10 years out... what have i missed?

T

TH850

Likes Bikes
I haven't been riding for 10 years and looking to get myself a new all-mountain kind of bike.
I used to race downhill and XC, when there was only 26" wheels, Kona were big, Marzocchi were still alive, and the forum had a different name...

What have I missed? What are the good bike brands now?
 
JTmofo

JTmofo

XC Enthusiast
Boost
29er's
650b
wide handle bars
10/11/12 speed
1x drivetrains
carbon everything
dropper posts
xc is dead
etc, etc, etc

On a serious note, its hard to buy a bad trail/all mountain bike these days. Bikes are now expensive, even what was once considered a lower end brand is up in $.
Direct to the customer sales are becoming more prevalent (Canyon, YT industries, Polygon etc) with the advancement of the interweb.
29ers are the "new" standard for enduro race bikes, but 27.5 should not be overlooked.
Don't get "overbiked", a sad trend that is pushed by the media hype. So many people buying huge, big, long, slack descent slaying animals only to be left a pig dog of a trail bike. Don't do it, unless you are uberfit, happy to push to the limit or just like making things hard on yourself.

....Marzocchi are still alive, but sadly just a rebranded version of Fox's junk.
 
moorey

moorey

call me Mia
Oh, you poor bastard. You won’t understand any off the bullshit new ‘standards’.
On a positive note, 26” is still awesome, though good luck finding anything new in the real wheel size. Get a banshee so you can convert either way. 27.5 is acceptable. I really feel no advantage.
1x11sp rocks. 12sp is overrated.
Get a dropper.
Run tubeless.
Forks have come a long way. (Weight and handling)
160 single crown bikes can do more than your old 200mm DH sled.
120/140 trail bikes can climb better than your old XC bike did.
Shimano brakes are still foolproof.
Carbon is overrated.
Kona sucked for a long time, but are sweet again.

I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few things.
 
T

TH850

Likes Bikes
I had no idea you can order a bike direct... just had a look at Canyon and YT, are there any others? Not sure about the 4 month wait time from Canyon though...
I think I'm looking around the 140mm travel range and less than $4000...
I'm currently living in a not very hilly country so something easy to pedal too...
 
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Binaural

Binaural

Eats Squid
4 months sounds wrong. Mine was shipped with 2 weeks, because they have to do a special build with the brakes the other way around. Was it just one model you were looking at? Have a look at their Strive, it's a great bike if you don't quite know what you're after because it can do just about everything.
 
ashes_mtb

ashes_mtb

Has preferences
TH850 said:
I had no idea you can order a bike direct... just had a look at Canyon and YT, are there any others? Not sure about the 4 month wait time from Canyon though...
Click to expand...
Not quite direct, but Marin and polygon are good value from bicyclesonline.com.au
 
tkdbboy

tkdbboy

Likes Dirt
TH850 said:
I had no idea you can order a bike direct... just had a look at Canyon and YT, are there any others? Not sure about the 4 month wait time from Canyon though...
I think I'm looking around the 140mm travel range and less than $4000...
I'm currently living in a not very hilly country so something easy to pedal too...
Click to expand...
The reviews for Canyon wait times depend on what country that user was located.
The Aussie office has been very responsive to support and my bike arrived a week after I ordered it.
 
moorey

moorey

call me Mia
TH850 said:
I had no idea you can order a bike direct... just had a look at Canyon and YT, are there any others? Not sure about the 4 month wait time from Canyon though...
I think I'm looking around the 140mm travel range and less than $4000...
I'm currently living in a not very hilly country so something easy to pedal too...
Click to expand...
140mm is sweet sweet banshee spitfire territory if you’re happy to get a run out model or build it up with a few second hand parts or hit the sales online.
I can ride it 50km of trails, or take it down the DH tracks.
 
ForkinGreat

ForkinGreat

Knows his Brassica oleracea
moorey said:
Oh, you poor bastard. You won’t understand any off the bullshit new ‘standards’.
On a positive note, 26” is still awesome, though good luck finding anything new in the real wheel size. Get a banshee so you can convert either way. 27.5 is acceptable. I really feel no advantage.
1x11sp rocks. 12sp is overrated.
Get a dropper.
Run tubeless.
Forks have come a long way. (Weight and handling)
160 single crown bikes can do more than your old 200mm DH sled.
120/140 trail bikes can climb better than your old XC bike did.
Shimano brakes are still foolproof.
Carbon is overrated.
Kona sucked for a long time, but are sweet again.

I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few things.
Click to expand...
pretty much that...

Definitely get a Banshee frame eg Spitfire for the flexibility to run 26er or 27.5 wheels.

I had a Marz straight steerer fork and 26er hope wheels that went onto a Banshee Rune when I sold the 26er bike they were on.

Also, Modern Forks are more or less all 1 1/8th to 1 1/2in tapered steerer. but if you have a reducer ring for the bottom headset cup you can still run your sweet straight steerer fork, if it's the right suspension travel for the frame. *Make sure your frame has a tapered headtube, don't buy straight 1 1/8th headtube frames, as you will severely limit your fork choice.*

Also, Fuck Pressfit Bottom Brackets, they suck dead donkey balls.
 
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Calvin27

Calvin27

Eats Squid
moorey said:
You won’t understand any off the bullshit new ‘standards’.
Click to expand...
Good luck if you are starting from scratch and plan to DIY as well. Initially you will be buying a lot of obscure new tools that probably only work for that bike and a handful of others. Bottom line is standards are no longer standard and standard approach is every man and his dog has their own standard.

On the flipside, trails are great, events are a little munted, and roadies have basically infiltrated the XC crowd (they still cannot descend).

RB is mostly banter with the occisaional bargain, but still good for tips and help. The for sale section is a bit slow as people move to facebook market for their impulse buys.

Sram brakes still suck. Their gear train is ok, but they pulled a bag of dicks geoblocking and we all went full shimano for a while until they dicked us too. The days of good sales are all but gone so yeah it's probably going to be a little more expensive than when you last left it.
 
The Reverend

The Reverend

Likes Bikes and Dirt
And geometry... Everything is lower / longer / slacker.
Long bikes - especially front centre,
Low BB heights
Slack HTA but steep STA.

As stated before, don't get hooked into the latest fashion trend. A good trail bike still does the business in the majority of cases.

+1 for Banshee too.
 
moorey

moorey

call me Mia
Calvin27 said:
it's probably going to be a little more expensive than when you last left it.
Click to expand...
I beg to differ. Bikes/parts are mostly better value now than they were 15 years ago.
I remember paying $600 for a set of Hayes Mag. $200 will buy you awesome XT m8000 now.
My old 222 retailed for close to $9000 in 2002.
With inflation, that’s more like $20,000.
 
safreek

safreek

*******
Found what you need, the bloke selling it is super cool so you will be as well.
The chicks dig him as well
351252
 
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