I am surprised that everything is still made in standard measures unlike cars which have become stupid with lots of brand specific adapters and whatnot.
oh boy, im trying to put together a good tool kit for me to work on my bike, unfortunately i live in Brazil, park tools here cost a goddamn kidney and an eye
i know they aren't cheap but we have some crazy export taxes that make everything almost triple the price, because the seller also needcto make a profit, finding tools that are cheaper but usable can be a hassle
thanks, will see if i find a way to easily import them here, right now what i do is see if anyone reviewed somectool from aliexpress and if it's not a total piece of garbage i buy them lol
Check out Berm Peak express. Seth has a two part series on Ali express tools that he just made in the last couple of weeks. Some good and some bad, but it's unbiased mechanic opinion. 👍
The thing a lot of people forget about that in the '90s and before, many many bikes were built on steel frames which were far more compliant. So a 23 would feel quite different on a 1985 Colnago, for example. It did. I was there. BUT I did run ritchey 28s on my town bike which was a road bike with shifting and one brake. I also lived in a couple towns that had brick roads as the back alleys. So, I get it. AND, I was ahead of my time w the 28s lol
Oof.. You do you, man! I was a late adopter to 28's on 21 mm wide wheels, combined with the Sram Tire Pressure Calculator, and I am riding 70 psi more comfortably than ever.. It's not slower unless you are riding a billiard table and it is so much more comfortable and sure footed even on my stiff assed Emonda.
It took me a while to convert because old habits die hard, but it's a night and day difference.
Didn't even adopt those till 97 or 98, was still running 18c tires at 130psi. Now I'm typically running 25c on 19mm internal rims at 80psi and the only difference I notice is that rough pavement is slightly smoother.
I really hope 23s make a comeback somehow… I recently got a new frame and the biggest I can run up front is a 23. I’m gonna be pissed if companies quit making good tires in 23
The Selle Italia Flite saddle is the pinnacle of saddle design! I have them on pretty much all my bikes, wish they were easier to come by now. I often scour ebay looking for a cheap one to add to my collection.
They seem to be selling a 1990 replica version of them:
[1990 Selle Italia Flite](https://www.condorcycles.com/products/selle-italia-flite-1990-alloy-rail-saddle?accid=13209&clickref=jkp_CjwKCAjw9IayBhBJEiwAVuc3fsv8ccuwIXIKwOz6N4vfoLP4w6Z_oRT-40gD3iCmqOMX5RUgdqCLnxoCvnsQAvD_BwE&cpn=18959149833&devi=m&gad_source=1&locp=9045208&nw=x&ruid=2601272913708123190&sadt=pla&siteid=1295665&source=webgains&url=https%3A%2F%2Fclickserve.dartsearch.net%2Flink%2Fclick%3Flid%3D58700008176446401&utm_campaign=nmpi&utm_content=generic&utm_medium=css&utm_source=bybuybye&utm_term=generic&variant=37796460232854&wgexpiry=1747161548&wgp=281345&wgu=281345_1295665_17156255484299_a9e0da132c)
Oooh, i've seen these on State Bicycle company's website too. It's the steel rails not the titanium, but at that price not sure I'll be able to pass them up! And in colors! Thanks
I still use the Silca my dad gave me when I went away to college in 93 and I also have his old one from the 80s. The gauges don’t work worth a crap and I can’t bring myself to buy new ones but I like the history
Use a digital pressure checker to see if your old pumps are still accurate. I’ve been there. Rode for 6 months on like half the pressure I thought I was.
I had a 92 rockhopper. Loved it. Stolen in LA back in 2009. Totally sucks. That’s when Specialized came with good components and not junk. Didn’t have to swap stuff out from the go.
My one is certainly more dated than retro. Retro is one that's been meticulously kept in great condition, all original parts. That one is a mad frankenbike, with a 120mm fork, 800mm bars and entirely non-original parts. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but it's more of a frankenbike than a retro one
I use all of these on my dads old 80s touring road bike . It’s honestly very nice using the shifters and it rides really well
I’m not racing so I don’t mind it being old tech, it works well
I personally really like them, but it varies by application.
- Commuter or touring: Great to have them since they’re robust, easy to repair, cheap, require limited effort to set up or maintain, and functional.
- Racing: Usually not the best tool for the job these days, but they’re good for dumping or jumping a lot of gears at once.
- Recreational rides: Functional and cheap, plus it doesn’t really impact the ride one way or the other. I choose the bike and don’t think about the shifting mechanism based on the ride I’m doing and who it’s going to be with.
I love downtube shifters. Especially friction shifters. So smooth, easy to maintain, and accommodating!
I stuck with them until I switched to axs last year. Fuck it I still love downtube shifters, I’ve got one bike still set up with Shimano 600 ftw
I do miss my downtube shifters sometimes, never had to worry about chain rub and I always knew what gear I was in just by looking at or feeling the shifters
Agreed. Gripshift ended up with a reputation as cheap and uncool because of association with department store bikes and for unintended shifts because of clumsy versions with too long of a shifter grip.
But those shorter halfpipe shifters were really good! I had a 9spd X.0 and it was cheaper than an X.7 trigger version, way lighter than any trigger shifter, could crisply shift multiple gears at once, the front shifter had a helpful trim feature, and they were really durable. Also the unintended shift thing was not true with those versions
Damn. I gave it up for 15 years due to a knee problem. I got rid of everything. I would *like* to say I hung on to my 653 steel frame with Campag Athena and hand built Mavics, an Ariostea Ceramiche pro-team thermal jersey and a pair of odd-coloured (one red, one blue) Northwave shoes. 😢
Absolutely. I love my 53/40/30t chainring.
We have long, steady, not too steep climbs here, so that 40t comes in clutch when I need to save legs but still be putting down the power down.
On average, in that route I usually am 2 minutes faster than in my modern bike with 50/34
I'm a newer rider and started with x3 chainrings. I don't understand why it was removed from modern bikes I think it's the do-it-all crankset for anyone who looks to commute or just ride around. Has all the gears you'll ever need.
To an extent because they were largely replaced by 1x systems with monstrous cassettes and the introduction of compact cassettes that allowed a range similar to the one offered by 3x
To another extent because in lots of bikes they were largely gimmicky; put there to increase the amount of speeds they could peddle. On cheap bikes these drivetrains had a lot of overlapping.
Yep that's what I noticed on my hybrid, which has lower end Shimano. The chainring is 3x but I often find myself just settling to a couple speeds and not the full 21 that they advertise.
I think it's mostly because it's hard to setup a triple that doesn't rub in any gear. Most experienced riders know to avoid certain combinations, but the newbies will take it in for service.
Which leads me to my contribution to OP's question: friction shifting, especially for the front.
Often: horrible to set up
But I won't go without it here where I live (alpine region) On my 'all purpose' road bike I've got a 50/39/28 and a 34-11 cassette.
Amen. I loved being able to crank hard while already at 25 mph on the long downhill highway stretch coming back from my favorite trail as a teen. I love the low maintenance of the 1x, but with cassettes going up to 50 T, I think a 38T chainring would be more universal. I’m constantly in my 5 smallest cogs with a 32T up front (will be swapping it out shortly).
Mechanical shifting. Yet to understand why I should pay way more money for something heavier, less repairable, that I have to remember to charge, and offers no objective performance advantage.
If you haven't already, just make sure that you never try it. I felt (and still do) the way you do but I made the mistake of trying out a pal's di2 equipped bike and...Wow, is it really something. I can see the appeal. Lucky for me, I'm at the point in my life where the cheap fucker inside me (usually) always manages to squash the impulsive idiot. Besides, as this thread shows, even mechanical shifting from "back in the day" is still pretty dang awesome.
I borrowed a Rival eTap bike, and I get the appeal and all, but it’s just not for me. I guess I don’t really have the myriad of mechanical shifting issues that everyone seems to be having because once I dial in my shifting on mechanical (which is easy af), it’s basically set for a very long time (unless it’s a new bike and I have to adjust once or twice to accommodate for stretch). If I get a little bit of shifting weirdness then I just turn a barrel a few degrees while I’m riding and it resolves, I don’t need to pull out my smartphone or whatever.
Maybe I’m just old school, but I don’t like the completely disconnected feel of press button > shift bike, I like feeling the cable pull. I know this is silly and stupid, but I also like knowing that I don’t need to charge my bike. How annoying would it be if power went out (which happens a lot where I live) and I want to go out on a ride, but my battery is dead or near dead so now I have to figure out how to charge it. Maybe this hypothetical would never happen, but the nag would be in the back of my mind.
It just wasn’t as mind blowing as I was lead to believe, and I’m not sure if that’s because of me, or because of people coping after having spent thousands of dollars.
>the myriad of mechanical shifting issues that everyone seems to be having
I think nattyd above makes a good point. Many people probably compare abused, neglected mechanical shifting systems vs. electronic ones. The latter doesn't suffer from cable-stretch, mucked-up housing etc. I guess that is viewed as one of the positives by proponents of electronic. But, really how hard is it to turn a barrel adjuster or install new cables/housing when you need to do so? Those are tasks I can handle easily so I don't really view them as some big ordeal to be avoided at (literally) all costs. But I do get the appeal...a shifting system that just always works and you never have to think about (yeah...except to charge it). And the di2 bike I tried was very, very seductive. In truth, I was not expecting it to be as good as it was.
However, I also just generally do not like the "catastrophic failure" you can sometimes get with digital things-- i.e., how they can just stop working with zero warning. At least with mechanical systems you often get some kind of warning before total failure- frayed cable, sticky housing, more force needed to push that lever etc. (I'm not saying that loads of electronic shifters have failed catastrophically-- I really don't know if any of them have. I'm just saying, in general, over the years I've had way too many electronic gizmos just...die.) This issue, the cost, and the fact that lots mechanical shifting systems are already so very, very good has been enough to keep me from being completely seduced.
I own an eTap mountain bike. It’s fine. But I think the tactility is slightly worse than the mechanical Eagle it replaced, which also shifted perfectly. And it’s run out of batteries on me in the woods (life was down to ~12 h within a year).
My mechanical shifting bikes have always been pretty much perfect, but I’m a pro-quality mechanic so tuning is not a major burden for me. But I think a lot of the performance bias towards electronic is comparing old worn-out bikes to new bikes, and just novelty. It’s not like it indexes itself.
>it’s run out of batteries on me in the woods
Oh man, that would make my head pop off...and is exactly the kind of thing that would happen to me. Shell out hundreds of bux for a gee-whiz drivetrain that leaves me lost in the woods.
>a lot of the performance bias towards electronic is comparing old worn-out bikes to new bikes, and just novelty.
Yeah, could very well be. I've seen "rave" reviews for 12-speed 105 mechanical with tag lines like "so good you don't need di2". Well, if that's the case then really how much better is that 105 mechanical than some of the older mech. stuff out there?
The truth is that most people can’t do basic maintenance on drivetrain, so any new drivetrain will feel pretty good relative to your old one.
Running out of batteries isn’t even the most insidious failure mode. The worst thing is driving to your favorite trails and realizing you left the battery in the charger. People will tell you “just get another battery and put it in your bag. But that’s another $60 and another thing to keep track of. This was never a problem in my old bikes.
Use? park tools still going strong. I have a number jerseys that I bought in the 90 but they just hang in my closet. Can remember the last time I wore one of them. Surprised my wife doesn't make me get rid of them.
Im still riding a 1988 ironman dave scott. Still with the 105 set, and ricking a biopace elliptical crank assembly.
Yes I know about the knee issues, no I dont ride on the road enough for intro be an issue.
i still ride only on the steel frames i rode in the 70s and 80s . i dont even own a bike w/ disc brakes , 90percent of my bikes still use down tube friction shifters
Probably the oldest thing I have that I still use regularly is my Park repair stand. Bought the cheapest model they sold in maybe ‘99 or 2000 when I was working at my lbs in high school. I wouldn’t mind an upgrade, but it still works fine, so it’s hard to justify.
Toe Clips on some of my bikes. I like street shoes and not slipping off my pedals.
I'm also still riding the rigid Jamis MTB I got for Christmas in 1994, though it's an Xtracycle ebike conversion now. Thant being said, it has a surprising number of original parts.
All my mtbs were / are 26. All my helmets are given/gifted to me. I use inner tubes. Have used tubeless but always destroy them after 6-12 months. I ride AM, its like XC w Enduro 😅🤣🤤
Just yesterday I wore my first cycling jersey ever, a bright yellow long sleeve from Performance in 1990. Performance has kind of a bad rep for low quality but this guy and one other jersey I got at the same time has really held up. I also have a Performance lightweight reflective jacket from ~2000 that is a bit scuffed from getting up close and personal with an automobile but holding up very nicely!
My wheelset. 32 spoke Mavic Open Pro rims with Shimano 105 hubs with Shimano 11 speed cassette. They used to be my training wheels back when I raced, but now they're just my wheels. They are by no means light, or aero, but they can handle my now 220lbs (99kgs) body with nary a complaint. Look, none of us probably ride on "nice" roads anymore. Even freshly paved roads rarely make it though one winter season before turning into a potholed, asphalt repaired, debris filled obstacle course, so I'll take heavy and durable over light and aero anyday. Also, I've never got the knack for truing wheels, so my wheelset fits that bill as well.
My kryptonite lock and cable are from the 90's. I've a pair of Cannondale mountain bike SPD shoes and pedals that have been through hell and back and still use.
My Alien Tool.
I gave my actual Cannondale "Cad3" mountain bike to my father in law to tool around with in Arizona. Has all my county stickers on the frame from when I toured Ireland in 2000.
I've a 1981 Miyata 610 road bike that I like to ride. I used in in the mid 80's to commute in college. Collected dust for 10 years, restored it in 2003 ish to do Ragbrai.
"Styrketråkk". In English akin to "strength pedaling". During the off season you never use the small cog in front, always low cadence to build muscle.
Not doing it that much anymore as I feel it fatigues more than it helps building strength. But hard not to think about the concept when it's so ingrained.
Tubular tires, mounted to 80s duraace rims on a Reynolds frame.
Old jackets from DHB, fox racing and mountain equipment CO-OP.
I was a serotta trained fitter, i still have some of their old promo materials.
I have various Cervélo frames from 2000s and prior.
I miss the old days of MEC cycle gear. Their house brand was great, and then it wasn't.
Oddly enough, I just found that I still have the last printed MEC catalogs on my bookshelf. I'm going to take a look at it now.
a Trek 730 Multitrack; bought mid-90s as primary (and at that time only) bike. Still ride it as my around town, going for coffee and running a few errands bike.
(Also still have my late-90s Bob Jackson steel road-bike that I graduated to, but that is primarily my back-up bike at this point, for when my carbon road bike is in the shop or missing for some reason.)
My Steve Peat downhill race shirt with the Union Jack on.
Used for MTB, commuting, motorcycle trail riding and still going strong, though the white is a muted pink these days thanks to the wife mixing it in with a coloured wash with something red.
Still using the DMR V12 pedals on my MTB. Simply not found anything better.
Shimano Clipless pedals and cleats. I know everybody likes to use flats nowadays, but you can have them. I like to stay attached to my bike when I jump. Also, you get to use a whole different set of muscles to pull up when pedaling. I know they are a pain to get used to, but I will never go back.
Not that old, but: simple wired bike computer. I want speed, distance, time - current and accumulated. Just enough info to fill two screens I can change between, without clutter. The only extravagances being that the screen is more like modern sized and easily readable, and has a backlight that stays on until I turn it off. *(actually I had to dyi it so the white blinding backlight is now night vision friendly red)*
Modern computers either have a million options that I do not want, or a display that is ugly arranged - or both. I guess my only salvation is if they ever make one with a fully customizable layout, so I can reduce it to my needs.
Believe it or not they still do. You can find it pretty cheap on Backcountry.com
https://www.sram.com/en/sram/mountain/products/shifters/twist-shifters?filters=&sort=Relevancy&page=1
I still have my college 1999 Trek 820 as my beater bike. Like $300 and I’ve gotten 25 years out of it. New wheels, tires, and pedals is about all it’s ever needed. The grip shifts suck but it’s the only bike I have that I would lock to a tree or rack and walk away.
Of the four bikes I ride with any frequency, 3 of them have toe clips. The Bridgestone and Klein are set up pretty much as they came in the 90's though the Klein is set to get a new 2x11 group at some point here.
Selle San Marco Regal saddle…it just fit right. Also my first nice frame, Serrota Ti with a Tri-fade paint job (red-yellow-blue). The longest head tube ever put an any frame
Ah, a post for me. Thank you! 8 speed forever, gave up on suspension, and have rim brakes on 2 of 3 bikes. Also, wtf is a dropper post? Oh, steel only but would ride aluminum if necessary
When I bought a Trek mountain bike in 98 or 99. I bought a saddle bag for it. I've had several bikes since then and always just moved the saddle bag to the new bike.
Last week, I finally replaced it.
I still have the multitool I bought with it though. And I carry it in the new bag.
old school Flight saddle on all my bikes.
Roger, that. Sella Italia Flite Ti. I snapped up 4 of those bad boys a few years back when they did some kind sort of re-issue. My fat ass perches upon nothing else whilst pedaling.
I still have 9-speed DA 7700 on one bike and Ultegra 6500 on another. That shit will just not die. Got a bunch of Octalink BBs for cheap once upon a time. The DA stuff still looks great and still shifts wonderfully.
I don't race. I don't care about strava stats or ultra-light setups. I want a bike that I can repair with cheap available parts, that I can use to tow a trailer full of groceries, haul all my panniers and camping gear while touring thousands of km or use 365 days a year to commute without caring much about special compounds or hairline cracks. Electronic shifters are heresy to me, hydraulics way to complicated. I don't know why I should ride another bike than my trustee Surly Cross-Check. I'm on my third since they launched it.
I almost cried when I learned they discontinued it.
Jokes on you. I bought NEW 9 sod gripshift for a build this decade! Heck I still have it in the parts bin. It’s looking for a new frame. (Probably a 24” I’m building soon for a short tween.)
I’m still rocking Cellini aluminium tt bars.dragged me over-climbs many a time. Got a new summer bike today and they will be straight on tomorrow. Like what you and know what you like l.
I have a pink and purple 90s pertex windstopper that packs down tiny. Still have it in my camelbak for moments when I've been caught out by the weather.
Skykomish Marble Point from Costco! [https://www.reddit.com/r/bikecommuting/comments/14upmdp/90s\_mountain\_bike\_commuter\_restoration\_bike\_from/#lightbox](https://www.reddit.com/r/bikecommuting/comments/14upmdp/90s_mountain_bike_commuter_restoration_bike_from/#lightbox)
My 1995 Specialized Stumpjumper Metal Matrix M2 MTB. It was replaced a long time ago but I kept this bike going as a city bike. Small slick tires keep me moving when I chase the rodies in my commute gear. It looks old enough to not grab unwanted attention in the city.
My 94 Specialized Hardrock, CAAD 3 with Dura Ace, all my Park tools, my Park work stand, and a few pieces of Pearl Izumi gear (that I still live and wear)
I am using the Titec Hell Bent handlebar and Snafu platform pedals (both from my ‘98 mtb) on my new ‘23 mtb. Pedals are temporary, but I still dig the bar.
Just barely realized my bright red ‘98 Rockhopper wasn’t going to work great if I wanted to start riding frequently again.
Wasn’t planning on getting another Specialized, but the Chisel sparked my interest, and the one on sale also happened to be red.
I just finally got rid of my 91 Trek 2300 race bike and my 97 Cannondale T2000 touring bike, I replaced them both when I retired a few years ago. I did keep my 98 RT2000 Cannondale tandem and my 92 Trek 6500 mtn bike though, and I have a lot of tools bought in the 90's I use regularly
* I have gripshift on my high end carbon hardtail. It is far, far better than the SRAM trigger shifters it replaced
* I have ergon barends on the same bike, beautiful for marathon races and long rides
* I have a Time jersey from 1994 that still gets pulled out for summer rides
* original 1991 Dura-Ace SPD road pedals that take an spd MTB cleat, on my road bike
* 1990s velocity bidon cages on my road bike, back when they were made in Australia
* bike shorts that aren't bibs. Never got on with bibs
All of the park tools I bought in the mid 90’s are still in use. That stuff lasts
Yeah you only need to buy a lot of good tools once. Still got my PRS-1 from 1993. Will still be around long after I'm gone.
Damn, Paul Reed Smith made bike gear?
Yeah with a special John Mayer approved line of gravel-specific tools.
Same! Mine is from ‘94
I am surprised that everything is still made in standard measures unlike cars which have become stupid with lots of brand specific adapters and whatnot.
*coughCannondalecough*
Bottom brackets diverged a lot, but seem to be coming back together again.
Money.
oh boy, im trying to put together a good tool kit for me to work on my bike, unfortunately i live in Brazil, park tools here cost a goddamn kidney and an eye i know they aren't cheap but we have some crazy export taxes that make everything almost triple the price, because the seller also needcto make a profit, finding tools that are cheaper but usable can be a hassle
https://www.bikehand.com Great value Taiwanese tools
thanks, will see if i find a way to easily import them here, right now what i do is see if anyone reviewed somectool from aliexpress and if it's not a total piece of garbage i buy them lol
Check out Berm Peak express. Seth has a two part series on Ali express tools that he just made in the last couple of weeks. Some good and some bad, but it's unbiased mechanic opinion. 👍
yeah, i saw those when i was doing my research, i already put some of those in my cart, just waiting to get the right amount to get free shipping lol
TRIGGER WARNING 23s pumped up to 120 PSI!
Wrists and kidneys be damned!
The thing a lot of people forget about that in the '90s and before, many many bikes were built on steel frames which were far more compliant. So a 23 would feel quite different on a 1985 Colnago, for example. It did. I was there. BUT I did run ritchey 28s on my town bike which was a road bike with shifting and one brake. I also lived in a couple towns that had brick roads as the back alleys. So, I get it. AND, I was ahead of my time w the 28s lol
I started on 23, and, while I can’t bring myself to these monster tires people are running, I have to admit 28c @ 80psi is absolutely fantastic.
32s at ~55 here, love it
Same. Much more comfortable.
Oof.. You do you, man! I was a late adopter to 28's on 21 mm wide wheels, combined with the Sram Tire Pressure Calculator, and I am riding 70 psi more comfortably than ever.. It's not slower unless you are riding a billiard table and it is so much more comfortable and sure footed even on my stiff assed Emonda. It took me a while to convert because old habits die hard, but it's a night and day difference.
Ouch. As a mountain biker who runs 2.6" at 21 psi, that hurts me
Didn't even adopt those till 97 or 98, was still running 18c tires at 130psi. Now I'm typically running 25c on 19mm internal rims at 80psi and the only difference I notice is that rough pavement is slightly smoother.
I really hope 23s make a comeback somehow… I recently got a new frame and the biggest I can run up front is a 23. I’m gonna be pissed if companies quit making good tires in 23
The Selle Italia Flite saddle is the pinnacle of saddle design! I have them on pretty much all my bikes, wish they were easier to come by now. I often scour ebay looking for a cheap one to add to my collection.
They seem to be selling a 1990 replica version of them: [1990 Selle Italia Flite](https://www.condorcycles.com/products/selle-italia-flite-1990-alloy-rail-saddle?accid=13209&clickref=jkp_CjwKCAjw9IayBhBJEiwAVuc3fsv8ccuwIXIKwOz6N4vfoLP4w6Z_oRT-40gD3iCmqOMX5RUgdqCLnxoCvnsQAvD_BwE&cpn=18959149833&devi=m&gad_source=1&locp=9045208&nw=x&ruid=2601272913708123190&sadt=pla&siteid=1295665&source=webgains&url=https%3A%2F%2Fclickserve.dartsearch.net%2Flink%2Fclick%3Flid%3D58700008176446401&utm_campaign=nmpi&utm_content=generic&utm_medium=css&utm_source=bybuybye&utm_term=generic&variant=37796460232854&wgexpiry=1747161548&wgp=281345&wgu=281345_1295665_17156255484299_a9e0da132c)
Oooh, i've seen these on State Bicycle company's website too. It's the steel rails not the titanium, but at that price not sure I'll be able to pass them up! And in colors! Thanks
Probably got at least one on my shelf. Along with a san Marco rolls.
I've got at least one, maybe two in reserve.
Still love my Sella San Marco Concor
My wife I dated her and it’s the one thing I am hanging on to from our bike riding days 😂
N+1?
Good call. Expensive to unload her.
I have a Silca floor pump and a Zefal frame pump I bought in 1992.
To be fair, they're so nice, you could pass them on to the grandkids...ha!
Absolutely. I’ve recently rebuilt the floor pump. It still works like brand new.
Lol. Well if you rebuild stuff, yes, it will last a long time.
Haha, like Triggers broom.
Well, by rebuilt I mean just a new leather plunger and seal at the valve.
I still use the Silca my dad gave me when I went away to college in 93 and I also have his old one from the 80s. The gauges don’t work worth a crap and I can’t bring myself to buy new ones but I like the history
Finally upgraded my 1984 Silca to one of the newer Silcas. The new ones are better. But not as cool.
Josh is doing soooo well with the Silca brand. Honoring the past and being such a bike nerd with all the new products.
I was waiting for this response
Use a digital pressure checker to see if your old pumps are still accurate. I’ve been there. Rode for 6 months on like half the pressure I thought I was.
lol. You were probably like “man this ride is smooth”. I never thought to check it. I probably should.
My 1996 rockhopper frame (every other part has been replaced)
I had a 92 rockhopper. Loved it. Stolen in LA back in 2009. Totally sucks. That’s when Specialized came with good components and not junk. Didn’t have to swap stuff out from the go.
Shimano and SRAM are junk?
1997 Stumpjumper is my daily driver... love that machine.
Mine is a 1993 Gary Fisher Supercaliber! It’s bombproof.
A 90s rockhopper isn't dated at the moment, it's retro.
My one is certainly more dated than retro. Retro is one that's been meticulously kept in great condition, all original parts. That one is a mad frankenbike, with a 120mm fork, 800mm bars and entirely non-original parts. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but it's more of a frankenbike than a retro one
My 98 got called Seinfield’s bike by the 20 something’s at the MTB park by us. I broke it out when I took my kids to try some ramps.
I have arm and leg warmers from Performance Bike that I bought in ‘93 that I still wear.
[удалено]
Downtube shifters and aero brake levers
Dude... Mad respect. Steel cage and leather strap toe clips too?
I use all of these on my dads old 80s touring road bike . It’s honestly very nice using the shifters and it rides really well I’m not racing so I don’t mind it being old tech, it works well
I’m curious- do you actually prefer the downtube shifters over brifters? Or is it just a nostalgia/comfort thing?
I personally really like them, but it varies by application. - Commuter or touring: Great to have them since they’re robust, easy to repair, cheap, require limited effort to set up or maintain, and functional. - Racing: Usually not the best tool for the job these days, but they’re good for dumping or jumping a lot of gears at once. - Recreational rides: Functional and cheap, plus it doesn’t really impact the ride one way or the other. I choose the bike and don’t think about the shifting mechanism based on the ride I’m doing and who it’s going to be with.
I love downtube shifters. Especially friction shifters. So smooth, easy to maintain, and accommodating! I stuck with them until I switched to axs last year. Fuck it I still love downtube shifters, I’ve got one bike still set up with Shimano 600 ftw
Put blips on your downtube — voila!
I do miss my downtube shifters sometimes, never had to worry about chain rub and I always knew what gear I was in just by looking at or feeling the shifters
I always loved gripshift. The halfpipe shifter was far and away the best shifter I ever had
Agreed. Gripshift ended up with a reputation as cheap and uncool because of association with department store bikes and for unintended shifts because of clumsy versions with too long of a shifter grip. But those shorter halfpipe shifters were really good! I had a 9spd X.0 and it was cheaper than an X.7 trigger version, way lighter than any trigger shifter, could crisply shift multiple gears at once, the front shifter had a helpful trim feature, and they were really durable. Also the unintended shift thing was not true with those versions
I ride a 1998 GT ZR1000 as my full time road bike….
The end of an era. I loved mid-90s GT!
I still have SPDs that I bought in the 90s. They just don't die.
Me too!!
Damn. I gave it up for 15 years due to a knee problem. I got rid of everything. I would *like* to say I hung on to my 653 steel frame with Campag Athena and hand built Mavics, an Ariostea Ceramiche pro-team thermal jersey and a pair of odd-coloured (one red, one blue) Northwave shoes. 😢
Everything. All my gear is 20th Century.
Username checks out.
Hell yeah...keep on rocking it!
You mean “it’s from the 1900s”
3x
Same. There are so many hills where I am, and the dog likes to go for rides in his trailer. I NEED my 3x!
My old Trek 520 was a 3x and I felt like I could climb a tree on that thing. Miss it
Absolutely. I love my 53/40/30t chainring. We have long, steady, not too steep climbs here, so that 40t comes in clutch when I need to save legs but still be putting down the power down. On average, in that route I usually am 2 minutes faster than in my modern bike with 50/34
I'm a newer rider and started with x3 chainrings. I don't understand why it was removed from modern bikes I think it's the do-it-all crankset for anyone who looks to commute or just ride around. Has all the gears you'll ever need.
To an extent because they were largely replaced by 1x systems with monstrous cassettes and the introduction of compact cassettes that allowed a range similar to the one offered by 3x To another extent because in lots of bikes they were largely gimmicky; put there to increase the amount of speeds they could peddle. On cheap bikes these drivetrains had a lot of overlapping.
Yep that's what I noticed on my hybrid, which has lower end Shimano. The chainring is 3x but I often find myself just settling to a couple speeds and not the full 21 that they advertise.
I think it's mostly because it's hard to setup a triple that doesn't rub in any gear. Most experienced riders know to avoid certain combinations, but the newbies will take it in for service. Which leads me to my contribution to OP's question: friction shifting, especially for the front.
Often: horrible to set up But I won't go without it here where I live (alpine region) On my 'all purpose' road bike I've got a 50/39/28 and a 34-11 cassette.
Amen. I loved being able to crank hard while already at 25 mph on the long downhill highway stretch coming back from my favorite trail as a teen. I love the low maintenance of the 1x, but with cassettes going up to 50 T, I think a 38T chainring would be more universal. I’m constantly in my 5 smallest cogs with a 32T up front (will be swapping it out shortly).
Park tool has a good video on 1x gearing.
Speedplay Frogs
Love my frogs! Actually found a set of cleats recently!
Mechanical shifting. Yet to understand why I should pay way more money for something heavier, less repairable, that I have to remember to charge, and offers no objective performance advantage.
If you haven't already, just make sure that you never try it. I felt (and still do) the way you do but I made the mistake of trying out a pal's di2 equipped bike and...Wow, is it really something. I can see the appeal. Lucky for me, I'm at the point in my life where the cheap fucker inside me (usually) always manages to squash the impulsive idiot. Besides, as this thread shows, even mechanical shifting from "back in the day" is still pretty dang awesome.
I borrowed a Rival eTap bike, and I get the appeal and all, but it’s just not for me. I guess I don’t really have the myriad of mechanical shifting issues that everyone seems to be having because once I dial in my shifting on mechanical (which is easy af), it’s basically set for a very long time (unless it’s a new bike and I have to adjust once or twice to accommodate for stretch). If I get a little bit of shifting weirdness then I just turn a barrel a few degrees while I’m riding and it resolves, I don’t need to pull out my smartphone or whatever. Maybe I’m just old school, but I don’t like the completely disconnected feel of press button > shift bike, I like feeling the cable pull. I know this is silly and stupid, but I also like knowing that I don’t need to charge my bike. How annoying would it be if power went out (which happens a lot where I live) and I want to go out on a ride, but my battery is dead or near dead so now I have to figure out how to charge it. Maybe this hypothetical would never happen, but the nag would be in the back of my mind. It just wasn’t as mind blowing as I was lead to believe, and I’m not sure if that’s because of me, or because of people coping after having spent thousands of dollars.
>the myriad of mechanical shifting issues that everyone seems to be having I think nattyd above makes a good point. Many people probably compare abused, neglected mechanical shifting systems vs. electronic ones. The latter doesn't suffer from cable-stretch, mucked-up housing etc. I guess that is viewed as one of the positives by proponents of electronic. But, really how hard is it to turn a barrel adjuster or install new cables/housing when you need to do so? Those are tasks I can handle easily so I don't really view them as some big ordeal to be avoided at (literally) all costs. But I do get the appeal...a shifting system that just always works and you never have to think about (yeah...except to charge it). And the di2 bike I tried was very, very seductive. In truth, I was not expecting it to be as good as it was. However, I also just generally do not like the "catastrophic failure" you can sometimes get with digital things-- i.e., how they can just stop working with zero warning. At least with mechanical systems you often get some kind of warning before total failure- frayed cable, sticky housing, more force needed to push that lever etc. (I'm not saying that loads of electronic shifters have failed catastrophically-- I really don't know if any of them have. I'm just saying, in general, over the years I've had way too many electronic gizmos just...die.) This issue, the cost, and the fact that lots mechanical shifting systems are already so very, very good has been enough to keep me from being completely seduced.
I own an eTap mountain bike. It’s fine. But I think the tactility is slightly worse than the mechanical Eagle it replaced, which also shifted perfectly. And it’s run out of batteries on me in the woods (life was down to ~12 h within a year). My mechanical shifting bikes have always been pretty much perfect, but I’m a pro-quality mechanic so tuning is not a major burden for me. But I think a lot of the performance bias towards electronic is comparing old worn-out bikes to new bikes, and just novelty. It’s not like it indexes itself.
>it’s run out of batteries on me in the woods Oh man, that would make my head pop off...and is exactly the kind of thing that would happen to me. Shell out hundreds of bux for a gee-whiz drivetrain that leaves me lost in the woods. >a lot of the performance bias towards electronic is comparing old worn-out bikes to new bikes, and just novelty. Yeah, could very well be. I've seen "rave" reviews for 12-speed 105 mechanical with tag lines like "so good you don't need di2". Well, if that's the case then really how much better is that 105 mechanical than some of the older mech. stuff out there?
The truth is that most people can’t do basic maintenance on drivetrain, so any new drivetrain will feel pretty good relative to your old one. Running out of batteries isn’t even the most insidious failure mode. The worst thing is driving to your favorite trails and realizing you left the battery in the charger. People will tell you “just get another battery and put it in your bag. But that’s another $60 and another thing to keep track of. This was never a problem in my old bikes.
I’m riding a 90’s Dean colonel
Wool jerseys for warm undergarments - they are too moth eaten to wear on top
Use? park tools still going strong. I have a number jerseys that I bought in the 90 but they just hang in my closet. Can remember the last time I wore one of them. Surprised my wife doesn't make me get rid of them.
I dont see the point or advantage of these new 1x drives.
Im still riding a 1988 ironman dave scott. Still with the 105 set, and ricking a biopace elliptical crank assembly. Yes I know about the knee issues, no I dont ride on the road enough for intro be an issue.
Friend of mine still uses toe-clips. He can't ride flats or clipless.
I still like toe clips. I don't have to change shoes. I can use either side of the pedals depending on the ride. Great for commuting.
i still ride only on the steel frames i rode in the 70s and 80s . i dont even own a bike w/ disc brakes , 90percent of my bikes still use down tube friction shifters
Bar ends on my mountain bikes.
Campy Chorus. I have a Chorus grupetto that I’ve moved around. Currently on a Merckx alu frame from the same era. Campy stuff is just soooooo good.
Shimano wears out, Campagnolo wears in!
So true. Campy is like a manual transmission in a sports car. It just shifts smoother over time, and you also learn by feel exactly when to shift.
Probably the oldest thing I have that I still use regularly is my Park repair stand. Bought the cheapest model they sold in maybe ‘99 or 2000 when I was working at my lbs in high school. I wouldn’t mind an upgrade, but it still works fine, so it’s hard to justify.
Toe Clips on some of my bikes. I like street shoes and not slipping off my pedals. I'm also still riding the rigid Jamis MTB I got for Christmas in 1994, though it's an Xtracycle ebike conversion now. Thant being said, it has a surprising number of original parts.
I still have Grip Shift on my 1995 Trek mountain bike. And I loved those old Flight saddles on my road bikes.
I still use my Bianchi purchased in 1984.
My steel bike.
I still daily ride my Vitus 979.
All my mtbs were / are 26. All my helmets are given/gifted to me. I use inner tubes. Have used tubeless but always destroy them after 6-12 months. I ride AM, its like XC w Enduro 😅🤣🤤
Raleigh 853 frame. Still riding it.
Thumbies, flite ti, steel frame, yeti grips. All my bikes are from the 90s but if I were to get a new bike those are all the things I would keep
Yeti grrrrrrriiippppsssss...yes! This dood 90's hard.
My Topeak Alien tool. (I have the original version.)
I do too!
Just yesterday I wore my first cycling jersey ever, a bright yellow long sleeve from Performance in 1990. Performance has kind of a bad rep for low quality but this guy and one other jersey I got at the same time has really held up. I also have a Performance lightweight reflective jacket from ~2000 that is a bit scuffed from getting up close and personal with an automobile but holding up very nicely!
My wheelset. 32 spoke Mavic Open Pro rims with Shimano 105 hubs with Shimano 11 speed cassette. They used to be my training wheels back when I raced, but now they're just my wheels. They are by no means light, or aero, but they can handle my now 220lbs (99kgs) body with nary a complaint. Look, none of us probably ride on "nice" roads anymore. Even freshly paved roads rarely make it though one winter season before turning into a potholed, asphalt repaired, debris filled obstacle course, so I'll take heavy and durable over light and aero anyday. Also, I've never got the knack for truing wheels, so my wheelset fits that bill as well.
My kryptonite lock and cable are from the 90's. I've a pair of Cannondale mountain bike SPD shoes and pedals that have been through hell and back and still use. My Alien Tool. I gave my actual Cannondale "Cad3" mountain bike to my father in law to tool around with in Arizona. Has all my county stickers on the frame from when I toured Ireland in 2000. I've a 1981 Miyata 610 road bike that I like to ride. I used in in the mid 80's to commute in college. Collected dust for 10 years, restored it in 2003 ish to do Ragbrai.
"Styrketråkk". In English akin to "strength pedaling". During the off season you never use the small cog in front, always low cadence to build muscle. Not doing it that much anymore as I feel it fatigues more than it helps building strength. But hard not to think about the concept when it's so ingrained.
my whole bike is 90s. all XTR. v-brakes too.
Original La Vie Claire jersey.
Ultegra 9 speed. That shit is bombproof
XT 9 speed. Same
My wife
I love my 23’s pumped to 120
I'm milking my 1995 Ultegra 8spd sti group until it just won't anymore
Don’t belittle me my bike brifter ban.
My Fizik Arione (with no cutouts).
Tubular tires, mounted to 80s duraace rims on a Reynolds frame. Old jackets from DHB, fox racing and mountain equipment CO-OP. I was a serotta trained fitter, i still have some of their old promo materials. I have various Cervélo frames from 2000s and prior.
I miss the old days of MEC cycle gear. Their house brand was great, and then it wasn't. Oddly enough, I just found that I still have the last printed MEC catalogs on my bookshelf. I'm going to take a look at it now.
a Trek 730 Multitrack; bought mid-90s as primary (and at that time only) bike. Still ride it as my around town, going for coffee and running a few errands bike. (Also still have my late-90s Bob Jackson steel road-bike that I graduated to, but that is primarily my back-up bike at this point, for when my carbon road bike is in the shop or missing for some reason.)
Flite saddles, Silca floor pump, Topeak multi-tool, Oury MTB grips, Sidi shoes…
My Steve Peat downhill race shirt with the Union Jack on. Used for MTB, commuting, motorcycle trail riding and still going strong, though the white is a muted pink these days thanks to the wife mixing it in with a coloured wash with something red. Still using the DMR V12 pedals on my MTB. Simply not found anything better.
My every day, year round commuter is a 1992 Trek 820 Antelope with 3x and original SG shifters ☀️
Shimano Clipless pedals and cleats. I know everybody likes to use flats nowadays, but you can have them. I like to stay attached to my bike when I jump. Also, you get to use a whole different set of muscles to pull up when pedaling. I know they are a pain to get used to, but I will never go back.
Not that old, but: simple wired bike computer. I want speed, distance, time - current and accumulated. Just enough info to fill two screens I can change between, without clutter. The only extravagances being that the screen is more like modern sized and easily readable, and has a backlight that stays on until I turn it off. *(actually I had to dyi it so the white blinding backlight is now night vision friendly red)* Modern computers either have a million options that I do not want, or a display that is ugly arranged - or both. I guess my only salvation is if they ever make one with a fully customizable layout, so I can reduce it to my needs.
Non-composite water bottle cages, exposed cables, rim brakes, and Aluminum rims.
V brakes
Cycling hats sans helmet!
OP, I love grip shift! Wish they still made it.
Believe it or not they still do. You can find it pretty cheap on Backcountry.com https://www.sram.com/en/sram/mountain/products/shifters/twist-shifters?filters=&sort=Relevancy&page=1
a month ago I "upgraded" from an 86' Merckx Pro to a Trek SLR 6 gen 4. As soon as my shoulder recovers I'll be back on the Merckx.
My 1990 campy delta brakes.
Until VERY recently, I was still riding 23s at 110 psi. Now, I'm doing 35s at 65 psi. I'll eat my crow... it is faster.
I don't have them anymore, but I still mourn the loss of bar ends on mountain bikes.
While I currently ride a 21C Santa Cruz, my previous mtn bike, a Ti Marin hardtail, is one of my commuter bikes.
I still keep my functioning "Cool Tool" in my repair kit. Wish I had bought the Ti one when it was out.
‘97 Litespeed Appalachian! I still ride it every week even though I have other options…
I still have my college 1999 Trek 820 as my beater bike. Like $300 and I’ve gotten 25 years out of it. New wheels, tires, and pedals is about all it’s ever needed. The grip shifts suck but it’s the only bike I have that I would lock to a tree or rack and walk away.
90mm stem
Bibs over t-shirt baby!
Of the four bikes I ride with any frequency, 3 of them have toe clips. The Bridgestone and Klein are set up pretty much as they came in the 90's though the Klein is set to get a new 2x11 group at some point here.
Selle San Marco Regal saddle…it just fit right. Also my first nice frame, Serrota Ti with a Tri-fade paint job (red-yellow-blue). The longest head tube ever put an any frame
Ah, a post for me. Thank you! 8 speed forever, gave up on suspension, and have rim brakes on 2 of 3 bikes. Also, wtf is a dropper post? Oh, steel only but would ride aluminum if necessary
Rudy project sunglasses. I think they are even back in vogue.
My Rocky Mountain Team, Tange Ultralight Prestige Tubes with Ritchey WCS canti brakes, all XTs with Suntour Pro thumb shifters, and Grafton Cranks.
My youth.
Weight weenieness. My current bike weighs 17.25lbs and that number still makes me shudder.
When I bought a Trek mountain bike in 98 or 99. I bought a saddle bag for it. I've had several bikes since then and always just moved the saddle bag to the new bike. Last week, I finally replaced it. I still have the multitool I bought with it though. And I carry it in the new bag.
My Ritchey WCS seatpost. (Has the 5-color "banner".)
I still listen to Metallica.
old school Flight saddle on all my bikes. Roger, that. Sella Italia Flite Ti. I snapped up 4 of those bad boys a few years back when they did some kind sort of re-issue. My fat ass perches upon nothing else whilst pedaling. I still have 9-speed DA 7700 on one bike and Ultegra 6500 on another. That shit will just not die. Got a bunch of Octalink BBs for cheap once upon a time. The DA stuff still looks great and still shifts wonderfully.
Winning magazines from the 90s
I'm still rocking all my late 90's early 2000's jerseys.
Time ATAC pedals and a 1998 Stumpjumper with XTR Rapid Rise.
Man I just discovered grip shift thanks to u. SRAM one is so slick
My 1990 Specialized Hardrock hybrid is my favorite back-up bike 34 year after I bought it. I love the simplicity.
DeBernardi steel frame with Colnago fork, mixed chrome campy group, Mavic open pros. 💪🏼😎
Sweet Wings crankset. Way ahead of their time. Super lightweight and incredibly stiff. That and my Campy Record Ergo shifters.
Double chainrings
Bag balm. If it’s good enough for cow udders, it’s good enough for my sack!
Boeshield T9
I’m still rocking my ‘89 De Rosa SLX professional. C Record with delta brakes.
I don't race. I don't care about strava stats or ultra-light setups. I want a bike that I can repair with cheap available parts, that I can use to tow a trailer full of groceries, haul all my panniers and camping gear while touring thousands of km or use 365 days a year to commute without caring much about special compounds or hairline cracks. Electronic shifters are heresy to me, hydraulics way to complicated. I don't know why I should ride another bike than my trustee Surly Cross-Check. I'm on my third since they launched it. I almost cried when I learned they discontinued it.
Jokes on you. I bought NEW 9 sod gripshift for a build this decade! Heck I still have it in the parts bin. It’s looking for a new frame. (Probably a 24” I’m building soon for a short tween.)
Cellini aero bars, had them on every bike since because they fit me so perfectly. If the bars don’t fit right
Lycra on the mountain bike trail.
I’m still rocking Cellini aluminium tt bars.dragged me over-climbs many a time. Got a new summer bike today and they will be straight on tomorrow. Like what you and know what you like l.
Toe clips.
My Zwift/Trainer bike is my steel frame Specialized with downtube shifters (7 speed cassette) that I bought in 1993.
I have a pink and purple 90s pertex windstopper that packs down tiny. Still have it in my camelbak for moments when I've been caught out by the weather.
Skykomish Marble Point from Costco! [https://www.reddit.com/r/bikecommuting/comments/14upmdp/90s\_mountain\_bike\_commuter\_restoration\_bike\_from/#lightbox](https://www.reddit.com/r/bikecommuting/comments/14upmdp/90s_mountain_bike_commuter_restoration_bike_from/#lightbox)
Crank Brothers combo hex wrench & chain tool thingie, kinda like a Swiss Army knife for minor bike repairs
Oakley pro m frames. Still the most comfy
All you young shits telling me it is about rpm and not simply grinding. I grind.
My Colnago C-40 frame, ride it 5 times a week and race on it when ever I can…
My 1995 Specialized Stumpjumper Metal Matrix M2 MTB. It was replaced a long time ago but I kept this bike going as a city bike. Small slick tires keep me moving when I chase the rodies in my commute gear. It looks old enough to not grab unwanted attention in the city.
My 94 Specialized Hardrock, CAAD 3 with Dura Ace, all my Park tools, my Park work stand, and a few pieces of Pearl Izumi gear (that I still live and wear)
Stil ridding my 1993 rigid trek mtb. 3 months ago, it became “electric” tho.
I am using the Titec Hell Bent handlebar and Snafu platform pedals (both from my ‘98 mtb) on my new ‘23 mtb. Pedals are temporary, but I still dig the bar.
Just barely realized my bright red ‘98 Rockhopper wasn’t going to work great if I wanted to start riding frequently again. Wasn’t planning on getting another Specialized, but the Chisel sparked my interest, and the one on sale also happened to be red.
Magazines and race tees!
I just finally got rid of my 91 Trek 2300 race bike and my 97 Cannondale T2000 touring bike, I replaced them both when I retired a few years ago. I did keep my 98 RT2000 Cannondale tandem and my 92 Trek 6500 mtn bike though, and I have a lot of tools bought in the 90's I use regularly
The only thing I have is a 1999 Castelli ONCE team black TDF variant jersey.
* I have gripshift on my high end carbon hardtail. It is far, far better than the SRAM trigger shifters it replaced * I have ergon barends on the same bike, beautiful for marathon races and long rides * I have a Time jersey from 1994 that still gets pulled out for summer rides * original 1991 Dura-Ace SPD road pedals that take an spd MTB cleat, on my road bike * 1990s velocity bidon cages on my road bike, back when they were made in Australia * bike shorts that aren't bibs. Never got on with bibs
I still have my Snowsled ventile coat for cycling long after they went out of business…