Good Old Fashioned Fun!

The bike industry is based on constantly evolving technology. Every 12 months the manufacturers release their latest wares; over night they would have you believe that your old kit has become so obsolete it is a miracle you can even ride down the high street to the shops on your old bike. Of course it isn't all marketing hype, bikes have progressed leaps and bounds since the early 90's. That constant development means we can now ride further and faster, over much more challenging terrain. I'm as much as a sucker as anyone for the latest shiny 11 speed widget or lightweight carbon thing-a-me! Perhaps we sometimes forget about the basic enjoyment in just riding a bike?

With my new mountain bike still work-in-progress and the road bike currently in desperate need of some TLC, my only choice was the frankenstein commuter/cross bike lurking in the dark at the back of the shed. Originally cobbled together from a mismatched assortment of parts raided from the spares box, it had only been intended for transporting my son around the local lanes. Dusted down and with a few tweaks it was once again pressed into active service for a 4 hour ride over a mixture of Sussex lanes and South Downs trails. Nothing new or innovative on this machine, but would this make the ride any less enjoyable?

 

At the heart of the bike is a 2001 Stumpjumper M4 fitted with a Salsa rigid fork. I have fitted some 29er Crest wheels, which with narrow 32mm Continental Touring tyres, doesn't throw the geometry out too much. The drivechain is an eclectic mix of 9 speed road casette and Ultegra rear mech, paired with an ancient XTR M960 crankset, modified to take a Blackspire 32t single chainring. All the other bits and pieces are old cast offs apart from the terrible Clarkes mechanical brakes which were a £10 internet purchase needed to get the beast rolling.

As soon as I left the luxury of tarmac and headed up Chalkpit Lane, I realised how spoilt we are now-a-days; modern suspension is like cheating! With narrow tyres and rigid forks I had to pick my line extremely carefully, even on the climbs. I had already chosen a route that stuck to the main bridleways and didn't take in any of the more technical trails we normally ride. It wasn't boring it was brilliant! I revisited paths I haven't ridden for years, and was able to take in the view instead of concentrating on dodging down the singletrack. Yes I was going slower (much slower) but actually it is just as challenging and rewarding. 

Mountain biking has moved on, and that is great, but getting on a bike like this reminded me of the 'good old days' when we still enjoyed every ride as much as we do now. No I'm not going to be riding this bike every weekend, for a start I'd need to convince all my friends to get retro bikes or I'd be left behind in an instant. However, it was a really enjoyable morning, a break from the norm and a chance to reminisce.