5 Reasons to buy a 90s Mountain Bike

in response to @PathLessPedaledTV "5 Reasons NOT To Buy a 90s Mountain Bike"!
nothing against the dude, i just wanted to share the other side's pov!
I love 90s bikes maybe you will too?
let me know what you think!

plz consider supporting here:

[jesusescudero]

Reason 6. The good comunity and people create around it. :)

[thecyclopath]

I see where Rusty was coming from, in that a 90’s mountain bike might not be the best option for the pure consumer, the person who just wants to buy a bike and ride it, and never get his/her hands dirty. The ‘90s mountain bike is so much more than that. For the slightly clever person, an old mountain bike is like a blank canvas, waiting to be be turned into something extraordinary. The frame design is incredibly versatile, allowing it to be turned into almost any other kind of bike. In comparison, most bikes made today will always be….. whatever kind of bike they are now. Rather uninspiring, if you ask me.

[toastyrides]

Yooo thanks for the shoutout, homie!! Haha 🙌 100% 90’s mtb’s are a sweet intro into bikes. They’re so versatile and even if you use them as a stepping stone, they’re wonderful.
For instance, if you notice you put slicks on it and are aching for something faster then you would go for a road bike etc.
Can confirm, retro bikes (or similar “feel” modern bikes) are so so much fun on trails 😍🤙
Awesome video, Gary! Keep it up 😎🤌

[soap]

I tell people I love my 90s MTB. They say, "but technology has come so far since then." I don't care. My 90s MTB gets me out on the kinds of trails I find relaxing and no doubt keeps me off the ones that would try to kill me.

[peterharrer]

One of your best, Gary. You spoke with authority about what you know, reclaiming old mtbs and putting them into service. -- And oh yeah, I've dug up some great rides at city dumps and landfills. Thanks.

[wilyamiyooo]

I got two bikes from my dad who passed away. One he built (a vintage roadbike frame) and a japanese mamachari bike for errands. These made me love the old steel bikes for some reason.

Just bought my 3rd bike - a 90s Bridgestone MTB juet for the reasons you just told. The 90s MTB scene is just bonkers - lots of innovation and experiments, styling and all that. Its really a creative scene evsn back then I think. More reasons to love old bikes.

[markymarknj]

My WHOLE FLEET is vintage bikes! Old school is cool. I have a 1999 Raleigh M30 rigid MTB that I've had since new. I just had it overhauled. I have 1986 Marukin M-420 that I've had since new, but I've had it overhauled twice. My new LBS had a sweet, 80s vintage Cannondale ST500 just gathering dust, so I had the LBS make it like new for me before taking it home. Finally, the LBS took in a Fuji Nevada hardtail MTB in trade, which I bought and had overhauled.

Both of my road bikes have 27" wheels, rim brakes, and downtube shifters. The Marukin's frame is made from Ishiwata 025 ChroMo. It originally had a 2x6 drivetrain, but now has a 2x7; it still has its original Suntour ARx groupset though. The rims were also upgraded during its first overhaul back in 2000 or so. The Cannondale is Al, has a 3x6 drivetrain, and has a Shimano 600 groupset; I'm keeping that original. My M30 rigid has ChroMo main tubes, 26" wheels, a 3x7 drivetrain, and rim brakes. The Fuji has a similar setup, but it's Al and has a suspended fork. I had both MTBs upgraded to removable chainrings. I fitted both of them with Continental Contact Plus City tires. I wanted Continental Town & Country tires, but they're no longer made; LBS said the Contact Plus City tires were the closest match in Conti's lineup.

Why do I like old school bikes? Why do I seek them out? One, their frame geometries, particularly on road bikes, are more versatile; rather than being skewed to either racing or touring, old school road bikes' frame geometries split the difference well. The road bikes have downtube shifters. There's NOTHING simpler or more reliable than downtube shifters-NOTHING! My MTBs (ATBs really, as that's how I use them), have honest, 3x7 drivetrains. I'm not a fan of these newfangled, 1x12 drivetrains-sorry. There's a reason why 3x7 drivetrains have been around for decades: THEY JUST WORK! Plus, you can more precisely dial in your cadence.

Anyway, those are my thoughts. For my kind of riding (fitness and fun mostly), I don't need the latest and greatest for that. Old school bikes are well made and well designed. They look cool. They're setup the way I like-NO 1x drivetrains, thank goodness! They do everything I want to do and then some. Why do I need more than that? Have a nice day... :)

[naf]

I bought an older K2 bike from a local thrift shop and have been working on rebuilding it. I agree with the thoughts of this video. It's not the newest but it teaches you a ton of valuable information about keeping it going and how to maintain it even with used parts.

[SlowDelSol]

Most of us are extremely overbiked for the trails we ride. A standard 90s mtb is essentially a gravel bike of today.

[JohnPilling]

Great points. The rigid 90’s mtb’s like the trek single tracks or specialised hard rocks are a superb base that can be updated when needed. No problem finding 26” rims or tyres.

[generalruler]

How good would it be to see a '92 Rockhopper boosting the road gap at Hardline though

also, Why not both ? I switch between my 80's/90's gems and a new big brand "gravel" bike, one of which has almost identical geometry and no pesky un-diagnosable creaking noise

[leradicideglialberi]

100% agree. I had my first cheap mtb in '89, when for primary school graduation (i was 11 here) and I never stopped to love steel 26" mtb. I'm still buying and fixing them. ANd, as someone else said, they are like blank canvases!

[dan_apeks]

Great video, I still have my first Gary Fisher MTB from when I was 12 years old, bought in 1995, still going strong. Have a few more in the stable alongside it now but it definitely taught me everything I know about bikes!

[gearhead]

My wife and I have a pair of 90's mtn bikes we bought new. Just recently broke them out to try to get back into riding. Almost none of the reasons NOT to buy an 90's mtn bike apply to us. In fact, I'm looking for another one as a backup.

[aestheticcruise]

Great video! I bought a 90s mountain bike early generation soft tail last year. When I found it, at first, it was the colors that caught my eye, then it was the full suspension configuration, and finally, after four and a half hours on the highway to pick it up from an older gentleman, I felt like a kid again swinging a leg over and taking it for a ride, remembering how geniune" the ride felt and not feeling deceived by the expensive full air suspension of modern bikes and disc brakes. To me, 90s mountain bikes have their own distinctive character and offer a ride that makes you feel more connected to the bike and the terrain you are riding on that fancy modern MTBs don't.

[BruceChastain]

also cooler people tend to ride 90s mtb. facts.

[yazzmatazz]

Nice vid, I agree with most of what you said. Like Russ, it took me forever to find a solid chromoly 90s mtb (1997 Brodie Quantum) here in Toronto. Things are way too expensive though and if the bike is in haflway decent shape, the seller will try to slap on a "vintage" price tag on that bike. Besides that, I did learn a lot working on my bike. One lesson I did learn was that it would be hard to find a used non-suspension corrected fork and so I had to bide my time waiting for a good deal on a fork. I also had to put on a wide swept back bar (rivendell tosco bar) out of necessity to make up for the long reach and low stack. Turns out I love that style of handlebars. The bike is cheap enough that I am not too worried about it getting stolen but I like it enough that I am currently stripping the frame and going to repaint it since it had so much chipped paint and rust. Going through the process with a "cheap" bike gives me the confidence to do this again with one of my new bikes.

[BrianMax]

I have a 1997 Trek Gary Fisher Mamba. I bought it used in a pawnshop for $100.00. It's a low-maintenance all-road and dirt machine. The frame fits my body really well, the straight bars give a more comfortable, upright posture. Even though I ride a newer bike daily, I keep the Gary Fisher as a backup.

[ДмитроЗахарченко-жд]

Thank you for this video! Old MTBs have really big potential, especially steel bikes. In modern pre war world utilitarity is priceless.

[thomaseisen]

Awesome video, 100% agree but as you also said it's a thing of experience and the will to learn because there are some things that can be confusing especialy when it comes to differences between older and new bikes and parts . I got a 1993 Steppenwolf Tycoon CS completely rebuilt to more modern components and always people are confused when I say basicly this bike is older than 30 years ! I always advise people to ask for advice if they are not sure which components to use because otherwise it can certainly become a frustrating and expensive experience.