[QUOTE=Sixty Fiver;13457932]Versatile...

Commuting and long distance riding...
http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...encommute1.JPG

Off road...
http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...llcommute4.JPG

But at the heart of it all it is an XC racing bike...
http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...englenora1.JPG

But... the hardest working and best all round bike I have ever owned is probably my Trek 7500... which could handle rock gardens and the same terrain as my Moulden as if the bike is built well enough it all comes down to skill.

This bike did it all really well.

Now Sixty!

That's what I'm talkin' 'bout! Right there! The almighty MTB does it all, baby!!! It does it all! It covers every terrain possibly passable!

You can't say that about any other bike!....Well, there are those Surly things...I don't know exactly what you'd call those, but anyways the MTB reigns supreme!

Thanks Sixty!

- Slim :)

Slim... my Trek 7500 is a hybrid.

:)

No, you're flat wrong about that one.

The Raleigh rider is indeed impressive. The point is, it isn't about the bike, it's about the rider.

I'm not an especially skilled off-road rider. I don't have the skills to ride a road bike through that rock garden, maybe not even a cyclocross bike. But it would be no big deal with a quality cruiser or hybrid. I'm not sure why you are under the impression that that rock garden is some sort of insurmountable obstacle without a mountain bike. It simply isn't. Lots of "mountain biking" can be done without a mountain bike. If you think otherwise, well, the marketing departments of many bike companies have successfully sold you a bill of goods.

See, now this is exactly the point I've been trying to make!

Just what is the difference between a hardtail MTB with a rigid fork and a hybrid?

What is the difference between a hardtail MTB with front suspension and a hybrid with front suspension?

I was once of the opinion that there were just two types of MTN bikes. One with front suspension only, a hardtail, and one with full suspension. One in the back and one in the front. I come here, and suddenly things change. What's up with that?

- Slim :)

So, I guess that must mean that a Surly Ogre is a hybrid too! Huh?

A Surly Troll is a hybrid too! Huh? ...Oh..Wait a minute! Don't tell me! A Surly Pugsley is a hybrid too! Huh?

Jaheesus Xrist! Please don't tell me that!

Ok Jay! I feel that I'm having some kind of an epiphany here! Look at Sixty's bikes that he's posted within this thread....What would you call those bikes?

- Slim :)

To me, the first (blue) one looks like a fully rigid mountain bike. The second (white) one looks like a hybrid (i.e., a cross between a mountain bike and a road bike). They both appear to be nice bikes. Of the two, I prefer the Trek; I like the 700c wheels.

I'm guessing that you're calling the Trek 7500 a hybrid, due to the fact that its got 700cc wheels, right?

Does that also mean that you're calling the blue one a MTB due to the fact that it has 26" wheels?

- Slim :)

[QUOTE=SlimRider;13457926]LOL!
;)
those guys were pretty amazing to watch.

Oh, and the Ogre looks like a pretty cool bike :thumb:

Can't they just be bikes?

Look, pick a bike, any bike; it doesn't matter (so long as it's of decent quality). Whatever you pick, there's going to be some things it's really good at, some things it's pretty good at, some things it will do okay in a pinch, and some things it's not so good at. You might have to swap out tires or a component or two, but most bikes are pretty versatile. There's a lot of overlap in capabilities. The key is to find a bike that does really well whatever you're going to task it with most and does pretty well or at least adequately the things you'll ask of it only occasionally. Everybody falling for the idea that we need a specialized bike for every single cycling task we might have is a marketing department's wet dream.

Some mountain bikes have 700c wheels and some urban bikes have 26 inch wheels.

:)

Don't confuse me with too much information, Sixty! :rolleyes:

- Slim :)

Hybrids tend to look a bit like mountain bikes with road bike style forks and road wheels. The blue bike has 26" wheels, which are common on mountain bikes, but not so common on hybrids (though not uncommon on cruisers), and it has a fork style that is common to mountain bikes. (Note: 700c road wheels and 29er MTB wheels are the same diameter.)

This.

/thread.

Somewhere on the vehicle forums, I'm sure someone is posting the versatility of SUVs. See useless posting isn't unique to BF.

Yep! That's exactly what I figured! ...Nobody knows....

Things have to have names and descriptions and adresses and order. Otherwise, the world is terrible place in which to live!..Wouldn't you agree? :D

- Slim :)

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Hyhuu! :rolleyes:

- Slim :)

Compared to what?

I think my mountain bike is pretty versatile, but I still have other types of bikes. Sixty, I can't get enough of that Moulden, it looks like a fantastic bike!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-q...s800/HS_09.jpg

Don't forget the 29er and 69er.

Your Sierra (89?) is made of pure awesome... the mountain bikes of this era are so nicely designed and yours is a stellar example.

These mid to late 80's bikes were really touring bikes designed to run 26 inch wheels and wider tyres and could be described as ATB's or expedition bikes as they can be equipped to serve as very capable touring bikes that don't mind when the road is not a road.

The Moulden is a '90 and was purpose built for XC racing and single track riding and does not weigh much more than my steel racing bike and was originally equipped with a Suntour XC group... it has seen a lot of use and abuse and is in the queue to be repainted.

When my '87 Cascade was built it was marketed and sold as a mountain bike but has been my dedicated touring bike for many years... I suspect that Schwinn had Kuwahara build it's Sierra's and they also offered a Sierra model.

In later years the Cascade was marketed as an Expedition touring bike but they were not the handbuilt lugged models of the late eighties.

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...11cascade1.JPG

Back in 1985 mountain bikes looked more like this and the Siera Grande here is all original... one can see the touring heritage in these frames what with the very slack angles and very long wheelbases and longer stays.

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...era45front.JPG

Hey there, Chris! That's a Nice sa!

- Slim :)

Slim's head is going to explode...

Thank you, I don't need much prompting to post photos of it ;)

Sixty, mine is a 1987 model. I agree about the touring influence in the early days of MTBs, it seems like the bigger manufacturers (Schwinn, Ross, and Raleigh come to mind) didn't quite know what these bikes would be used for, and I'm grateful for that. That's how I got lowrider mounts and clearance for 2.5" tires :)

must.... Categorize... All... The... Bikes...

Yep!..Remember___!

- Slim :)

This is where the great appeal lies in these mid eighties mountain / all terrain bicycles as their design was so versatile; you can run slicks and road gearing as they usually have the chain stay clearance for larger chain rings or run wide knobbies and low gearing for off road riding and everything in between.

The geometry is well suited for road riding and loaded touring and you can run flat bars, drops, or trekking bars and they can handle some pretty rugged terrain due to their robust construction.

Used to ride my Cascade as a stock ATB and could roll with guys riding modern hard tails and full suspension bikes and most often out climb them and destroy them when the road was straight and flat. The lack of bottom bracket clearance was probably the biggest issue when you were trying to clear larger obstacles like logs.

Once upon a time I only owned one bike (shocking huh ?)... a Trek 6700 hard tail which had two sets of wheels so that I could run slicks for commuting and heavier duty wheels and knobbies for off road racing and weekend carnage. Also had a rack and fenders that could be quickly installed / removed much like the current set up on my Moulden.

My primary commuter is my 1987 Kuwahara Shasta which is also tour and trekking worthy and shares the same frame geometry and colour of my Cascade but is fitted with trekking bars and tyres that are better suited for rougher terrain and urban assaults... I have 17 bikes but that Shasta does the lions share of the work around here.

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...18trailer1.JPG

Yet again, I feel the need to tell you that your bike is all kinds of awesome. The dual roller-cam brakes is just extra special, in a good way.

WAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! :D :D AMAZING!!!!!

don't see too many MTB's in the TDF either do we Slim! :beer:

what kinda tires are these ???

Don't try this at home... or on your CF road bike.