Have Bikes Improved in 30 Years? | Between Two Wheels Episode #3

[@oiuqreofnqoiruegnqerg]

3 years ago I bought my first modern mountain bike. After assembling it, I hopped on and took it for a spin. I was surprised, and not in a good way. I genuinely thought the bike was too big for me, that I picked the wrong size. I was confused, because I'm the type of person to measure and check everything dozens of times before making the final decision. And so I took the bike for a couple more rides, and over time everything became clear. Modern MTBs have extreme wheelbases and angles, huge wheels, big suspension, but all of that means they are extremely capable. Even now, 3 years later, whenever I descend down a mountain at face melting speeds, I'm blown away by how capable that bike is. If I tried descending like that on a 30 year old bike I'd probably die. I like to think that MTBs underwent a change in the right direction. Maybe this change isn't 100% perfect, I personally still prefer steel frame to a carbon or aluminum one. 1x drivetrains are not perfect. Maybe someday we will get there. Oh, and I forgot to mention that my bike is a hardtail.

[@DangerAmbrose]

My 30 year old bikes still work flawlessly. I don't think my new bikes will last for 30 years. So there's that.

[@zbynekcodykolacek]

Truth, my mom has townie/garden commuter bike for over 40 yrs. It is very complicated for maintenance, there are no parts. Especially wheels. No spokes. My 29” rigid completely, old 16 yrs. Love it. no desire new bike.

[@oiuqreofnqoiruegnqerg]

how can you know?

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

​@@Another-AddressEngine ? =Direct Current Brushless motor .

[@yukiko_5051]

As long as your new bike still use mechanical groupset, it will last for another 30 year. The only problem with modern bikes are its electronic groupset

[@sotecluxan4221]

Frame, fork, 1976. Many parts, too. Tools+knowledge stored. A new one will cost a lot of time, knowledge, tools. Sprockets of the cassette cannot be swapped individiually according to my needs, I need just 4, nowadays. MTB-pedals, cleats, were a big progress as one can walk safely. My Breezer Thunder made of steel tubes. Alumium not very convincing!

[@Bike4Coffee-Cake]

“It’s good to know where you came from, but don’t be afraid to change” - love it!!! Some old bikes are still a joy to ride - balanced, comfortable, work faultlessly. They may not be quite as fast or light or stiff, or have as many gears, but they can go most of the same places and bring the same joy I think. Other old bikes are just unstable, or less comfortable, or over-geared, or don’t ride as well. It’s good to both celebrate progress and cherish things from the past that remain good.

[@springpan]

Love this, please do the same thing for road bikes! 😁 Also, complexity was briefly mentioned, but why not weigh complexity, reliability, strength & COST?

[@p.c.9714]

12:00 Cane Creek Thudbuster Quadrapivot ❤ Best suspended seatpost ever. 20 years later, still not a single play, rubbers did not disintegrate and I use it every day on my commuter bike. Another awesome product from Cane Creek (like the Cloud Nine rear shock).

[@nathanthomson5217]

“It’s good to know where you came from but don’t be afraid to change.” Words to live by.

[@matt-ze6fc]

When I was a small boy my father said, “Son, if you take care of it, a good bike will last you a lifetime. “. I bought a Giant Iguana in the mid nineties when I was 28. Next month I will be 63. Istill have that bike today (now setup as a city bike)and although I have a couple of newer models it is still my favorite bike. I will keep that bike til the day I die.

[@YPO6]

Mid 1990s was 30 years ago, so you would be 58 now.

[@dimitriosfotopoulos3689]

@@YPO6 One of the many things that tend to degrade with advancing age are math skills. See now what you have to look forward to? 🤣🤣🤣

[@daniellarson3068]

My bike I bought over 30 years ago has no difference from the bike I use now. They even have the same serial number.

[@ebikescrapper3925]

The technology has improved but they are harder for the home mechanic to fix.

[@michaelpfister2226]

I love this video! Finally, something to show my wife why I need "so many" bikes (I only have 3 but want 2 more). And yes, I still get on my 1998 Rocky Mountain from time to time to revisit fundamentals focusing on technique.

[@imrevadasz1086]

That's already quite a modern bike for 30 years old. 2x, front suspension and hydraulic brakes 😮

[@ArizonaJake]

New mountain bikes are clearly better and certainly more capable than old ones. Road bikes, on the other hand, are another story.

[@doylerabjohn3435]

I had a had a GT hardtail that got stolen best bike I had.

[@guidoebert6328]

Me too. GT Zaskar LE😤😤😤😭😭😭

[@williammrdeza9445]

Fun comparison! Thanks Calvin and Andy.

[@tomvonderharr865]

Those Magura brakes, I had an encounter with some in the shop earlier this year, and boy the amount of flex that resulted from how forcefully they clamped the rim pushing everything else away from it, its a wonder something hadn't cracked in half...

[@SkyhawkSteve]

Nice to see a Clark-Kent! They built some nice frames!

[@paisfr]

Hello everyone Bonjour Calvin , c'est formidable 😊 Bye bye 👋👍

[@pawewielgus2105]

Great one!

[@JustMikeH]

It's also interesting to think how much engineering and manufacturing have improved in 30 years. We can build hardware with cheaper with more precision than 30 years ago. Of course that often results in components that are engineered to be lower quality to make them even cheaper. On the higher end equipment, it can be a boon though.

[@MidBoja96]

Good Calvin

[@HarveyWallbanger-ho2cq]

Don't fall for hype, keep your old bike

[@bsrhoad]

I would like to see a price comparison.

[@billyblaze700x9]

I ride a 2004 Waterford. They make them lighter and faster, but they don't make them any better...

[@ChrisLong-mz2kc]

make park tool components and a frame i will make a park tool bike 😂!

[@hardmtnbiker]

No more full suspension from Esker but amazing hardtails both Ti and steel

[@johndef5075]

My 1989 fully rigid Raleigh Peak mtb has 26" wheels, rim brakes and weighs 28 lbs. My 2017 Specialized Epic that I just built from a nos frame is fully suspended with 29" wheels and disc brakes. Weighs 25 lbs. Both Shimano XT too. Yeah they've come a long way. And I can do a lap 10 minutes faster on my local 6 mile trail.

[@christopherblomeley6925]

I still ride my 'classic' with great pride, then I jump on my Bosch powered ebike😅

[@VeeVeeArcher]

No question about MTB Performance is much better Prices are nauseous at the highest end $$$$$

[@moparman6814]

Or you could buy a motorcycle dirt bike and forget the ebike and new old bike debate....not to mention price of high tech bicycles is as much as motorcycle...ridiculous

[@oiuqreofnqoiruegnqerg]

These are two completely different machines that provide completely different experiences. That's like telling someone who wants to learn guitar to buy a violin: both have strings, right? And yes, e-bikes are really expensive no doubt about that.

[@joewickie2376]

You wish you owned my Mantis XC/R.

[@donikrakhi8510]

i am telling you he dosent age

[@shonesymike4773]

Improved?!?! No way...

[@MysticFluff1]

Most modern bikes from all top brands are terribly made, poor alignment and poor construction etc. Now, Its all about making money, not about producing quality.

[@HarveyWallbanger-ho2cq]

They don't want you yo fix your own bike

[@screp36]

Nop 2wheels

[@MrLM002]

I think they have and they haven't. Aluminum is the new standard frame material, and with stress fatigue being a real thing for aluminum, they're not long lived, not something you pass down to the next generation, and when they fail it's usually catastrophic. My current bike has an aluminum frame, mainly because I wanted a full size folding bike, and sadly there are no steel frame full size folding bikes currently in production. I'd argue the Fuji Marlboro folding bike with it's chromoly frame is a better option than any of the current full size folding bikes on the market, but for some reason even though bike tech hasn't drastically got better Fuji stopped making that frame, and we're worse off because of it.

[@MrLM002]

@@Another-Address Most likely, but I've had aluminum catastrophically fail on me enough times that I do everything in my power to avoid it.

[@MookPanda]

Co-motion do steel frames with S&S couplers - not quite as easy as a folder, but shrinks pretty well!

[@liberals_destroy_everythin2497]

Is there a difference in fun?