You probably just think they're cool because you're a youngster who thinks dressing like in seinfeld is new and hip and undiscovered. You don't know *why* they're cool, it's just an exotification of a time period you never experienced.

>>1993029
not many things

>>1993030
get a load of this dork. a cautionary tale. don't be a cynical faggot.

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90s road bike

>>1993029
Me banging your mom

>>1993029
Your pic doesn't showcase MTB's coolness, it shows how 90's PEUGEOT bikes were based.

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Rigid steel 29ers.

>>1993066
>almost 2000 quid for 4130 cromo
ruddy hell

>>1993029
Yes, gravel bikes. Lighter, nimbler, faster.

>>1993089
Grabel bikes are the hybrids of the 2010s and 20s - combine the worst aspects of mtb and road bikes with upsides that don't matter for casual riders.

90s mountain bikes with road tyres

>>1993095
Actually they are better 90s MTBs. They got the upsides that matter to casual riders, i.e. they are light and you can go fast over "rough" terrain.

>>1993066
yessir. for me it's 2020's ATB

>>1993030
needing to know WHY something is cool is peak UNCOOL brotha

>>1993144
I already know why it's "cool" though. Also I am way too old to impress gen alphas and their big wide pants legs and high pleated waists.

>>1993089
sovless

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We used to say 90s mtb is peak versatile.
Rigid 90s mtb is fun to ride hard on gentle trails. More fun than a 'better' bike and potentially faster. But it's a hyper specific niche of exotic bikes that have been overhauled.

Riding trails you quickly get to the point where you want suspension & discs. Really anything where you ride down any big hills. I like climbing more than descending from being traumatized over the years by shitty old bikes. If only i could just ride up the hill is something i often think.
A 7 speed XT mech goes bananas slapping the chainstay over roots.
I've never had one but i imagine a dropper is a gamechanger.
I want something like pic rel.

A retro mtb is like people who buy a hybrid and then try to get into road cycling. The bike is fun, approachable and can be fast for what is is, but it's categorically outclassed by a serious bike, and the serious bike doesn't have to be an insane price.

Genuinely good condition nice 26 rim wheelsets are at this point hens teeth so a nice build is several hundo on custom wheels. I'm not a fan of the cookie cutter 'ok' hardrock tier cromo frames with cheap-ish 1x v brake builds, or most midschool.

Tire selection for 700c has exploded. 30-35 tires can be had cheaply as ~45 is more trendy.
Those road and gravel tires are the highest spec most modern thing being sold today. 26 doesn't compare. Half the 'good' 26 tires even are like dragging through mud. Tires are the single most important component on a bike.

Other than that its utility just lies at the poverty end, with perfectly doesn't not work old shitters but to anyone enthusiastic who is investing their interest going for poverty base projects is a huge mistake and any bike that is actually in good condition will ride better. As for would most normies lives be improved by a rigid 90s mtb to haul shopping or take instead of an uber, it would immensely.

You're also with classic mtbs, classic bikes generally, looking at solving the problems of poor braking and narrow gearing.
It's doable but when you look at many of these extremely expensive old bikes which people are going on and on about how good they are, they don't even try.

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I like all the bikes, the modern bikes, the old bikes, the weird bikes.
I like the principles of what a 90’s mountain bike is today, economical, simple, reliable, understandable. But I also like external bottom brackets, 1x10, disc brakes, etc.

I don’t think any are inherently better than others.
Any bike is better than a pickup truck.

>>1993146
ok boomer

>>1993209
>extremely expensive old bikes
not my problem
>t. sub 100usd bargain hunter

>>1993072
Branded steels are mostly a marketing gimmick. Higher quality steel is stronger, which means you can use less of it resulting in a lighter frame. It won't ride any better than the most basic cromo, assuming the builder knew what he was doing.
Stainless is a separate topic.

>>1993265
Nta but tell me about stainless, how would that ride, exactly and why is it so rare when you see ti everywhere now

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>>1993271
Not the anon you asked but stainless is kind of a really shit material. Sure it has a corrosion resistence in exchange for extremely brittle metal. The lowest grades of stainless steel has lower strength than higher grade aluminum alloys. What's the point of stainless steel when it's heavier, weaker, and less corrosion resistant than aluminum? If you want a premium metal, then it's titanium or exotic alloy.

>>1993291
It's cheaper and more plentiful. Also way stronger, not sure what you're looking at to make you think otherwise.

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>>1993208
What do you consider a 'good tire' that isn't available in 26?
Really the only downside is they aren't as wide as 650b but you run into clearance issues on old frames anyway.

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>>1993208
race king protections come in 26 inches

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>>1993298
holy moly that's some hot ass tire. Bless continental.

>>1993302
what an amazing tire that is. I have a set going 7000km of gravel now and the front could do another.

>>1993208
total bullshit about the tires. Schwalbe has excellent 26er offering, so does Continental. Vittoria has Mezcals which are amazing. I ride the exact same tires with my 29er as with my 26ers. They are cheaper too, I just bought a set of 29er Race Kings for 110 euros, for 26er it was 70 euros.

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>>1993298
needs a fork upgrade

put drop bars on a decent 90 mtb and you instantly mog the grabbel-tards

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>>1993351

>>1993352
just your average cleft palate grabbel rider with melty spokes

>>1993367
or is that actual 90s photography lol

>>1993368
1986

>>1993298
What the fuck is that stem, it's like half hist top tube.

>>1993374
>he doesn't know
it's a 90's mtb thing.
Pretty awesome if you want a riser stem for your road bike too.

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>>1993374

>>1993066
29ers are for lanky asses and are impractical modern garbage
if i was a racerfag or really tall i would tho

>>1993351
drops just look cool flats with bar ends mogs in actual riding

>>1993422
Grant tier cope.

>>1993368
no?

>>1993374
old bikes had spicy geometry
too spicy for gravelfags or modern mtbfags

>>1993426
kys i had a 29er i hated it
i had a 27.5 too it was meh
26 for life and im sick of disk brakes too
at least we can agree suspension is over rated

>>1993431
Well yeah they're for fully developed adults. If you're child-sized, you'll probably feel better on a child-sized bike.
Also nobody hates dick breaks unless they only rode a supermarket BSO with cable discs.

90s MTB geometry is shit.
Shit on mountains
Shit on roads
Shit for touring

Yeah. Okay have fun on eBay and Instagram you hipsters

>>1993429
>spicy geometry
You mean shit geometry. Like we need to ride in the Superman position with the longest slug mode chain stays on earth grabbing on to a straight piece of tube 5" below saddle height on a 140mm stem. Yeah GREAT GEOMETRY uncomfortable AND slow. Wow SO SPIC

>>1993265
>mostly a marketing gimmick
>well, the only advantage is they're lighter
yeah, that's why they're better. that's not a "marketing gimmick", that's genuinely better.

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>>1993307
what tires would you (or any anon) suggest for this bike. it came with Miyata branded tires (I'm assuming panaracer?) and they're still rideable but I want something that will squeeze as much offroad performance out of a rigid machine. it's not doing any roads or for gravel/hardpack, it's for dedicated off-road as gnarly as it can handle without sus.

>>1993433
cable disks are the better disk brakes unironically
ive had 5 bikes with disks now and im sick of them desu
yes they have advantages no they arent worth it
theres nothing wrong with vbrakes or cantis
>child sized
you again ugh

>>1993435
>>1993437
its based
compact
nimble
good uphill
fun
>wwaaaaahh but muh ownhill waahhh

>>1993442
now this person should in fact be riding a 29er

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>>1993297
Anon was asking about stainless steel. Regular steel is good but stainless is the opposite of everything you just said, it's kind of a garbage tier metal. Stainless steel is weaker, less corrosion resistant, and more expensive than aluminum. On top of that, it sucks to work with because it gums up machine work and brittles at the welds, not to mention it's already a brittle weak metal. Then to top it off, it has the density of steel without the benefits of exotic carbon steel alloys. Stainless is shit. Stainless steel only wins against aluminum in high heat applications where aluminum softens.

>>1993442
Classics are maxxis dhf's. Older and cheaper and kenda nevegals.
IMO just look for chunky 26in tires with big knobs.
Wider spaced knobs that are tall are better for the mud. Closer spaced knobs that are a little shorter are better for rocks, hardpack, sand, etc.
Measure, but I bet you can only get 2.25 or 2.3in tires as your max size.

>>1993442
looks like tyre clearence could be an issue how wide are the current tyres?
i quite like cheap shwalbe / impac or continental tyres
go for 1.95s and what kind of knobs or tread pattern to go for depends on what sort of offroad you mean
if you mean mud grass and wet stuff go for big spaced out knobs
if its dryer terrain get smaller closer packed knobs
cant tell if youve got a quick release seat clamp but if not get one
get some kind of metal bashguard for the chainrings or replace the biggest cog with one
if you ever find yourself pushing the bike uphill then you should look into drivetrain upgrades like a bigger cassette or smaller chainrings
thats about as much as you can do on a basic ol rigid bike before things start getting silly and expensive like dropper posts replacing forks stems bars cranksets and stuff
your cantis need some work btw they dont look right to me

>>1993095
i'm nocar and gravel bikes are the best if you are serious about only using bikes for travel. Rigid MTB a close second but drops are better than flats for long distances.

>>1993422
i'm a manlet and 26 feels toylike to me

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based? based on what?

>>1993511
>mavic equipped
/rare/
well, besides rims.
Wished they didn't fail like the did.
>based on what?
just is.
>>1993422
As a KOM(5'11) I love all tire sizes.

>>1993448
>Not making bike frames out of 17-4 stainless
who let the poors use 4chan

>>1993445
>I'm sick of maintenance-free superior braking power
>I prefer a solution objectively worse by every possible metric for reasons I won't get into right now because there are none
Just say you're poor and can't afford anything other than a 30 year old beater.

>>1993453
haha manlet hahahahha just take your pills cutie hahhaaa
i had to mount my big black 29er hardtail like a horse
was pretty nice feeling tall when i was on it tho i could see into the suvs to see who was on their phone and see over the roofs of the "crossovers"
getting it in a car or house or bus or train or parking it was just frustrating though
and it was heavy
the wheelbase was really long too on top of the wagon wheels
and the suspension fork that thing was heavy too
yes it was fast but it wasnt worth it
it was hard to manuever at low speeds on techy terrain too
chromoly 26er shitbox i can just throw around wheevrerver i want and it just werks
>>1993511
based on sex i would like to have sex with ur bicycle sir
unless its another reddit picture
bread on seat pls
i love gts tho ive almost bought an old gt like that so many times
what are those brakes?
some hydraulic rim brake thingys?
>>1993570
ive owned alot of bikes in my life lol
ive tried prettymuch every wheel size at this point
not wheel witdths though still no fatbike or road bike
>>1993570
nothing is maintenance free
name the exact reasons why its worse and if you say muh braking power i will gouge my eyses out
there are correct answers to exactly when and why disk brakes are actually better btw
but honestly theres nothing wrong with vbrakes they work fine and work forever
i rly like cantis too
bb7 with a speed dial lever is the only good disk brake btw
its cheap and it werks and it doesnt have the shimano curse

>>1993373
So we had htis before?
Is gravel...reinventing the wheel?

>>1993029
90s MTBs are the worst of everything

shit cramped geometry with no stability or comfort that is shit for MTBing and shit for riding around on
shit small wheels that are uncomfortable and have limited tire selection
shit brakes
shit gearing
90% is shit hard as a rock thick walled Tange tubing

they have cool paint jobs sometimes
thats about it

>>1993574
yes
>>1993575
>limited tyre selection
what?

>>1993574
wait until u find out bikepacking was a term coined in the 70s

>>1993029
the state of this board every thread about old bikes gets filled with gravelshills seething

>>1993574
Gravel bikes existed for ages as monstercross before the industry rebranded them.

>>1993589
interdesting

>>1993589
"Monstercross" co-insided with gravel bikes, both were mainstream market demographic by 2012-2013

Monstercross came about by people putting bigger tires on CX bikes for US CX racing since you're allowed to use wider tires than typical rules for European CX which has a 33mm limit and the bigger tires help a lot.

CX had a lot of hype 2009-2014 ish then died
Now not many brands even still make CX bikes

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>>1993575
>90% is shit hard as a rock thick walled Tange tubing
good thing mine's not lol

>>1993575
>worst of everything
no, those are BSO's
>cramped geo
huh? most have tall top tubes and short head tube/seat tubes. So just get a riser stem.
Tons of 120-140mm stems out there.
Threadless 1in is fine too
>small wheel that are uncomfortable
pressure+skill issue
>limited tire selection
marketing. There are still decent tires out there, it's not fucking 650c or 27in.
>shit brakes
skill issue
>gearing
lmao, it's the most versatile normal gearing you can get. Super easy gears for hills, decent gears for flats. If you want more flat speed they made 48th and larger chainrings for the 110 bcd. I even have tandem spec 56+rings.
>90% hard as a rock tange tubing
2.0 tires solve that issue. Also just get a nicer one.
Just go tange prestige, ritchey logic, etc.
>>1993602
miyata STB was known to be thicker then most normal double butted tubing, but if you are the big boi with the tall frame you want thicker tubing anyways.

>>1993604
>thicker
ok, but then what was the point of triple butting if it was going to be thicker than double butt anyway.
but yes, I'm the tall boi bike up thread

>>1993606
I meant mostly thicker on the ends where it needs to be stronger, and still reasonably thin in the center.
This makes a stiffer frame that can cope with more.
At least this is what I have heard from the miyata posters on other forums.
Remember, the bigger the rider and frame the stiffer you want the frame to be, up to a point for mild trail riding/road.

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>>1993029
Nope

>>1993575
wut
i have never ridden a more stable/comfortable bike than a lwb rigid mtb with drop bars

>>1993351
Kek ok poorlet.
Have fun with your short toptube, 26inch kids wheels made from fucking steel or aluminium. Also old groupsets suck mayor balls.
Any modern beginner gravel bike mogs all, even roadbikes from the 80s-90s-00s.

>>1993619
Looks cool but how fucking smol are you? Looks like youre under 150cm

>>1993645
who cares, no SOVL in those new bikes

>>1993646
Nah, bout 156cm m8, bike is comfy. Top tube about the same as my 56cm crux

>>1993662
based lil lad

>>1993619
how's the chainline

>>1993619
What made us such pussies that we don't paint bikes like this anymore.

>>1993573
lurk moar

>>1993645
it sounds like you've never had a 90s mtb and are getting your opinions from other people on the internet.
what non bso mtb ever came with steel wheels? I got a low end Raleigh Tactic in like 1990 and it had alu rims. every bike in the shop did.

>>1993662
that bike is flavor. that metallic purple and green fade is one of my all-time favorite paint jobs

>>1993693
It's expensive, part of the reason crust Rivendell etc are expensive (maybe not enough to justify the price) is they have nice paint

>>1993693
I don't know what frame of reference you mean by "anymore" but if you mean like the last few years I think you might just be out of touch or not paying attention, we've gone through metallic iridescent fades already and now it's 90s style spatter paint

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Nobody said you get to only have one bike.
I have old bikes and new bikes. They are all fun to ride.

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>>1993737
The melon Marin went out for several hours and many miles of sand today, it does well. Would I be more comfortable downhill with 3” tires and 780mm bars? Yes
Would I climb better with a 1x10 and more upright riding position to stand pedal? Yes
Would disc brakes help me actually stop when flying downhill on the way back on paved roads in the dunes? Absolutely god damn yes I was terrified

But the fun is enjoying the flaws. I never quite rip shit up exactly the way I do on this thing. The front end just does not want to be on the ground, it wants to hop all over shit and wheelie everywhere. The far reach, low down riding position downhill makes everything feel dangerous and fast and it gives me an adrenaline boner.
Everybody likes this bike, complete strangers comment on this thing because they enjoy its vibe. I enjoy its vibe.
I still take a very different bike to the bike park because if I’m gonna send it through rough stuff I want a modern bike, but this is super cool for what it does

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peak bike

>>1993095
Gravel bikes are just road bikes with more tire clearance, better brakes and more reliable derailleurs. What exactly is so terrible about them? They eliminate most of the limitations of road bikes and do it without any major cost on performance. They're less finicky, more reliable and perform almost identically on paved roads if you use narrower tires on them. Sounds like you're itching to stand out with your flaming hot contrarian opinions

>>1993756
Nta but I think the problem with gravel bikes is their audience is using them for the wrong things. It gives this impression of a mountain and road hybrid bike. So they buy a gravel bike thinking it’ll be good for both mountain bike stuff, and road bike stuff, except it’s not great at either of those things. It’s good enough, but the specialized tool for each job would do way better.
Gravel bikes are good for gravel bike stuff, really good for it, they’re the ideal tool for their ideal circumstance. It’s just not everyone uses them for that. I see people taking them on distance rides on greenways and then I see people crawling over technical stuff in bike parks on them, they’re just not good for that.

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>>1993619
nice paint job

>>1993619
Kek. shorten that mf chain zoomie

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>>1993619
> How to explode your $80 paper tire

Go things you'll be going 10mph

>>1993589
>>1993591
>>1993599

2010s hipsters went crazy for cx races where they dressed all goofy. Then came bikepacking and they switched to that

>>1993788
they're honestly not as fragile as people seem to portray them to be

but what the fuck is that lol
it's kind of a reddit meme machine though, so i wouldn't expect much. i wouldn't surprised if this was taken from some subreddit, honestly.

>>1993788
>the absolute state of /n/ posting
Brake pads move in an arc anon

>>1993790
no, they went into 90s MTB 'altbikes' IE all the faggots in this thread

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>>1993767
nice bike

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>>1993245
I was with you all the way until you had to bring up pickup truck?

>>1993862
both happened. but I was seeing CX bikes where I am before I saw MTBs with drop bars or swept bars, by many years

>>1993876
whoa! are you my doppleganger? did you build that rear wheel with the same white industries eccentric hub as i did? i got the flip flop one. i've had mine since new and decided to turn it to a single speed once the 7spd drivetrain totally wore out and getting good 7spd parts became more of an asspain than i wanted to deal with. the handlebar i got was a mistake. thinking of getting a riser mtb bar or maybe some cyclocross style drops with a shorter stem.

>>1993029
Yes a used bikes that fits your specific need from like 3 or 4 years ago bringing 20 years of bike tech advancements.

>>1993948
yes, white industries eno flip flop rear hub, chris king front, each laced to bontrager mustang wheels. I bought the bike new in 1995 also. I built as is in 2007-08. Bar is an early surly torsion bar, when surly was still calling themselves 1x1 and nitto was making the bars. It's one of my favorite bikes.

>>1993788
>peak autism

See, just ride your bike anon

>>1993981
spooky. if you tell me you live in coastal Maine i'm gonna lose it.

>>1993953
>bike tech advancements
That's a good one.

timeline of goober biking trends:

00s: Fixies
late 00s early 10s: CX
early 10s: "Adventure bikes," Monstercross
mid 10s: early gravel bikes (endurance bike geo with wider tires)
late 10s: bike packing
20s: race geo gravel bikes, people paying 1500 for some shitty 90s MTB frame and decking it out with Paul Components, White Industries

>>1994256
mid 20s: big big wheels

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>>1994256
So basically since fixies it has just been different words for the same thing. Sure, the tech has gotten better and nobody would be caught dead riding cable dicks anymore but otherwise ??? same shit right? inb4 muh wheelbase, these things are all over the map when you go from size to size, people who ride "L" frames might as well be in a totally different category of bikes from "XS"

>>1993029
is it the platonic form of bikes?

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yes. 90s hybrid bikes are FAR superior. 90s mtb have a shitty geometry, they have ALL a super short stack.
in fact making gravel from 90s mtb is the most stupid idea. making gravel from 90s hybrid is basically what modern gravel bikes are....

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>>1993619
This is what a normal size people have to do to fit on a 90s mtb.
My 970 was already small when i was 14.

>>1994257
The Krampus is like 10 years old, and fatbikes even older. Or do you mean 36ers or some such?

>>1993029
80s atbs
90s hybrids

Geometry is a gay buzzword that doesn't matter, sorry