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OK, F- you bike industry

profro

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
I have gotten so fed up with the bike industry lately. Hub standards, wheel sizes (both width and diameter), carbon, prices, 10-11-12 speed, needing a giant backpack for a 1 hr ride, calling riding your bike "enduro, etc. Not to mention what MTBers look like these days... Its enough.

After years of the latest and greatest full suspension wonder bikes, I have fallen back in love with just riding a bike. A hardtail bike to be exact. I bought a Chromag hardtail off Pink Bike 20 days ago and I have ridden my SB66 exactly once since then. Even then I regretted not riding my Chromag. Averaging 3 rides a week and still I am loving the feeling of an old school steel hardtail.

Hardtails rule and 26" steel hard tails rule even more.

Anyone else having this epiphany? And what are YOU doing about it?
 
boostindoubles

boostindoubles

Nacho Libre
Mar 16, 2004
7,875
6,176
Yakistan
I plan on talking someone into giving me a plastic semi chubby that has 1x12 and super boost+. I plan on ghost riding it into a brick wall and letting a homeless person pawn it.
 
dump

dump

Turbo Monkey
Oct 12, 2001
8,213
4,462
Welcome to my world of the last 10 years. Much fun will be had and less need to go warp woo speed to have it.
 
AngryMetalsmith

AngryMetalsmith

Business is good, thanks for asking
Jun 4, 2006
21,210
10,009
I have no idea where I am
I had a '93 Garry Fisher European team frame that was steel and very light. Loved the way it felt compared to an aluminum hardtail, so much more compliant.

After many years riding full suspension bikes, I built up an old Kona steel frame and it was really difficult to get used to again. And definitely not as fast on rough descents.

I'd love to build a steel frame one day or have a Ti frame with modern geometry.
 
Toshi

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,249
7,695
I was a retrogrouch before it was cool. One of my go-to bikes during undergrad (1999-2003) was a True Temper Diamondback DBR hardtail with 1996 XTR throughout. V brakes, oh yes. I quickly snapped the stanchions of the fork and rocked it with a color-mismatched steel rigid fork for several years afterward.
 
HAB

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,006
Seattle
kidwoo said:
Hardtails rule until you actually ride one and remember just how fucking painful it is to try to ride one fast in the woods.
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That's exactly why I like mine though. Riding it fast does hurt, but it's a great way to make trails I ride all the time exciting (read: scary) again. Plus it fucking rails corners.



To the OP, it's a 26" steel hardtail but it's got carbon wheels/bars/crank and a 10 speed drivetrain. :D
 
Jm_

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,975
9,637
AK
kidwoo said:
Hardtails rule until you actually ride one and remember just how fucking painful it is to try to ride one fast in the woods.
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Because of our shitty snow season, patches of dirt were opening up in Feb and March, and when I'd come barreling through dirt sections on my fatbike I'd start to get all bounced around like crazy, thinking: "WTF is this shit?".

People think riding fatbikes in the summer is better than an 80s playboy mansion party, but they are fucking rigid bikes and they work like rigid bikes. I pass them all summer on my mountain bike.
 
profro

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
Well, I guess I associate myself with downhillers regardless of what bike I am riding. Plus the downhills are the only reason I ride. Even on my hardtail. I guess this whole thing is made more of a thing because all the new trails are so damn smooth and bermy. I found riding new style trails was just boring on a 6" mini DH bike.
 
johnbryanpeters

johnbryanpeters

Hero
Sep 27, 2001
36,069
16,494
Making moss sad in New Haven, Vermont
Meh... There's not just one kind of riding, and there's not just one kind of bike. We collectively agree that the industry is on a marketing driven spree of insanity and that there are no longer any meaningful standards. Hardtails are fun, dualies are fun, narrow and wide tires are fun; they all warrant different riding styles and yield different rewards. If it has pedals, fun is to be had. Sometimes we need to change modes to be reminded.
 
slyfink

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,319
5,074
Ottawa, Canada
I have a hardtail too. fully rigid. 80mm rims and 3.8" tires make it great fun to ride on snow.

edited to add: what does ELE stand for? Google has too many answers, so it's hard to know what @buckoW meant...
 
canadmos

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,437
19,446
Canaderp
profro said:
needing a giant backpack for a 1 hr ride
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Whats with the hate for a good pack? Even a short one hour ride can put you pretty far from your vehicle or whatever. I never ride without my pack. Besides not having a water bottle, I've yet to be stranded in the woods and have to do the walk of shame because my derailleur hanger broke or I got a flat.

And if someone I'm riding with, who has no tools/parts and needs to borrow mine. Well, sure they can poach whatever I have, it just means there will be more beer for me in the parking lot. :D

I've just stopped caring about all this kind of crap. I have a bicycle and I ride it. It puts a smile on my face every time.
 
FlipFantasia

FlipFantasia

Turbo Monkey
Oct 4, 2001
1,663
499
Sea to Sky BC
been on that program for about 4 years now, it's great for the skills and just is a lot of fun, at least for me. I've got a endurrbro reign too, but generally save that for the bike park, or just summer when things get blown out and chundery.
 
manhattanprjkt83

manhattanprjkt83

Rusty Trombone
Jul 10, 2003
9,646
1,216
Nilbog
I'm w you on the hardtail thing man, I've been riding one as my go to for 'trail' rides forever. Dare I say I actually think this plus stuff is cool for the hardtail, you can carry some more speed and retain the simplicity. That said I don't ride a plus (yet).

Have a nomad in the garage I take to parks and on faster rough stuff but hardtail almost always gets the nod.
 
profro

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
canadmos said:
Whats with the hate for a good pack?
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At some point we all used to ride with a pair of lycra shorts, jersey, single water bottle, and maybe a multitool.

I regularly see chods in the local in-town trail network with:

-matching shorts, jersey, socks, and helmet
-goggles
-knee pads
-backpack big enough for the Transalp Challange

Judging by their riding, most mtbers are focused on the lifestyle versus actually riding a bike. Not all, but more than enough.
 
jonKranked

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,859
24,451
media blackout
profro said:
needing a giant backpack for a 1 hr ride
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i don't use a camelback for rides shorter than 90 minutes unless I'm riding my spitfire (no bottle cage installed) or its really hot and i need the extra water.

I readily admit that for XC rides (hardtail) shorter than 90 min i have gone back to using an under saddle bag (keys/phone/tool/ID)
 
canadmos

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,437
19,446
Canaderp
jonKranked said:
i don't use a camelback for rides shorter than 90 minutes unless I'm riding my spitfire (no bottle cage installed) or its really hot and i need the extra water.

I readily admit that for XC rides (hardtail) shorter than 90 min i have gone back to using an under saddle bag (keys/phone/tool/ID)
Click to expand...
Lets be honest, that's just a fanny pack for your bike. :busted:
 
profro

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
I'm not afraid to admit I use a fanny pack on rides longer than 1.5hrs. During the winter when I need extra layers or on really long all day rides during the summer I break out the pack. But most of riding during the summer is with a water bottle and a multitool in my pocket.
 
canadmos

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,437
19,446
Canaderp
How do you go that long with not much water? It was hot as hell two weekends ago, and after 3 hours on the bike I had pretty much used up all 3 liters of water in the hydration pack. That's the main reason I always carry one.
 
jonKranked

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,859
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media blackout
canadmos said:
How do you go that long with not much water? It was hot as hell two weekends ago, and after 3 hours on the bike I had pretty much used up all 3 liters of water in the hydration pack. That's the main reason I always carry one.
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90 minutes? its easy. hydrate before, hydrate after. not really rocket science. 1 water bottle during the ride is enough for me in those instances.
 
Cant Climb

Cant Climb

Turbo Monkey
May 9, 2004
2,683
10
No...why..?....I'm not talking about creeks running along the interstate. Mountain fed creeks.
 
Sandwich

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,061
5,970
borcester rhymes
While I agree with you on how stupid the industry is being, I went through something similar and have to laugh, looking back. I wanted to "reconnect" with the trail, make it more challenging, get back to the "nature" of riding. I bought myself a krampus and got it ready to go....and you know what? Riding that made me love my overcomplicated FS bike even more. My Evil is the best bike I've ever ridden, with all its carbon gadgetry and hydraulic thingees and everything. It's great, and there's a reason we ride bikes like this...

That being said, I was forced to take out my 26" HT commuter with semi slicks and a dart the other day, and I still had fun.
 
profro

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
canadmos said:
How do you go that long with not much water? It was hot as hell two weekends ago, and after 3 hours on the bike I had pretty much used up all 3 liters of water in the hydration pack. That's the main reason I always carry one.
Click to expand...
Just like jonKranked says. I drink a lot of water throughout the day and just don't feel like I need that much while riding. I live in humid ass Tennessee and regularly ride in the 90s with high humidity during the summer and under 1.5 hrs. One bottle is fine. Plus with most of our local trails you loop around enough that refilling or stopping by a fountain is common.
 
Jm_

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,975
9,637
AK
canadmos said:
How do you go that long with not much water? It was hot as hell two weekends ago, and after 3 hours on the bike I had pretty much used up all 3 liters of water in the hydration pack. That's the main reason I always carry one.
Click to expand...
Fat people hold water like a camel.
 
jonKranked

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,859
24,451
media blackout
profro said:
Just like jonKranked says. I drink a lot of water throughout the day and just don't feel like I need that much while riding. I live in humid ass Tennessee and regularly ride in the 90s with high humidity during the summer and under 1.5 hrs. One bottle is fine. Plus with most of our local trails you loop around enough that refilling or stopping by a fountain is common.
Click to expand...
You won't believe it - this ONE TRICK will get you through a 90 minute ride on a single water bottle!
 
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