Are old school mountain bikes any good?

[LongCoolMother]

Originally posted by: grrl
$20 for a commuter bike? Who can complain?

:thumbsup:

 

[thomsbrain]

my bike is about 15 years old, cost less than $400 new, and I still use it for trails and downhill work. of course, the rims are completely coated in melted rubber from the brakes, i have to use my arms as shocks, and it weighs a lot, but it takes the hits and keeps on kicking.

i'd say my frame is a lot chunkier than that (those forks look awful thin), but for city riding, that bike is perfect for the price. worry not!

 

[ComputerMonkey]

Score! That thing will make a sweet commuter bike. Low theft risk. I ride an old Giant ATX that I got for free. No suspension, but great components. A lot of older bikes have better components than most cheap new ones.

 

[ThisIsMatt]

Originally posted by: deftron

Originally posted by: ThisIsMatt
Good ol' GT Triple Triangle frame

good thing or bad thing ?

Just nostalgia My best friend in grade/middle school had one...compared to the pos I had it was a ferrari

 

[vegetation]

Originally posted by: deftron

Originally posted by: Pablo
Heavy as lead, but a good solid bike. better than a huffy any day!

How much do todays mountain bikes weigh?

Typical $200-400 new bike with suspension fork will weigh around 28-30 lbs. These groups of bikes have heavy, low quality, suspension forks with minimal travel (i.e. practically useless). A $500-800 bike will have a significantly better fork and upgraded components so weight will be less, around 25 - 28 lbs. Anything under 25lbs for a mountain bike with a front suspension will cost you dramatically more money.

 

[Calin]

It's looking good. I would have prefered V-brakes, but you should be fine with those it has. Try to brake earlier than later, especially in wet weather.
I found my brakes (V-brakes) work pretty good if wet or with mud on the wheels. Haven't tried in combination (mud and soaked in water).
The wheels are simple (not double). Try to avoid big shocks and riding up curbs, as they can twist.

Seems perfect for city biking (except the seat, but I saw people prefering seats as big as some motorcycle seats).

 

[Calin]

Originally posted by: ComputerMonkey
Score! That thing will make a sweet commuter bike. Low theft risk. I ride an old Giant ATX that I got for free. No suspension, but great components. A lot of older bikes have better components than most cheap new ones.

Yes, that deal for 32$ seems much better than any up-to-$100 new mountain bike.

 

[Calin]

Originally posted by: deftron
However, I'm 99% city riding ... but the few cobblestone streets around
here do suck with it.

You might lower the air pressure in tires a bit - while it won't help a lot, it will help a bit. I know I feel much "better" every bump on the road when I fill the tires to the maxx