How Have XC Bikes Changed? | Modern Vs Retro XC Edition
How Have XC Bikes Changed? | Modern Vs Retro XC Edition
Mountain bikes have come a long way in recent years, with longer, slacker, lower frame geometries allowing riders to push their bikes further & further, but just how far have XC bikes come and have the XC bikes of today left the old bikes for dust!? Join Rich Payne and Si from @gcn to find out! 🎬
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I have a Yeti ASR from about 2000 stashed away. It’s a death trap on modern trails compared to any modern bike. It was scary as hell even compared to when I was riding a Salsa Mamasita in about 2011.
Collaborations are always welcomed.
Bought my 2nd MTB in 2001 and boy, did it have suspension! It was one of the first Gary Fisher 29’er SuperCaliber’s in my country. Yes, that’s Gary Fisher and not Trek. I remember their website had some animations on 29’er vs 26, among which one of them with a cute bear. They were quite ahead of their time I would say. It also made me bike around quite quickly through the woods in my region. Some 23 – 24 km/h on average in a flat area with only some minor bumps which we call ‘hills’. Cruising speed when not going up was around 27-28 km/h on the trails.
Nowadays I’ve got my gravel bike and I would be more or less able to do the same, perhaps even faster… (If I would not have had a few injuries 10 – 15 years ago.) It feels like cycling on skinny tyres and without the suspension it surely becomes tiring much faster. Maybe age helps with that feeling, too… Most importantly though, we’re having fun!
My youngest MTB is from 2013 and more or less a copy of the 2001 SuperCaliber, although with a tad shorter geo. Last year the front wheel got a giant dent in it, because I was steering around a puddle. I’ve sort of retired it and now my bikepacking bike has become my “MTB”. Technically I can still ride the same terrain, albeit with less speed and comfort. But with just as much fun!
I like that they compare something like a 15 year old bike. Makes it way more relevant than stuff from the 90’s.They should have found a top-end bike from then though.
unfair, at least drop the seat a bit
How about vintage hardtail against a Modern hardtail?
Lighter more aero and way more expensive
More of this please! Full GCN and GMBN crew perhaps?
Ok, GMBN on a gravel bike, GCN on a downhill bike
1996 was the first “rear suspension” bike atop a world championship podium. Thomas Frischknecht on the Ritchey Softtail in Cairns, Australia. Only recognized as such after Jerome Chiotti gave up his gold medal after admitting to being on EPO for the race.
Come on make the full lap time public. I bet SI was faster
Loved every minute of it. We all knew that Si would go slower without proper bar ends. I still have the top of the range Scandium Scott from around the same age as used by Thomas Frischknecht back in the day. If you want to rematch during the festival, let me know. A 26“ MTB might be the fastest option in the car park crit.
I still ride a 2005 full suspension Decathlon Rockrider 9.1 (with a bunch of upgrades) and I keep up on group rides just fine.
FS vs HT is going to make the biggest difference, I am so much quicker on my FS vs my HT. To give you an idea it was going from the back or mid pack of a large weekly 40 rider group ride to front of the pack or leading some sections. Dont get me wrong there are guys using HT in the front groups but I struggle to keep up on a HT, mainly the traction over bumps and comfort factor.
The new bike is fantastic trail-bike, and I think the old one is less trail and more gravelbike.
Si do have a point, easy stuff I used to love riding on my hardtail 1988 is still fun on my gravel bike and the gnarly stuff I really enjoy on my enduro bike would not be possible on the 1988 XC bike.
It’s not that much of an old school mountain bike as it is still fairly modern in style.
Old school bike would be 26 inch wheel with a straighter top tube.
They are more Downhill than XC bikes
I’ve a 1993 Scott Team Racing, steel, 3×7, Scott integrated barends, fully rigid sitting in the garage waiting for your next test 😁
I really enjoy these crossover videos with GMBNxGCN. Not only due to the high quality of the content and the interesting chemistry between the different presenters but also because they help spark interest in different cycling disciplines for people who may not have otherwise been exposed to or chose to watch one of the other Global Cycling channels. Thanks for all the entertaining content, keep up the great work!
A better discussion than I thought it would be. I think that a roady will drift to a gravel bike and an MTB rider go to a hardtail for less demanding trails.
Love these crossover episodes! Like Anna and Mannon sand racing.
All black Castelli gear when hi viz options exist from the same clothing sponsor – road riders copy these GCM guy’s 🥺
Let’s ridding❤😂🙏👋
Could you just tell me the name of the trail that u’re riding and where is it located? Thanks a lot
Si needs to come back and do an Enduro race with Rich now that would be awesome. Please bring GCN back for a race on equal bikes
Still on my 09 FSR XC, Wife on her Myka, just refurbished a 08 Rocky Mountain ETSX with Fox Talas 32 and Float RL for my 10yo (£180 eBay + 1x drivetrain, headset, paint, contact points and Racing Ralphs).
The old ones are still golden.
Love this video, very nice challenge🎉 also i love XC bikes, I live in cit and XC bike for commuting is must have for long terms
We had those narrow bars bc trails were also narrower. They’re are still trails around me where handlebars get caught frequently
Needs 80mm Sids, 1.8 mm tyres and bar ends for the full effect
I always enjoy this crossover videos, be it GCN or GMBN. 15 to 20 yrs ago i got the feeling there was quite a rivality between mtb and roadies but in the recent years all the people I meet tend to be into both, just like me.
When going into the road i generally do around 60+ km and when going mountain biking i do often less but go up and down at bike parks and having a good time.
If it ain’t got a quill stem, it ain’t retro!
Heck yeah. More GCN/GMBN crossovers.
I want a test where you take the same bikes, but give the old one a dropper seat post and more modern tires. I would be interesting to see how much difference that would make.
that was entertaining
Swap those straight bars with a gravel bar and some gravel type tires on that old geometry hard tail and it will look like and feel like a gravel bike. Dont sell your old hard tails guys. There is still a lot of fun in building and riding those things.
Wonderful video guys.
Would love to see then try and ride a real late 90’s MTB on these trails. Mag21, narrow bars, 3x, and 2.0 tires. Love to see the younger crowd struggle.
Thanx, I’ve found this channel. It’s so entertaining for me. I love it.
So basically, my 2009 Cube hardtail is a gravel bike?! I suppose I’d better grow a beard then!
I recall having one of them motorcross spring suspension single speed bikes in the 1980’s..to me that is retro cross country.
How can you call that a retro mt bike, it has disc brakes. Mt retro mt bike is from 1994 and is awesome
XC racing should be Hardtail only!
I bet Absalon can still rip on that 26
We all feel like Rich on our bikes but really we all look like Si.
My dad XC raced a no suspension Trek in 1991. I recently revived it as a commuter bike with fat road tyres and it rides brilliantly. Most of the components are original. 3by and bullhorn bars were an education for me though!
If it has 26” wheels it’s retro lol.
MOUNTAIN BIKING!
Love the XC content and mix of GMBN and GCN. Modern XC bikes are starting to look very tempting!
I’m gonna ride my Scott Scale 40 to work tomorrow….