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How many here are riding vintage steel and/or rigid MTBs?

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How many here are riding vintage steel and/or rigid MTBs?

Old 09-20-15, 08:05 PM
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wich bike is better GT TALERA hardtail or TREK 830) ANTELOPE hardtail.
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Old 09-20-15, 08:21 PM
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Originally Posted by bobbyl1966
wich bike is better GT TALERA hardtail or TREK 830) ANTELOPE hardtail.
Trek 830 by a hair. Pretty much a toss-up. They're usually full rigid instead of hardtail, though.
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Old 09-20-15, 08:48 PM
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My height is 5` 7". My trek 830 is 18" the GT i be looking to buy and no have deside yet is 20" wich size is good for me. i look online different mountain bikes size chart and comfuse me
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Old 09-20-15, 08:52 PM
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Originally Posted by bobbyl1966
My height is 5` 7". My trek 830 is 18" the GT i be looking to buy and no have deside yet is 20" wich size is good for me. i look online different mountain bikes size chart and comfuse me
18" Trek will fit you well.

I'd be looking at 15-18" bikes. 16.5" Trek 830 would be too small for you, though, since they have pretty short top tubes, but some brands have longer top tubes.
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Old 09-22-15, 01:49 PM
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Here are my two rigid and vintage MTBs. First up is a 94 Breezer Lightning, and the other is a 95 Cannondale M500




Last edited by DorkDisk; 04-14-20 at 06:51 PM.
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Old 09-22-15, 03:25 PM
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Originally Posted by jbchybridrider
Finished the Sakae Litage frame show'n back in this thread. I had to hand make the dropouts and cable guides under the BB but was side tracked with another job in between so took a while to finish.

Built with Sram X9 custom built wheels and Onza brakes. I found a barely used Manitou fork cheap, after a clean and re grease has a nice action for a old fork.









I have loads of detailed photos if anyone wants to see something in particular.
Oh my God this thing is a beauty! I wouldn't even want to ride it and get it dirty. I think I would use it as art in my living room.

And man would I love to see detailed photos.
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Old 09-22-15, 03:51 PM
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Been using my Gary Fisher Tassajara since 1995.
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Old 10-05-15, 05:55 PM
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Still riding a '96 Stump Jumper M2 that I bought new at a local shop. Only original parts are the frame, seat post, seat (amazingly so), derailleurs and shifters. The thing still rides like it's brand new, but there is no reason why is shouldn't with all the other newer components on it.
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Old 10-07-15, 06:04 PM
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Riding a 1990ish rockhoppersteel rigid single speed .....luv it.
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Old 10-09-15, 12:10 AM
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I ride this beat up ol' Raleigh technium Ovation, the paint's battered, it's really slow,
but,damn, it'll climb anything. I've gotten too old for downhill fast anyway. Back in the
late 50s I'd downhill on an old Monarch with a springer fork & baloonies. Wasn't much of
a ride if ya didn't crash a couple times. That thing was indestructable.
I just bought this 98 Giant boulder with rock Shox for $35. A gal was getting rid of her
exe's bike.It's a nicer bike, excellent condition, but I can't seem to warm up to it, still
love that Raleigh.
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Old 10-09-15, 07:11 AM
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1991 Cannondale SM700, aluminum frame, Shimano components - loved that bike since the first day I owned it, 07/07/1991. Black with lime green splash pattern and a lizard logo.
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Old 10-15-15, 07:37 PM
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Originally Posted by LesterOfPuppets
The Grey Goose made it through another year of STXC. Probably run her in couple of CX races this fall.

I know this post is old but I just noticed something funny. I have the same bike and the same helmet as you haha. I was also just about to order a Charge Spoon saddle.
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Old 10-28-15, 09:07 AM
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Fully rigid chromoly is all that I have ridden, or will in the future.

My longtime main ride is a 1992 Trek 930 Singletrack, with significant upgrades. (Man, I love that bike!) The project I finished last winter and have been dialing in over the summer was built on a 1993 Rockhopper frame. That's a complete custom build and it turned out excellent.

I am of the opinion that the proliferation of suspensions was a marketing thing to promote bike sales. I don't disagree that suspensions are necessary for competition or trick riding, but c'mon. How often do most people go airborne (on purpose)? A rigid frame promotes good bike handling, and connects you to the road (conditions and feel) much better. And, I never have to ask how long my forks are going to last. (Forever.) I can go anywhere. There is never any concern "bombing down a hill" or taking a rough patch of downhill trail, at any speed.

Anyone that thinks they "need" a suspension may want to view this awesome video. It's fairly long - the first half is 100% urban riding, and in the second half they make it out of the city and into some serious off-road mountain biking, ending up literally at the top of a mountain. All on the same bikes, both of them rigid Trek Singletracks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyrlEE9AV58

Or check out this one of Danny MacAskill, on a rigid MTB.
https://youtu.be/Cj6ho1-G6tw

Last edited by Jeff Neese; 10-29-15 at 03:47 PM.
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Old 11-02-15, 04:16 PM
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I had a 1990 +/- GT Karakoram rigid frame that I bought new back then and rode a fair amount. It is in near pristine condition because I overhauled it on a regular basis. I gave it to my older Son and we put some 26 x 1.9 smooth tires on it and he uses it as an urban cruiser in the city where he lives. He told me he is loving it. That makes me happy. I will see if I can get him to email me a picture of it, so I can post it.
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Old 11-02-15, 04:40 PM
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Originally Posted by CannedPakes
I know this post is old but I just noticed something funny. I have the same bike and the same helmet as you haha. I was also just about to order a Charge Spoon saddle.

Spooky!!!!
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Old 11-02-15, 04:49 PM
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I always wanted an estay bike bitd. Got this sweet Yokota Terminator for $20 sans derailleurs, shifters, seatpost, etc. Gonna be the winter commute rig.

CL pic




Quickie build out front of the REI. I thought I'd brought everything I needed, but forgot rim strips/electrical tape and crank nuts, so got some rim tape and only one crank nut at REI and put things together. Had to pound the left crank back on a few times on the way home but I was pedalling gingerly so don't think I wasted the spindle hole that badly.


Put on a cheaper saddle, cruiser bars, crankset that matches BDC of SS chainring I'll eventually use
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Old 11-02-15, 07:48 PM
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2002 Trek 820. Not vintage but getting there.
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Old 11-04-15, 09:40 AM
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Not sure if it counts, but I have my Schwinn Hurricane (1993-ish) sitting in the garage, unused for now. I put a few miles on it back in the day but I don't think I was ever as comfortable on it as I am on the Specialized that is my main bike for now. I've debated upgrading a couple of things and using it around here as an errand/commuter bike next spring but to be honest, our roads (and drivers) here are very bike-hostile and I tend to take the car instead. IMHO it is not as refined as more modern bikes are.

Never considered taking it out on the trail, especially since I feel that the frame is a little too large. (I wish I had gone a size smaller--the LBS seemed to think it was a good fit for street use.) And I'm not certain how good the components are (Shimano GS70 for derailleurs, I think, no clue on the rest).

A photo of someone else'e Hurricane:

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Old 11-06-15, 06:41 PM
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My old Cindercone. Love this bike.




Just got a nice 94 bcd ring for it from Cambria if anyone is looking. 42T only though.
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Old 11-06-15, 06:45 PM
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87 Medici Pro Strada (since new, now restored) 85 Specialized Stump Jumper (since new, not restored).
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Old 11-07-15, 05:43 PM
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I decided to give CX a try so I took my hard tail MTB and threw on a rigid fork and some skinny tires. While not a fan of the skinny tires on the more technical trails I ride, I have come to really like the rigid fork. Even after I finish with CX season I may keep it on for a bit. I feel like I can climb faster. I just avoid the rock gardens!

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Old 11-15-15, 07:46 PM
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Originally Posted by Jeff Neese
Fully rigid chromoly is all that I have ridden, or will in the future.

My longtime main ride is a 1992 Trek 930 Singletrack, with significant upgrades. (Man, I love that bike!) The project I finished last winter and have been dialing in over the summer was built on a 1993 Rockhopper frame. That's a complete custom build and it turned out excellent.

I am of the opinion that the proliferation of suspensions was a marketing thing to promote bike sales. I don't disagree that suspensions are necessary for competition or trick riding, but c'mon. How often do most people go airborne (on purpose)? A rigid frame promotes good bike handling, and connects you to the road (conditions and feel) much better. And, I never have to ask how long my forks are going to last. (Forever.) I can go anywhere. There is never any concern "bombing down a hill" or taking a rough patch of downhill trail, at any speed.

Anyone that thinks they "need" a suspension may want to view this awesome video. It's fairly long - the first half is 100% urban riding, and in the second half they make it out of the city and into some serious off-road mountain biking, ending up literally at the top of a mountain. All on the same bikes, both of them rigid Trek Singletracks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyrlEE9AV58

Or check out this one of Danny MacAskill, on a rigid MTB.
https://youtu.be/Cj6ho1-G6tw
I agree with this post. Americans are such victims of marketing. I have nothing against suspension bikes but they're hardly a requirement to go off road.

My bikes are all rigids, too - all early 90's Treks in fact.
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Old 11-15-15, 11:49 PM
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Tange chromoly tig welded 1997 Rocky Mountain

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Old 11-17-15, 02:29 PM
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I rode my '97 RockHopper for a lot of years as a rigid. Then I took this trail that just hammered my arms and hands. I could barely control what was going on and felt on the edge of the envelope even with the tires aired down. I finally found a used Marzocchi on CL that had just been overhauled with the right length steerer. Do you know how hard it is to find a used suspension fork with a steerer that is 9" long!

Changed the head set to one that I could buy an extra crown race for and set up both forks with the same crown race. Change takes about 20 min. I now have a disk wheel that stays with the fork so no more tire changes in the front either.

The attraction for using the suspension fork is the BB-7 disk that is great to use.

don't have a picture with knobbies:
[IMG]RKHPRDrivSideW, on Flickr[/IMG]
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Old 11-17-15, 02:52 PM
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Originally Posted by SJX426
I now have a disk wheel that stays with the fork so no more tire changes in the front either.[/IMG]
Isn't it nice how easy this is with a threadless headset and MTB brake levers? Three screws. Pop!
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