I took my upgraded 90's MTB on real single track and...

[@PathLessPedaledTV]

But thats just a late 2010s gravel bike with flat bars :)

[@mitmon_8538]

This comment has to win the gravel/adventure bike niche internet for all time. Just **muah** perfecto.

[@fiatfixie4344]

Next thing you know, guys are going to start running 26's on their gravel bikes!))

[@glennpettersson9002]

😂😂😂

[@872463051]

I've never been more tempted to put flat bars on my Gorilla Monsoon...........

[@iiatyy]

Flat bars are in. We've came full circle, again.

[@SilveradoOutdoors0205]

I’m glad I’m not the only one who finds rigid old mountain bikes fun on trails! I just picked up a DiamondBack Ascent from the late 80s to early 90s, and you basically just took what I had envisioned and made it real. Thanks for showing me how cool it’ll be!❤️

[@pocho3881]

Thinking of picking up that same bike ascent ex

[@eloymontoya9200]

I have a 1990 diamondback apex. Wanna do a hybrid build but I'm really not too sure still lol

[@wafflemeow126]

@@eloymontoya9200just built up my diamond ambition 700c steely I found at a goodwill! Super fun build

[@GolfSux]

I have ridden bmx up till 39 years old. I still ride bmx, but I started riding mtb last couple of years also. I almost prefer rigid frames. I don't mind suspension in the front, but I lock it out probably 50% of the time. I guess I like using body English rather than the suspension on my bike doing it for me.

[@markymarknj]

@@eloymontoya9200 build it with 26" wheels and all round tires like Conti Top Contact IIs. Then you have a GENUINE, go anywhere, do anything ATB! If you want your old MTB to be more biased for road use, then you can use the Conti Contact Urban, Conti Contact Plus City, or Panaracer TourGuard Plus tires; they're all street biased and come in a variety of widths for 26" wheels. The great thing about keeping the 26" wheels and 2" tires is that your bike will LAUGH at any and all cracks or potholes! Plus, those tires roll well on the street, and they offer puncture protection. With the decaying infrastructure, we have to think about setting up our bikes accordingly.

[@greggr1591]

“Everything is terrifying - it’s so fun!” That’s all the rationale one needs.

[@99EMERSONIC99]

its life logic isnt it?

[@mattgeyerful]

The blue and purple look so good together honestly, peak 90s

[@newttella1043]

We rode technical trails that were really meant for hiking on fully rigid hardtails. Now we ride buffed out and machine built bermy trails with 6 inches of travel and dropper posts. Weird. It's like we are allergic to bumps.

[@jackwilson8651]

As someone coming back to mountain biking since the 90s, this is absolutely true. It was all rocks and roots back in the day. Now it seems like a dirt slippery dip

[@AlistairBrugsch]

@@jackwilson8651 I'm trying to ressurect my MTB life after a lot of years out and a few kids in tow. Last time I hit some real dirt was in '94 on my rigid GT. I tried to kick start a new riding schtick in 2003 but the bike has languished mostly unused. Having got my son a somewhat capable MTB I've discovered that my '03 bike is a dinosaur with 26" wheels and pre "modern geometry" lol Well I'm still going to ride the ass off it, maybe even have a go on one of these slack-angled monsters. Or maybe I'll just have fun on my practically as new dino...

[@messagedeleted1922]

Absolutely the truth. I mean, the trails here (Terrace BC Canada) are not so flowy and the drops and jumps on a lot of the trail are really designed for full suspension...But take a full sus bike from nowadays and take it over the same trail as it was built out in the 90s (when it was a mixed use hiking trail) and it would have been the most technical gnarl youd ever ride.

[@juanchofernandez1793]

​@@AlistairBrugsch the old geometry its beautiful man, straight design, nothing curve or Fancy. The new ones makes the seat looks as long as the frame tubes

[@manchesterexplorer8519]

Exactly , I started Mtbing around 1991 . Back then we needed these smaller bikes as for me in New Hampshire anyways the trails were either old logging roads , tractor trails on farmland ar very narrow hiking/walking paths through the woods . Nothing was groomed or layed out specifically for Mountain Biking , loose rocks , leaves everywhere , roots , vehicle ruts etc . Mountain Biking used to be an adventure where we would search for new trails to explore as it's now evolved into the equivalent of going skiing at a resort . This single track here in the video is what my early MTBing experience was , it was a ton of work and wasn't easy . If these old bikes could fit 27.5 wheels to smooth things out a bit they'd still be used in droves as they're very light and nimble

[@petercroce]

I've been putting some serious miles on my 1992 Hard Rock that I've done way too many mods to (Stridsland Barnacle fork, Velocity Cliffhanger wheels with tubeless Schwalbe Billy Bonkers, welded disc brake tab on the back, Velo Orange Crazy Bars v2) and it is just such an incredible ATB. I'm all in on modern progressive slack/long geometry (my all mountain bike is a Starling Murmur) but having taken my Hard Rock on more of our green and blue singletrack, connected with gravel roads, paved roads, double track, and MUPs I can say I'm totally in love with the old school bike. I completely agree that they're so lightweight that you can get over stuff in such a fun way. Great stuff, Eric!

[@ronnisullivan9794]

Nooooooo! Just a reminder to you younger folk…once upon a time bikes like these are what we rode on everything!

[@brettneuberger6466]

Not to mention…with our feet strapped in leather leather bindings! We rock!

[@markymarknj]

And, they were STATE OF THE ART! They were the best we had at one time.

[@Likelybiking]

Those bars look sooo dope on that bike!

[@650gringo]

I rode technical downhill trails for years in Arizona on a non suspended Cannondale Beast of the East. My buddy put a Rock Shox fork on his bike but I resisted for a long time. "My elbows and knees are my suspension." I said. My buddy thought a moment and then before riding off, he said, "Well however much suspension you have with your elbows, I have 2 inches more!"

[@brv002]

I know drop bars on old rigid MTBs are a thing now. But that setup with flat bars looks and performs way better any day.

[@ohshitnotanotherknob]

Depends what you are doing, I like my drop bars as it puts me in a similar position as my road bikes. I don't think you'll convince the cyclo-cross boys to abandon their drops and they know how to carve the single track.

[@monicalopez8634]

I just receive MY purple specialized. About to put a flat bar on it! Love your channel. Glad to know that im not the only one that appreciates these old school mtbs. All the junk made now is made over seas.

[@Bh0xzs9110]

Not gonna lie, the blue flat bars ties in well with the bike. It's not just a sore thumb sticking out much. Looks sooooo good!

[@grtchldy6561]

The thing I love about ridged steel bike frames is control! You feel everything but have that much more to respond to. Takes some bent elbows or your shoulders are going to hurt. I love my 90’s Trek.

[@JeffDavis771]

This was all we had to ride 30 years ago, and it was awesome. Pretty cool to see you discover the joy we "weird mountain bikers" felt back then.

[@seanporter113]

I love it. My 15 year old loves his old 80’s huffy mtb. He doesn’t want another bike. No shocks, cantilever brakes, only upgrades are grips. Love this.

[@daniboi4067]

Very cool

[@elvisderblasehase9522]

Modernized early 90's riged bikes are pure fun 🤩

[@southpawmasonry]

Great vi-blog. The experimental builds are awesome. Riding those experimental bikes is even better.

[@draggonhedd]

Just like we used to do back in the day, for sure. I put hundreds of miles on my fully rigid diamondback in the late 90s on trails just like this. Its fun

[@tinkerbike2510]

I loved it with the drops but honestly it looks way cooler with the flats 😎

[@bendekker6552]

Love the tinkering! I feel like I always want to put drop bars on mountain bikes and flat bars on road bikes and sometimes switch back and maybe switch again. I thought I had a problem but Spindatt helps me see it's probably ok. :-)

[@solitaryrefinement6787]

I'm sorry, but old 90's MTB's put a bigger smile on my face than any modern MTB I've ever ridden. I guess they hadn't engineered the rawness out of them yet in the 90's, especially with an old steel frame & fork. Slap new rubber on them, tune the snot out of them and they are rockets on a trail. Besides, nothing's cooler than an old steel MTB with new fat tires.

[@lebowskiunderachiever3591]

Ah snap! Got me wanting to get crazy and rebuild an early 90's Parkpre

[@avaruuvesa]

More of this, really fun video to watch! We have a lot of similar trails here in Finland.

[@phillipcowan1444]

Looking at the tree density in your area the yung'uns should start to understand why old skool mtb's have such narrow bars. The 750-800mm bars that are in vogue now might be the shizz for ripping down some barren mountain out west but they suck ass in the tick jungles of the East Coast. Nothing stops a good run cold like hooking a bar.🤪

[@dvs620]

I have 780 mm bars in my mountain bike and they're doing n because of the control. But I live in Texas and some of the easy trails are so scary because of trees. My single speed bike I kept the 720 mm bars on even though I'm riding street stuff with it. Go figure.

[@steve101968]

Plus we used to ride bull bars so we had to keep our bars short else we would hook every tree we brushed up against. ahh the memories.

[@discount11]

@@steve101968 that shit would catch on everything!

[@markymarknj]

FOR REAL! Hooking a bar will ruin your day...

[@markymarknj]

@@steve101968 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@bicross87]

gosh, i'm half sad the drop bars are gone on my fav' bike of the channel, but also half happy you had a great time and made a great video about it ! I miss my 26" rigid MTB...it made the flatter trails so much more fun !

[@marcusathome]

Versatility is the name of the game. 90s steel MTB's are: - Gravel Bikes .................... Check! - Mountain Bikes ............... Check! - Commuter Bikes ............. Check! - Utility Bikes w/ racks ...... Check! - Adults BMX Bikes ........... Check! - Explorer Bikes ................. Check! - Road Race Bikes ............. Nope! - Downhill Bikes ................. Nope! What did I forget? Anyway, they cover almost every use case and they look cool! What could you possibly want more?

[@613.Rooster]

Not useless old bikes for sure. You nailed it. I feel its where bikes peaked as utilitarian, fun and practical. You have to be selective about all the so called tech that followed these bikes. Lots of marketing and false promises with outrageous maintenance costs and built in obsolescence.

[@marcusathome]

@RollinRat that poor huffy would rather fall apart when it spots a serious rider and if it took the challenge it would start falling apart with a wobbling crank set the first uphill and finish with failing brakes downhill. Seriously, my niece got one and it discouraged her for a long time from riding. So, please, don't compare a serious MTB from the 90s with a huffy, that's a disgrace.

[@marcusathome]

@RollinRat Going ad hominem on the second post? Not the best style. A bike is a tool. And as it is with tools, there a good ones and not so good ones. You will get the job done with both, but it's neither enjoyable nor will you get good results when working with a poor tool.

[@haydenteruki8045]

26" Specialized HardRock/RockHopper/Stumpy Ripppppp! I love them for their versatility, color scheme, and price of course. I have a 93' RockHopper comp dropbar build for alt/gravel. My 93' HarRock 1X8 with Origin8 Space2 bars is my "mnt" bike/commuter. Love them both and its rad to see this content showing how dope these rigs are.

[@deuxfleur]

Can you give me your hardrock bike specs? I'm trying to convert mine into a commuter

[@chonclark]

Stoked on all this

[@Galactico42]

I have a very similar vintage Stumpjumper pretty much stock (bit of a barn find) and yes, it rips blue trails and the occasional black diamond descent if I go slow. Now you have me interested in putting some wider bars on it.

[@davetbassbos]

I've been out of the MTB world for a while and was shocked to find out 26" wheels are endangered? Crazy, they seemed so versatile, I have a ridged GT and used it as an MTB obviously, but also put on some skinny 26 road tires for commuting.

[@613.Rooster]

Yes we must keep the 26inch revolution going. Cheers!

[@jackwilson8651]

@@613.Rooster ha, me too. I just learned 26 inch wheels are for kids!

[@mobileandhostile7895]

@@613.Rooster ⭐️ 26” wheels are the 29” wheels of tomorrow ⭐️

[@ramonmiro6139]

This made me immensely happy.

[@stevesnailfish]

Damn cool retro..... My first MTB was a 1993 Kona Fire Mountain with Project 2 forks on it and 3x7...... I'm tempted now to get an old '90's frame and.......

[@613.Rooster]

Do it!

[@markymarknj]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@atthesummitMTBskills]

I still rip my 91 stumpjumper around the local trails and it’s bloody awesome. Love the old 90s geo with wide bars.

[@dctruckguy]

I just did this to my 91 KHS Montana comp. and it's my current favorite bike

[@kensisti2761]

Thank you! Keep going

[@curtydbikes]

That was fun! Cheers

[@154Jamesp]

Fantastic! Put a decent suspension fork on that bike and it'll probably be your favorite. I did on my 97 Rockhopper FS and it;s turned into my main bike. Light, fast, climbs like a goat, and fun!

[@kimrice394]

7:16 is when I realize your doing all this on gravel king sk’s 😬 Extra Kudos!

[@steveprice9737]

Raced my Saracen Kili the other week.... still flying.. single track madness..

[@faiminifan4127]

An olskool gravity dropper post... SingleSpeed... And meatier tyres... It'll be a hoot!!!... Simple, agile, scary & fun... That's all you'll ever want!!😊👍

[@rantingwrench]

A couple of months ago I built up a Stooge Mk6, which is a fully rigid steel frame but with (relatively) modern geo, disc brakes and dropper routing. It's now my only MTB. Rigid riding is fun as hell and like you said, everything is a feature - old trails are interesting again, and new trails are frankly terrifying in the best way. Looking forward to getting it out to an uplifted bike park soon...

[@johnnydoe66]

Well, Eric just made 26" wheeled mtn bikes relevant again....

[@bigbadstretch13yrago]

They have never been irrelevant for me🤙

[@613.Rooster]

26 inch revolution!

[@johnnydoe66]

@RollinRat I know 26" was never really irrelevant, but it was getting more difficult to get tires and many weren't tubeless. I rode 26" mtb's for nearly 30 yrs before getting myself a plus hardtail when I crack my third frame. Manufacturers push the trends not the riders, just look at groupsets. My current bike has 12spds, but I barely use 7 of those on any given ride. BTW I was being a bit sarcastic with my comment because there's been a pretty decent resurgence in 26er restorations and conversions

[@spareparts7630]

@@bigbadstretch13yrago That's your fault. Not everyone needs shocks, disc brakes, etc. to ride well and have fun.

[@the_nondrive_side]

Surly Straggler fork mullet wheels and maybe a larger front ring. here I am in 2023 watching this again... with my 930 in green-purple fade waiting on quill stem to put the same bike together but with discs. that green bar and them tires got me drooling. i got the purple bars but with a cosmic graphic.

[@thetruthseekermtb8323]

This is a much better set up than before.

[@WalkerBikes]

That just looked like a TON of fun.

[@more_beans_mr_taggart4057]

I still ride my 1990 trek 930. I have it setup as a 2x8 with v brakes and 680mm bars. Still loads of fun.

[@user-wy4mj3hz8c]

I am working on a 90s Rockhopper FS that I swapped the fork out with a Surly Troll fork and Sram XO 10 speed, I thought I would be able to get away with a longer stem, but I'm going this route. Cool to see it works well!

[@Bacciagalupe]

Great experiment!

[@paullydca]

Scotch on the rocks full rigid 90s mob. You are a true animal!!!!

[@a.sarmiento5116]

Coool... no disc retro mtb on a modern track. Very capable indeed!💥✌

[@JP-jy7sk]

Riding old sketchy bikes is super fun.

[@613.Rooster]

New bikes are sketchy, old bikes are solid.

[@markymarknj]

@@613.Rooster the steel is real! Plus, old school is cool... 😁😁😁

[@las_lucas]

This bike looks great fun!

[@shineperishingrepublic]

This is exactly what I was looking for

[@damon0770]

I made an audible OOOOOOHHHHH face when you shoved the flat bar in the stem…. So. Good.

[@juanchofernandez1793]

I have a late 2010s 26 full aluminium, got a new trans 1x11 and a rigid fork, a modern short stem to go more comfy and semi slick tires, i usually ride it in the city and some gravel or trails but nothing special so i wanted a rigid set up, now i Will update the v-brakes to a hydraulic system, just to keep it modern. Nice build broo

[@sbsb4995]

Outstanding

[@I_am_Warthog]

Regarding the usage of shift housing for brakes. While it does improve the feel of the brakes, it is extremely unsafe to use shift housing for brakes. Under heavy braking, shift housing can (and eventually will) split and cause your brakes to fail completely. A better/safer alternative is to use compressionless brake housing, which is essentially shift housing that has a reinforced outer casing that makes it safe to use for brakes. This advice comes from 35+ years experience as a professional bicycle mechanic, but I still suggest anyone thinking of using regular shift housing for their brakes to google it. You will not find a single legitimate source that says anything other than, it's not safe...don't do it.

[@Spindatt]

It’s what I had, definitely know it’s not correct haha

[@danwebber9494]

Yeah, I got chills when he did that. It feels great, up to the point it totally fails.

[@casosehistoriasdetodotipo881]

@@Spindatt how much do you sell this bike

[@WaveRiderMusic]

I started on a fully rigid chromoly bike, it was very compliant, yes you need to go a little slower on some descents, but it is still very fun, and with the very real feel of mountain biking.

[@bosanderspublictheology]

Best closing caption yet.

[@kevinmurtagh3434]

Enjoyed that.

[@donewhiskey]

It's just that these bikes look so good, with modern components. There is something about the proportions with a 26" wheel.

[@phantomflame0658]

I agree they're super cool, but if you're tall like me then your ass is gonna be waaaay up in the air compares to the handlebars. Looks sick and aggressive but not that comfy to say the least lol

[@ROBinJVILLE]

riding rigid is so much fun, and it makes that trail you have been riding all your life exciting again. i unfortunatly sold my 26rs, but i ride a marin pine mtn now.

[@johndef5075]

Nice piloting there! I started on fully rigid. Looks like fun!

[@jonahluking2681]

Just got a posiden redwood to switch up riding my MTB, putting a dropper and flat bar on it with tubeless tires hopefully it’ll rip some flowly green and blues

[@giancarloespejo2223]

Your bike builds are awesome

[@aidanoc19]

I didn't know if changing the Rockhopper frankenbike perfection was forgivable but I like it!

[@tag24greg65]

This bike just gets better and better 😎🚲

[@adamyelle4901]

And I thought that thing couldn't get any cooler. Nice work!

[@firoosagung4696]

man that looks like so much fun!

[@jaydavee]

I have done similar things to my 2003 Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo. 710 mm handlebars, 1x with a 32t Race Face Narrow Wide chainring. I found a Rock Shox SID air fork from the same year for $118 to replace the Manitou Axel spring shock that came with it. The whole thing weighs 27 lbs. I'm 48. I just ride it in my front & back yard.

[@nekobx2094]

U really love that bike!!! Flatbars hooray!!

[@330_Crew]

Some cool features on that trail. Reminds me of videos I've seen of British Columbia.

[@antn8387]

this bike is sick af.

[@rauli386]

Pretty cool gravel bike

[@XSHAUNTATUMX]

That is so sick. Way cooler with flat bars

[@toddmcdonough]

My latest addiction is finding and restoring vintage road bikes, with a twist. I throw on 26 inch wheels with 1.5 rubber and go off road. Might try a flat bar after seeing this.

[@rushi7312]

I have a bike almost exaclty the same as this one. I use it daily for my commuting.

[@thesausage351]

I have a load of vintage mountain bikes that one day I’ll get together, I’ve got a really nice Merida that would have been a super expensive bike new, and I have 2 Fishers, which again, gear I couldn’t even have hoped to own when they were new. I like the really early stuff though, I’m planning on building a 60’s bike frame into a mountain bike which should be real fun.

[@daledubose3032]

Yes!!! That Richie commercial with the guy skidding out made me want something like this. Now this has me all in the feels.

[@robase2665]

Subscription earned!

[@The2808erik]

Your budget builds inspired me to modernize a 90s Giant Randoneur frame, from a bike that has been my winter b*tch for 7 years.

[@smits7142]

So glad you did this, it looks so good. Now add some DH tires

[@Wannaridebikes]

Have bikes but only one helmet ….the road one….and 26 is still alive …

[@dsmhiggins67]

Old school fully rigid was always good; suspension allows you to go faster; but fully rigid makes even slow speed stuff more challenging and dare I say it … more fun.

[@onerider808]

Epic ride; makes me want to turn my 97 Trek Multitrack into an MTB.

[@acebikemedia]

those trails look sweeeeet

[@carloalfano334]

what cable guide are you using for the rear brake off the seat post?

[@ff4444]

I ride a similar bike! I have a 26" 2000 vintage Giant that I put wide bars on with a Salsa cro moto 29" fork on. Rigid 69er totally shreds the trails around here :-)

[@mygoalcrash8077]

29 fork with 26 wheels? wat size tyres you use?

[@paulwolfram7774]

@Spindatt How is the Profile Designs quill stem adapter holding up? I did the same stem conversion on a 1988 Giant Chinook using an 8$ aluminum quill stem adapter from Amazon and it snapped in half after 4 rides on blue singletrack. Now I am wondering whether I just had bad luck and should try another quill stem, such as the Profile Designs, or just get some expensive Surly Sunrise handlebars with shims to fit the existing steel quill stem? Many thanks for any advice!

[@nivek29]

Cool! Thank you for continuing to muddy the waters about whether or not to rehab 90s mountain bikes. :) But seriously, do you happen to remember the length of that stem? I feel like that might be key to making a bike like this more rideable and not so forward angled.

[@jfspurlin1]

What wheels do you have on there? My '98 Rockhopper still has the original Ritchey wheels.

[@kickstart118]

Nice bike

[@davidbierbaum4881]

I get to be driven to a bike shop tomorrow. As I was out cruising around and gawking at all the lawns of those with greener thumbs than mine, I noticed my rear brake was braking unevenly, and looking back... yep, I have a broke spoke on the non-drive side of my rear wheel. The wobble wasn't too bad this time, so I could get home without having to muck up the spoke tension. I'm not happy, because I'm certain that, when one spoke goes BOING for no particular reason, other spokes are soon to follow.

[@613.Rooster]

Not always. Change the spoke. Check the tension. Drive side spoke tension matters. The long spokes on the none drive are whatever they are as long as they are even as possible. Ideal spoke tension is recommended by the rim manufacturer with the tires off. Dish, true, de-stress, tension, de-stress, balance tension. De-stress. The basics of the process. Some folks think high tension equals a strong wheel. However if its to high for the rims tolerance then spokes break and things deteriorate from there. Cheers!

[@davidbierbaum4881]

@@613.Rooster Thanks. I have made a horrible discovery however. Most of the spokes are from 1992, and well, the nipples are rounded to the point of unusability. I'm glad my wheel was already mostly tru-ish, so my wheel doesn't slither like a snake, nor bob up and down like a pogo stick. Edit: What is this ribbon lying on the floor? Oh. The rim strip. Sigh. Off with the wheel, off with the tire, on with the rim tape...

[@clarkedevin]

At first I was like, don’t change the Rockhopper it’s good as it is but by the end of the video I was ok with the changes.

[@mygoalcrash8077]

nice bike!! now i understand why you get rid of that suspension forks,real steel forks looks much nicer. !!

[@StrangersIteDomum]

The saddle is so high, you're already half endo. No wonder the drops were so exciting.

[@Spindatt]

a high saddle is a proper saddle

[@AthelstanEngland]

Ride a 1989 Marin (rigid of course) but living in Bedfordshire, England it's almost flat... I'd love to have a go on these tracks... I'd be dead in five minutes but what a five minutes!

[@clint2627]

Can’t believe you didn’t change the tires 😁

[@jamespaxon1888]

Dang, I guess that means you'll have to buy a other old bike for those drop bars

[@rogerhart612]

Awesome and very capable bike. Agree new bikes make trails like that easier but Cunningham and Fisher would and did ride stuff like that on bikes like that and made it look easy