest question all along. What major advantage does a new BC offer? I can't see much.
I agree with you Cyco, there is nothing wrong with 26ers. I find my 89 Panasonic mountain bike converted to commute duty with slicks to be faster (by 3-7 minutes) than my 700c hybrid with skinnier, higher pressure tires. That bike feels sluggish to me in comparison.
And I also agree about cantilevers/V brakes. They work as well as anything else if set up properly, and have no real disadvantage. Other than maybe wearing through a sidewall on the rim.
So I'll be building this Trek as an all road touring style bike, much like the Bridge Club is advertised to be. What that amounts to, really, will be replacing the fork with a rigid, raising the handlebars, installing a swept back handlebar, and probably some new tires. I'll post up as I go along....
But I do find it interesting that the BC geometry is so darn close to my old Trek.... And I guess that's been my biggest question all along. What major advantage does a new BC offer? I can't see much.
#32
I’m a little Surly
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I'll be keeping it for sure. I think it's interesting that there's really "nothing new under the sun", particularly when it comes to bicycles. Sure, disc brakes are good, but they're not new. I recall working at Fishers Cyclery in Salt Lake City in the early - mid 90's and working on a bike boom ten speed with Positron shifting and disc brakes. But the marketing sure would have you believe your stuff isn't up to par. Another example I recall from the early 90's is reading glowing MBA reviews on the Tioga Psycho TT tires. A year later, the Onza Porcupines came out, and all of a sudden the Psycho tires were garbage. This same thing happened to the Porcs a few years later. But what changed? The trail didn't change, the bikes didn't change, the riders' abilities might have changed, so why all of a sudden is last years stuff so bad? Maybe 8 speed was better than 7, and 7 was better than 6 only when 7 speed cassettes finally had an increased range. I like 9 speed and triple cranks. If you pair up an 11-34 cassette with a 20 or 22/32/42 or 44 tooth crankset, you've got more gears than you'll ever need. Yeah, there is some redundancy in gears but who cares? It's not like we're all top pros getting paid to ride a manufacturers' equipment. And if you're worried about 30 extra grams on your bike, maybe you should look at the extra 20 pounds you're carrying around on you waist...
I agree with you Cyco, there is nothing wrong with 26ers. I find my 89 Panasonic mountain bike converted to commute duty with slicks to be faster (by 3-7 minutes) than my 700c hybrid with skinnier, higher pressure tires. That bike feels sluggish to me in comparison.
And I also agree about cantilevers/V brakes. They work as well as anything else if set up properly, and have no real disadvantage. Other than maybe wearing through a sidewall on the rim.
So I'll be building this Trek as an all road touring style bike, much like the Bridge Club is advertised to be. What that amounts to, really, will be replacing the fork with a rigid, raising the handlebars, installing a swept back handlebar, and probably some new tires. I'll post up as I go along....
But I do find it interesting that the BC geometry is so darn close to my old Trek.... And I guess that's been my biggest question all along. What major advantage does a new BC offer? I can't see much.
I agree with you Cyco, there is nothing wrong with 26ers. I find my 89 Panasonic mountain bike converted to commute duty with slicks to be faster (by 3-7 minutes) than my 700c hybrid with skinnier, higher pressure tires. That bike feels sluggish to me in comparison.
And I also agree about cantilevers/V brakes. They work as well as anything else if set up properly, and have no real disadvantage. Other than maybe wearing through a sidewall on the rim.
So I'll be building this Trek as an all road touring style bike, much like the Bridge Club is advertised to be. What that amounts to, really, will be replacing the fork with a rigid, raising the handlebars, installing a swept back handlebar, and probably some new tires. I'll post up as I go along....
But I do find it interesting that the BC geometry is so darn close to my old Trek.... And I guess that's been my biggest question all along. What major advantage does a new BC offer? I can't see much.
#33
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#35
Extraordinary Magnitude
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I still want to visit Taliesin.
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Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
#36
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I toured a local FLW house and some of the design features were clever but I remember the kitchen would not be a nice place to spend any time. It was more of the “get the cooking done and spend your time in the dining room” type of room. Galley kitchens in MCM aren’t great but the openness of the house is more to my liking.
Modern frame geometry may mirror older stuff but the metals used makes a difference. I like old Alfas and my modern performance car but I don’t think one is better than the other. They’re both great and I appreciate what each one offers.
Modern frame geometry may mirror older stuff but the metals used makes a difference. I like old Alfas and my modern performance car but I don’t think one is better than the other. They’re both great and I appreciate what each one offers.
#37
Phyllo-buster
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FLW's early conceptual work on small Usonian houses for the 'common man' may be ripe for discussion once again as more and more people find themselves homeless.
Of course, all we're going to get are cheaply made condos.
Of course, all we're going to get are cheaply made condos.
#38
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I toured a local FLW house and some of the design features were clever but I remember the kitchen would not be a nice place to spend any time. It was more of the “get the cooking done and spend your time in the dining room” type of room. Galley kitchens in MCM aren’t great but the openness of the house is more to my liking.
Modern frame geometry may mirror older stuff but the metals used makes a difference. I like old Alfas and my modern performance car but I don’t think one is better than the other. They’re both great and I appreciate what each one offers.
Modern frame geometry may mirror older stuff but the metals used makes a difference. I like old Alfas and my modern performance car but I don’t think one is better than the other. They’re both great and I appreciate what each one offers.
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Life is too short not to ride the best bike you have, as much as you can
(looking for Torpado Super light frame/fork or for Raleigh International frame fork 58cm)
Life is too short not to ride the best bike you have, as much as you can
(looking for Torpado Super light frame/fork or for Raleigh International frame fork 58cm)
#39
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here is a longish but fun writeup on metal differences 753 vs 953 753 vs. 953 | Kirk Frameworks