[Harold]

Most of the riders i know ride with others in social groups regularly (and have all sorts of bikes), but practically never attend anything that could be called a 'mtb event'. Me included
With the exception of a couple fundraiser rides a year, if there's going to be a big crowd doing the conga while nuts-to-butts on the trails (my general experience at the 'events' I've been to) , I'm heading somewhere else. 😄

Haven't the slightest clue what a 'tweed ride' is.

Of course, I'm in New England, and people in general aren't so much 'joiners' as they are in other places.

I'm sure that cultural difference from New England makes a difference in how things go.

Most of my mtb event experience is from Indiana, where the bike community was pretty small. Most of the events I was referencing were either club fundraiser events or races where the spectating area is just a big party of sorts. Some of them involved bike rides, too. One ride I did occasionally was an urban full moon ride that was generally more about drinking cheap alcohol by a bonfire under a bridge (or brewery hopping) than it was about riding bikes, but the idea was that everybody attending rode bikes there, and they all ride whatever they've got.

The tweed ride I was referencing is similar to this:

Tweed Run - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

it's basically a British version of this:

EROICA - The beauty of fatigue and the thrill of conquest | L'Eroica

Eroica. Eroica Gaiole, Eroica Montalcino, Eroica Dolomiti, L'Eroica, Nova Eroica, Eroica Britannia, Eroica Limburg, Eroica Germania, Eroica Hispania, Eroica California, Eroica South Africa, Nova Eroica South Africa, Eroica Japan.

eroica.cc

Where I live now, there's a bit less of those sorts of things, but more people ride bikes in general. It seems that most people have smaller groups that they tend to ride with or they are mostly solo riders. Haven't met any people here that I'd call retro grouches yet, so I dunno where/how they fit in with the local cycling community.

There's one bike org in town that does a few themed social & casual urban rides throughout the year. I've done a few of them, and they're generally a "run what you brung" sort of thing.

 

[sgltrak]

To many in the local bike community I am the retro-grouch in our area, not so much because I am grouchy or a loner, but because I continue to ride old stuff and tend to avoid the newest and latest bikes and tech. It is safe to say that I am the exact opposite of an "early adopter." Whenever friends see nice quality older bikes for sale online they send me the links, and when they move on to the next great thing they often sell or give their old stuff to me.

Though we have numerous great LBS in our area, I rarely step foot in a bike shop. I don't race, but I do participate heavily in the bike community in informal group rides, as local bike patrol and advocacy with local land agencies, doing trial maintenance, and with setup and course marshalling and sweep for races and events. I do ride solo a lot, but mostly because my schedule is pretty random and my rides are usually on short notice as I find a break.

 

[milehi]

Sortof, I guess. The folks I ride with just ride what they like. Some have frames they like that they rebuild how they want and change bits here and there on. Others just buy whatever and ride whatever they've got. Nobody I ride with is full retro grouch about anything, honestly. They also don't tend to swear by all modern all the time, either. They usually have a mix of stuff from the super simple to the ultra modern. Haven't run into too many people who are full retro grouch that socialize much with other bike people, at least those who aren't also retro grouchy.

When I worked at shops, the retro grouch folks didn't tend to hang out on the sales floor. They might hang out with the wrenches and talk old Schwinns or whatever, if one of the wrenches was really into old bikes.



Odd, because the two 9spd bikes I last had in my garage were QR on both ends. Both with XT or better drivetrains. And even the gravel bike (2x10) I still have in the garage is QR on both ends.

My bikes from the mid 2000s. All the front axels were 20mm, then 15mm. I've always used bolt on rear axels since from King and Hope.







king and hope

And then you also have people like me and others I know (and I'm sure you do as well), who have been riding, building bikes and trails for decades, owned scores of bikes (many of them $$$$) and have simply learned over the years that a lot of what the sales guys and hordes of online magpies get all excited about simply doesn't matter all that much to us.

Exactly. Just because the industry says you need a 90 degree seat tube angle doesnt make it true.

 

[Harold]

My bikes from the mid 2000s. All the front axels were 20mm, then 15mm. I've always used bolt on rear axels since from King and Hope.

What you think is the rule isn't necessarily the rule. I had a Diamondback with a 9spd Deore drivetrain in 2000. QR wheels on both ends. In 2003, I had a Specialized Stumpjumper FSR with a 9spd XT/XTR drivetrain. QR wheels on both ends. My wife had a 2010 Santa Cruz Blur XC Carbon with a full XTR groupset (used) and it had QR axles on both ends.

SOME bikes had thru axles back then, but they weren't all bikes. Not by any stretch. And entry level bikes STILL come with QR axles (and will do so for many years to come).

 

[milehi]

Hmm. I don't know. 9 speed came out in 1999 for XTR. 15mm through axles emerged 2008 ish. Prior to that it was QR or 20mm?
went with a 15mm 44 RC3 Ti a year later

What you think is the rule isn't necessarily the rule. I had a Diamondback with a 9spd Deore drivetrain in 2000. QR wheels on both ends. In 2003, I had a Specialized Stumpjumper FSR with a 9spd XT/XTR drivetrain. QR wheels on both ends. My wife had a 2010 Santa Cruz Blur XC Carbon with a full XTR groupset (used) and it had QR axles on both ends.

SOME bikes had thru axles back then, but they weren't all bikes. Not by any stretch. And entry level bikes STILL come with QR axles (and will do so for many years to come).

I ran a Marzocchi Z1 Light ETA with a 20mm through axle from 2006 to 2010, then a Marzocchi 44 RC3 Ti with a 15mm axle. That bike has had 9s XT with a 34t ring from the beginning. It was my trail bike but also my Super D and later, my Enduro race bike. It's also had a dropper post since 2006. I bought the post straight out of Gravity Droppers van at the Downiville Downhill that year.

My SS XC bike has a QR on the front and V brakes lol.

 

[Harold]

I ran a Marzocchi Z1 Light ETA with a 20mm through axle from 2006 to 2010, then a Marzocchi 44 RC3 Ti with a 15mm axle. That bike has had 9s XT with a 34t ring from the beginning. It was my trail bike but also my Super D and later, my Enduro race bike. It's also had a dropper post since 2006. I bought the post straight out of Gravity Droppers van at the Downiville Downhill that year.

My SS XC bike has a QR on the front and V brakes lol.

What you had doesn't really matter.

Any bike with 9 speed should have a 15mm through axle.

Because this is not true.

 

[milehi]

What you had doesn't really matter.



Because this is not true.

I suppose different regions have different set ups for local conditions. The last full suspension bike I had with a QR fork was in 98 but I lived in the PNW crawling through wet rainforest. It's way more high speed here and weve been running through axles since they became a thing.

 

[Harold]

I suppose different regions have different set ups for local conditions. The last full suspension bike I had with a QR fork was in 98 but I lived in the PNW crawling through wet rainforest. It's way more high speed here and weve been running through axles since they became a thing.

It's more "what bikes sell" regionally. prowl a bike shop sometime and count how many thru axles you see on bikes that cost less than 1k. And how many you see on bikes that cost around $500 give or take.

even after 15mm thru axles were available, they didn't become pervasive on even high end xc bikes immediately. I lived in the midwest then and thru axles weren't things that riders were clamoring for. they existed if you wanted them, but most riders there didn't care, so shops didn't prioritize stocking bikes with thru axles. it wasn't until qr axles were simply unavailable in a particular bike that shops stopped stocking them. in the midwest, a lot of people still ride 100mm travel xc bikes. and the less expensive ones are still sold with quick releases (and some of those have 9spd drivetrains).

this irritates the hell out of me sometimes about old riders. a lot of them have lost touch with beginners and entry level bikes. and they give horrible advice as a result.

 

[milehi]

It's more "what bikes sell" regionally. prowl a bike shop sometime and count how many thru axles you see on bikes that cost less than 1k. And how many you see on bikes that cost around $500 give or take.

even after 15mm thru axles were available, they didn't become pervasive on even high end xc bikes immediately. I lived in the midwest then and thru axles weren't things that riders were clamoring for. they existed if you wanted them, but most riders there didn't care, so shops didn't prioritize stocking bikes with thru axles. it wasn't until qr axles were simply unavailable in a particular bike that shops stopped stocking them. in the midwest, a lot of people still ride 100mm travel xc bikes. and the less expensive ones are still sold with quick releases (and some of those have 9spd drivetrains).

this irritates the hell out of me sometimes about old riders. a lot of them have lost touch with beginners and entry level bikes. and they give horrible advice as a result.

Everybody here in Southern California was on through axles ASAP, unless they were a weight weenie XC guy. My trail bike in 2002 was a six inch Titus Quasi Moto with a triple crown Super T. I remember showing up to the 1998 MTBR Fruita Gathering with a Rocky Mountain DH Race as my trail bike. Some were scratching their heads.

 

[Harold]

Everybody here in Southern California was on through axles ASAP, unless they were a weight weenie XC guy. My trail bike in 2002 was a six inch Titus Quasi Moto with a triple crown Super T. I remember showing up to the 1998 MTBR Fruita Gathering with a Rocky Mountain DH Race as my trail bike. Some were scratching their heads.

so what?

 

[milehi]

so what?

We were looking at every advantage to go faster. Stick with your QRs riding flat flyover country. Yawn.

 

[Harold]

We were looking at every advantage to go faster. Stick with your QRs riding flat flyover country. Yawn.

So you're grumpy that I called you out for being wrong that all bikes with 9spd should have thru axles, so you're going to insult everybody that doesn't live on one of the coasts?

 

[KobayashiMaru]

Not to sidetrack a side conversation... I thought I would share my most recent purchase.

It's a 2010 Jamis Coda Elite, all original, except for the pedals (I think) and the tires. It's got a Reynolds 520 steel frame, carbon fork, Deore shifters, hubs, and front derailleur, XT rear mech, Mavic A119 32 hole rims, Avid BB7 mechanical disc brakes with 160mm rotors, Avid levers, FSA 48/36/26 cranks with an 11-32 9 speed cassette, and two new 32mm knobbies.

I've already bought a used Thomson seatpost to replace the suspension affair (boat anchor) and I'll be picking up a wider bar (the stock one is 7 inches more narrow than my hardtail!) and maybe a nicer saddle. The stem is a bit odd, being a proprietary shape to match the proprietary steerer (?) which lets you raise it and lower it several inches depending on your tastes, and the rear triangle won't fit a 38mm tire, (probably stuck with a 32 back there) but the front fork will fit a 38mm knobby. Besides that, it's a solid bike.

I've been trying to find a trail worthy hardtail around the 1400 to 1600 dollar mark, and nearly bought a 3 year old carbon frame model in pristine shape with a new wheelset, fork, and SLX 12 speed drivetrain for $1,500, but I really don't need another hardtail of that caliber. I just wanted another bike so I could always have one in my 18 wheeler when I'm on the road, and although I do make it through interesting places like Chattanooga and Rogers, Arkansas from time to time, 90% of what I would do with a bicycle I keep in my truck will be on the pavement, so this bike fits my needs and saved me well over a grand. I can tote one of my real mountain bikes if I get to go to cool places, since I'll know I'm going there in advance.

Snagged it for 170 bucks. Original retail, depending on the source, around $1,100.

I figure it's an appropriate price for a bike from the era. Well... I would have preferred to pay $20 less, but hey, sellers have to make money I guess.

 

[milehi]

So you're grumpy that I called you out for being wrong that all bikes with 9spd should have thru axles, so you're going to insult everybody that doesn't live on one of the coasts?

Well, left coast. Everything mountain bike starts here and always has.

 

[milehi]

View attachment 1914112

Not to sidetrack a side conversation... I thought I would share my most recent purchase.

It's a 2010 Jamis Coda Elite, all original, except for the pedals (I think) and the tires. It's got a Reynolds 520 steel frame, carbon fork, Deore shifters, hubs, and front derailleur, XT rear mech, Mavic A119 32 hole rims, Avid BB7 mechanical disc brakes with 160mm rotors, Avid levers, FSA 48/36/26 cranks with an 11-32 9 speed cassette, and two new 32mm knobbies.

I've already bought a used Thomson seatpost to replace the suspension affair (boat anchor) and I'll be picking up a wider bar (the stock one is 7 inches more narrow than my hardtail!) and maybe a nicer saddle. The stem is a bit odd, being a proprietary shape to match the proprietary steerer (?) which lets you raise it and lower it several inches depending on your tastes, and the rear triangle won't fit a 38mm tire, (probably stuck with a 32 back there) but the front fork will fit a 38mm knobby. Besides that, it's a solid bike.

I've been trying to find a trail worthy hardtail around the 1400 to 1600 dollar mark, and nearly bought a 3 year old carbon frame model in pristine shape with a new wheelset, fork, and SLX 12 speed drivetrain for $1,500, but I really don't need another hardtail of that caliber. I just wanted another bike so I could always have one in my 18 wheeler when I'm on the road, and although I do make it through interesting places like Chattanooga and Rogers, Arkansas from time to time, 90% of what I would do with a bicycle I keep in my truck will be on the pavement, so this bike fits my needs and saved me well over a grand. I can tote one of my real mountain bikes if I get to go to cool places, since I'll know I'm going there in advance.

Nice pick up. 18 wheeler?

Snagged it for 170 bucks. Original retail, depending on the source, around $1,100.

I figure it's an appropriate price for a bike from the era. Well... I would have preferred to pay $20 less, but hey, sellers have to make money I guess.

Nice pick up. 18 wheeler?

 

[KobayashiMaru]

18 wheeler?

That was an awesome song. I listened to it three times just now. If the rest of their music is anything like that, I have no idea how I've missed those guys. I'm 44 years old and I haven't even heard of them.

 

[milehi]

That was an awesome song. I listened to it three times just now. If the rest of their music is anything like that, I have no idea how I've missed those guys. I'm 44 years old and I haven't even heard of them.

Listen to the entire album.

 

[slapheadmofo]

Listen to the entire album.

Listen to the entire catalog.
30 years worth of solid East Coast rock.

As usual, Cali might get more attention from the masses, but the East keeps it real.