Retro Tech That Changed MTB... And Some That Didn’t!

The history of mountain bike technology has been littered with incredible innovations. Some morphed into the great products we see every day and some became extinct.

With this in mind, we went to the Malverns Classic Festival to hunt down the raddest retro tech and consider how mountain bikes have evolved.

We’re looking back at products that transformed mountain bike riding and paved the way for the components we take for granted today.

We’ll also be looking at some ideas/designs/tech/ that (although amazing) failed to set new trends in MTB.

Which of these products would you most like to try? Let us know in the comments 👇

#MBUKmagazine #MTB #mbuk #mountainbike #mbuktech

Massive thanks to the team from Retro Bike and the Malverns Classic for helping us access these iconic bikes.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:24 Specialized FSR
01:27 Tioga Disk Drive
02:54 Slingshot
03:37 Magura Hydraulic Rim Brakes
05:04 DCD Chain Guide
05:33 Girvin Flexstem
06:25 Elastomers
06:59 High-Pivot Suspension

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[bikeradar]

Worst/favourite retro mountain bike design? 👇

[ThunderStruckMTB]

In 1992, my Rockshox Judy changed the game forever on my previously full rigid GT Avalanche. Then in '93 I removed the elastomers and replaced them with Ti coil springs and added a Risse Gem Cartridge damper too and that forever changed the game yet again. For those of you who only know modern day MTBs, you missed out on some really cool evolution.... you are also spared from riding some really bad - no, horrific bikes and components as well.

[robbiedevine]

1997 Marzocchi Z1 Bomber. Moving from elastomers to coils and oil was mind blowing

[dennisdose]

My 30 year old Cannondale tandem still has Magura hydraulic brakes. Still working great.

[franciscoromano]

Still have my 1995 kilauea with the project 2 fork, but my dream bike back on those days was the Yeti with the lawwill fork .

[mtb]

Love seeing this older tech. Reminds me of flipping through MBaction in the 90s.

[laurabaumgras-pearce]

The mustache is definitely giving Nigel Thornberry and i love it. Anyway, bikes🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[jeffpittman]

I'm still riding vintage and never been happier!

[BestKiteboardingOfficial]

Flexstem we're great, had one on my dave Yates with bontrager rigid forks, it was all you needed for fast xc .

[johnoregan]

Competition trials bikes still use Magura or other hydraulic rim brakes as standard- more powerful than disc brakes and you don’t have as much wheel flex.

[robertpatrick]

I loved my 95 stumpjumper FSR (which was grey and had a steel front triangle)…… it ended up with long travel links made by Chris Porter (before he set up Mojo) & hope mechanically discs….

[pbnjgamin]

Here in Germany, for touring (city) bikes, we still use a lot of Magura rims.

[P.h.i.l.]

I have a Trimble bike and Klein Adroit forrest❤❤❤❤❤❤

[MarcSherwood]

My newest bike is a vintage bike now. In 2006 I bought my Giant Faith 2 and got a season in on it, and then l switched back to MX in my free time. Time to bleed the brakes and get it back to life.

[danieletondi]

The Tioga wheel can be re-maded qith Aerospace spokes right?

[donaldostrem]

I wonder about that toga bike if it will be available in the states. Just a longer specialized FSR with contemporary stuff on it.

[romemancer]

We had monoshock cantilever frame crossrider BMX bikes with comp forks in the mid 70s...Why did it take the MTBs so long to catch up !!!

[Shoorit]

John Tomac has a son, Eli who is an absolute beast on a motocross bike and is known for “beast mode” late in a Moto. Father and son both legends.

Name is pronounced Toe Mac

[dpaterson]

Can’t believe the Xizang had the skewer on the wrong side of the bike… on show…

[roddywallwork]

cannondale front tyre on back to front?