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Been away from biking for a long time, whats changed in tech and bike choices?

2K views 35 replies 23 participants last post by  fredcook 
#1 ·
Hi guys.

Im in my 40s now but in my 20s I used to ride my mountain bike every day and on week ends cross country. I had a accident which stopped all that when a car pull out on me at a round about when he should have given way. 2 years later thinking im healed I got a second hand Whyte Prst 4 which is now a classic bike, but that was the last bike I had, but sold that was about 17 years ago maybe more.

Im now in better shape and think Im ready to try again so need a update on whats changed in them missing years regarding whats the best known brands, group sets, and general weight on bikes these days.

Last time I looked Shimano XTR was the best groupset, T661 alloy frames, and my Marin Nail Trail thena Whyte PRST 4 was the lightest bikes Iv owned.

So I you where looking out for a second hand bike what would you regard as being a decent bike either a Hard tail or Full Suspension with having at least from my time a group set of at the XT level, disk breaks, and reasonable weighted? Cant give you a price point as I have no idea what can be got so Im going by my needs rather than costs. It would be a combo on on road but built for track cross country. For reference Im 5.11ft tall as to what frame size id need.

Thanks, Dan
 
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#3 ·
Lol yep its been a while. Iv been looking at the bikes of my day that where available like Marin Mount Vision Pro, Whyte 46. Iv not looked extensively but it would seem Id like to get a second hand bike about under the grand mark maybe, less. A indian Fire trial with a good group set and decent forks would do me but Im a bit behind. When I had a bike its was 26" wheels only, now there are options...

As far as the back goes, I need to look after it as I do have L4/L5 disk bulge history so good posture is important. In my minds eye I want something thats very light weight that I can throw about over a trail but have at least decent suspension forks.

Dan
 
#5 ·
Frame material: Carbon is very popular.

Geometry: Referred to as “new geometry. Lower slacker, longer wheel base.

Wide bars: Some as wide as wide as your driveway. Better for climbing and control while descending, not so good in tight single track through wooded areas.

Gearing: 1/10 - 1/11 - 1/12 Speed

Better suspension designs, more plush fork and shock.

Dropper post: Let’s you get behind your seat on technical descents.

Tubeless tires: Allows you to run lower pressures which in turn gives you better traction.

Larger wheel size: Better for rolling over obstacles and faster.

Other than all that it’s the same sport. Oh, except the trails got easier, many called “flow” trails. More capable bikes easier trails.
 
#7 ·
Frame material: Carbon is very popular.

Geometry: Referred to as "new geometry. Lower slacker, longer wheel base.

Wide bars: Some as wide as wide as your driveway. Better for climbing and defending, not so good in tight single track through wooded areas.

Gearing: 1/10 - 1/11 - 1/12 Speed

Better suspension designs, more plush fork and shock.

Dropper post: Let's you get behind your seat on technical descents.

Tubeless tires: Allows you to run lower pressures which in turn gives you better traction.

Larger wheel size: Better for rolling over obstacles and faster.

Other than all that it's the same sport. Oh, except the trails got easier, many called "flow" trails. More capable bikes easier trails.
You forgot to add heavier.

My current all-mountain bike probably weighs five pounds more than my all-mountain bike from 17 years ago.

EDIT: I'm not really much complaining because my new bike is far more fun and capable.
 
#10 ·
Welcome back, Dan.

To be honest you might need to go test ride some stuff. The evolution of mountain biking has been more than words could describe here. When NORBA racing was no longer the rule that measured all bikes the idea of making bikes more fun took over. I think the biggest difference you'll notice is that bikes tend to carve the turns now with way more momentum than an old XC bike was capable of. The other big change is that pretty much everybody makes good bikes now. In 2000 there were some high end bikes that simply didn't work. Today you might have trouble pinning down the right bike but you mostly won't have to worry about getting a bad bike.
 
#12 ·
Yeah weight:

I didn't buy a bike between 1995 and 2016. I remember thinking that nice MTBs weighed somewhere in the low 20's of lbs. So getting back into biking a few years ago I went to my LBS just to look at one of the better bikes they were selling. I picked it up by the top tube and it felt like it yanked my arm half out of its socket. It took some recalibrating to realize that a 30-32lb trail bike was now light.
 
#17 ·
Yeah weight:

I didn't buy a bike between 1995 and 2016. I remember thinking that nice MTBs weighed somewhere in the low 20's of lbs. So getting back into biking a few years ago I went to my LBS just to look at one of the better bikes they were selling. I picked it up by the top tube and it felt like it yanked my arm half out of its socket. It took some recalibrating to realize that a 30-32lb trail bike was now light.
Show me a bike from late 90's that had 6" of travel and weighs 28 lbs like my current bike.
You can find superlight XC hardtails currently, but they arent what is In demand so you dont see them on the bikeshop floors.
Some other changes, if youve got the money, carbon fiber almost everything. Carbon rims, if your style isnt rim denting, are awesome. I havent trued a rim in five years since, except when spoke nipples broke.
Black spokes for some reason. I like sparkly spokes, but black is what came setup on my wheelsets so thats what i got now.
XTR is still Shimanos top of the line, but SRAM has stuff to compete. Oh, theres electronic shifting too. XT still the workhorse upper level, STX Is excellent performance for less money, and Shimanos finally gotten lower 1x groupsets for tighter budgets.
Oh, and theres this new marketing category called "gravel" bikes. Road bikes that can handle off road. The most aggresive of them can fit XC MTB tires on them and you can ride pretty demanding singletrack with them.
 
#13 ·
So If you where looking out for a second hand bike what would you regard as being a decent bike either a Hard tail or Full Suspension with having at least from my time a group set of at the XT level, disk breaks, and reasonable weighted? Cant give you a price point as I have no idea what can be got so Im going by my needs rather than costs. It would be a combo on on road but built for track cross country.

Thanks, Dan
A road/track cross country bike?

I'm not sure what that means.
Do you just want a hybrid bike for fitness? Are you going to ride roads just to get to trails? Do you want to primarily ride roads and some trails?
 
#19 ·
Thanks for all your replies. That gives some good ideas. What Id do would be ride on the road here and there, but mainly through woods and trails. I dont want a heavy bike, so am now looking at getting a older bike but a carbon frame. One thats caught my eye is a Scott Spark 10, old but quality. Im not sure how much difference a 29" wheel will make but heavy I dont want for sure.

Dan
 
#20 ·
There was a bit of an epiphany in 29er bike design just a couple of years ago. If you care, a newer used 29er might be worth the extra coin.

I had a 25 pound tricked out 26er years ago, when I was younger and at a point where I started timing rides. My 29er is 3 pounds heavier, I'm 20 years older and 20 pounds heavier. My times are much faster now.

Times may not be important, but riding the same speed and using less energy as you get older (without electricity) is.
 
#25 ·
For me, this has been the most depressing change with mountain biking over the past 20 years...which is why I build trails that get comments like this:

"This trail is one big rock garden."
"I've been hoping for several years that this trail would smooth out over time. It seems to have, if anything, gotten lumpier."

Ha!
 
#22 ·
What's changed? Well, they don't make front suspensions like the Whyte Prst 4 had anymore! That was thinking outside of the box! Whyte's first bike, wan't it? They're still making awesome bikes.

Rectro46, I know you said you aren't focused on price, but you may want to prepare for sticker shock. Well... maybe not. Wasn't the Prst a $3k bike in 2003? That'd be over $4k today.
 
#28 ·
The bikes are no longer trying to kill you. Going over the bars is no longer a given every few rides. Sure, they're heavier, but they descend AND climb much better.

Don't buy something more than a few years old. As others have stated, the geometry has been much improved in the last few years and 1x drive trains are now standard on everything.
 
#32 ·
Seems to me that the biggest change has been in the culture itself. Two changes I have seen in the past 20 years:

1- It used to be more about the challenge. Now it is more about the fun.

2- people seem to take the sport and themselves way more seriously than they used to. It used to feel like an anything goes, we-are-all-getting-our-asses-kicked kind of thing. Now it feels more like roadie culture, but with different uniforms.

I realize these two almost seem contradictory. Kinda strange.
 
#35 ·
It used to be more about the challenge. Now it is more about the fun.
people seem to take the sport and themselves way more seriously than they used to.
Yeah, that is contradictory indeed. From what I've experienced, current culture is more the former -- let's go have fun. Maybe it's the people around us that color our perception?
 
#33 ·
I’m kind of in the same situation as OP. I rode and raced back in the 80’s and 90’s, then sat on the couch for 25 years.

I ended up buying a hard tail—a used 2019 Specialized Fuse Comp 27.5+. It’s great. Handles everything I encounter on my local trails and is way better than any bike that was available in 1994. It was a $1,600 bike I bought used for $1,000.

1x11 gearing, dropper post, and Rock Shox Recon fork that is light years ahead of anything available back in the day.


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