I was gunna say, "under biking" is just called "going for a ride" for me. I can't afford a new bike. I can't afford a less than 10 year old used bike. I rode nearly 3000 miles last year, "underbiked" the whole time. You know what? I still had a blast, and I didn't have to put shit on my credit card.
@@kidflash9905 Budget Pro Tip here. You don't have to ride a bike that's gunna break you and mess up your knees... If you live in or near a bigish city, chances are there's a co-op or bike exchange kinda place. Go hunt some yard sales and find a decent 90's or early 00's frame in your size with a decent enough groupset and straightish wheels. That's most of the battle, but if you look hard enough you can usually grab something for about $50 to $80 bucks. Go take it to that co-op place and rebuild the whole damn thing. Every bearing, every cable. Replace what needs to be replaced out of their parts pile. Usually less than $100 if you don't have to replace any major components. I've done it this way a few times and I have a couple decent bikes that fit me well and run like a charm. My "Cadillac" bike is an old GT Zaskar hard tail. I've got a total of $400 in that thing and I ride it constantly. It's killer.
Great piece. This isn't an under-bike, this is my only bike. I learned in the early 90s and never upgraded. Less complication, less cost, a more pure ride. Thanks for taking the time to appreciate the past.
Same here! Maybe if I would have had the budget I might have bought a new mtb somewhere along the line, but I don't think so tbh, as I lost my interest in mountain biking when it got ever more 'EXTREME!!!1!'. I kept on riding, but only after gravel biking became I thing did I get really into it again. I just brought back the old feeling and led me to rebuild my '94 mtb in to a 'monstercross' bike, with a dirt drop bar and faster tires. And I absolutely LOVE it. I have zero interest in buying/owning/riding a modern mountainbike. Simple, uncomplicated, honest fun!
@@captainchaos3053 I ride both of mine every week, more in the warm months. I'm afraid if I ever got on a modern bike I might think of my two oldies differently
I will say... The first months of my adventure into mtb, I was riding a ragged hardtail and bouncing down the trail with a huge grin. I am unsure I've smiled that big in a long time! Had nothing to do with the bike, but the challenge.
When I first went crazy mountain biking I was riding a Wal-Mart bike I found in a dumpster. Replaced the bars grips and chain and beat the hell out of it
Just a heads up I am autistic person and youtube had taken me off your videos but now I am back on and I have been looking at your videos from the beginning and I am 38 years old and love the Energy that come off your videos that you make bro so I hope you keep on going
When I started doing this years ago, it was a great way to rediscover the terror! When you're used to going 30mph on a rocky section with the latest suspension technology, you forget the thrill of going 12mph through the same section on a bike that you're pretty sure is about to explode.
Take an XC bike on real trails! Soo much fun, jump trails take time to learn but its possible and youll be doing it better than the full suspension guys
I still hit sections of bad road fast enough on my classic rigid MTB to blur my vision ... just like when I used to ride that same bike on trails at literal breakneck speeds. I have a full suspension bike too now, but it's almost boring in how smoothly it descends.
@@dl9248 My first bike was a racing BMX bike ... i'd take it trail riding for days, 1 brake and handle bars that wanna bend from a bunny hop lol. Thats how I learnt most of the skills I know. Tyres that basically had no tread, everyone thought I was crazy XD
In the early days of front suspension for mountain bikes, I remember sales people at bike shops recommending bikes with rigid forks for beginners so that they could "learn how to ride a bike" (picking lines, etc.) before moving up to a suspension fork. I've had the 'go fast' bikes, but even then, have always loved "under-biking." Great, down to earth content, Seth!
If you close your eyes while Seth descends in the video it sounds like a shopping cart being pushed down a staircase. 😁 Love this video. It totally reminded me of the reason I fell in love with the sport 20+ years ago. Thanks again, Seth!
My whole first season of high school mountain biking was done on a 1989 specialized fsr that my dad gave me and was sitting on a rack for 15 years or so. I did my first race on it at bever mountain in Utah. Now that I have a modern bike I have tremendous respect for the original mountain bikers that had EVEN LESS than what I had on that fsr. I mainly use my marlin 7 to shred trails now but every now and then I like hit some sick uphill and sketchy downhill on my 25 year old specialized fsr. Under biking is one of my favorite things to do!
I ride my gravel bike on MTB trails fairly often and it's super fun. It can be a bit sketchy because my stem is slammed and I run 40mm tyres, but at least I have a 50mm dropper post. I've done the whole 300m vertical (both up and down) at my local MTB park and it's always a good change from the trail bike.
Enjoyed watching this. Back in the 1980s when I started mountain biking, that would have been a dream bike! Just getting back into it now, after 25 years. Much nicer bike, much more breakable body!
Seth is reminding us of a very important thing to remind ourselves - to appreciate the bikes we have and remember why we mountain bike. I started off with a 3x7 marlin 6 with a coil fork. When i got my full sus Stumpjumper it felt like a whole new ball game. After owning both for multiple years now though, I enjoy riding both of them. Sometimes i choose to take my marlin out for the very reason that Seth mentioned - because it’s slightly sketchier and that sometimes makes it more fun! It also makes me appreciate the act of riding, the fact that my marlin can still get me up and down any trail in my area, despite being a “less capable bike”. Honestly it’s just as capable, just slower downhill and less smooth. The point is, 99% of us mountain bike because it’s simply fun, it’s fun how we’re not on perfectly smooth pavement, it’s fun that there are other variables involved. The bike industry makes us think that we need the latest and greatest, but when we take a look at what we have in the shed already, we should take a moment to appreciate the bike we have and simply go out and ride, because the version of us that started mountain biking for the first time would kill to have the bike we currently own right now. All a matter of perspective.
So true, even though I prefer using an all-terrain on the blacktop, not having all of the amenities of a modern rig can put a spring in your step after a nice downhill.
I still have my first mountain bike, a 96' Fuji Suncrest. Even all these years later, I still love riding it. My hardcore mountain biking friends always comment about it--how it's so old and how I can even ride the thing with no shock up front, but it's what I learned on and when I'm riding it, I can still tear the trails up with the best of them. Disclaimer: I also have a Rocky Mountain Fusion 10 for those days when I want to dance with the wolves.
Thank you Seth! Biking can seem expensive to new riders but it’s not. Biking is for everyone and your channel is leading the way with repair vids and flips and this video. You rock!
I don't get why people keep saying that. Maybe to feel themselves feel special? I've had so much fun on the most basic of bikes. As long as it hold together and doesn't just break all the time, just ride it!
But it is expensive. You need the right protective gear, some essential kit, a bike that won't break down on a rough road and put your life at risk. All this costs, sometimes unnecessarily much
@@catalinpth You're riding on roads? That's what's putting your life at risk. A bike breaks down on a trail? Walk it back. You'll live. In Search and Rescue, we had no recoveries for people mountain biking, hiking, trail running, even off roading or ATVing or dirt biking.
Been mountain biking for 25 years and rode so many amazing bikes. With that said I sold them all and am now rockin a $50 yard sale 26" and am loving it clacking forks and all! On a side note I think 26" wheels are pretty amazing!
80/90's brand bikes second hand are still so much better than what you get in the grocery shop for the same money. At the time they were made for MTB and MTB hasn't really changed. Meanwhile, the new bikes are just build so cheap they break down all the time and what good is that going to be? I wouldn't want to ride rim breaks tbh, but other than that, for the money, I'd much prefer any used one over the new ones.
Thank you for making this video. It's important that the community welcome all people, including those who spend most of their money on necessities. Your video shows that mountain biking can be more affordable than golf or downhill skiing. I also hope your video inspires people to donate an old bike or share their tools and bike repair knowledge with a friend who bought a bike at a yard sale. Great work!!
It’s a feeling that you can’t understand until you try it. To me it makes you feel more immersed into the dangers and obstacles ahead, and makes you rely more on bike control and maneuvering rather than just letting your suspension eat up all the terrain and obstacles.
I just climbed mulinax and squirrel gap on a 120mm hardtail without a dropper because that's the only bike I have. I've never wanted a full suspension bike more. Think I walked a mile of the 13 mile loop. Took almost 3 hours. I'm an older beginner and I could've used a lot more traction and less of a beating personally. It was fun but probably more fun on a bike designed for that much technical climbing. I will not discount me also needing more skill and endurance but a more appropriate tool for the job would help.
I have been a full time bike messenger for 8 years. After many bikes and setups, I have finally settled on the most uncomplicated and pure set up possible. A Single Speed steel frame with 25mm slicks. No gears, no disc brakes, no suspension, no fenders, no front rack, and minimal maintenance. I find the challenge fun. I feel everything and it's pure urban cycing Zen. Less is more more sometimes.
I agree with most of your points about simplicity, but mudguards/fenders are a must for everyday biking, unless you enjoy dirty spray from the roads up your back and lower front. If you're just going riding, that's fine, but riding to get somewhere where you don't want want to be wet and dirty is different. And a rack plus panniers are far more comfortable than a backpack.
Thank you for this. Like the truck guys say " It's more fun to do easy trails in a stock rig than it is to do hard trails in a built rig". Single speed takes it up another notch
I was thinking the same thing. I've heard guys build their rigs to takle the harder trails, then find it too easy. It's more challenging to run a stock(ish) rig on open diffs, makes you learn how to pick your lines and develop skill.
I appreciate you Seth for showing the youngsters of today you don’t need the newest bikes or most expensive to get into mountain biking this video was awesome ! thank you Seth
On my budget all I've ever done is under-biking and love it!!! Currently have a 1985 Schwinn High Sierra...1985 Ross Mt Hood Chrome...and a 1958 Schwinn Klunker...including upgrades into all of them for about $600
Great video. I like the message that you don't have to spend lots of money to have fun on a trail bike. I'm still riding a hardtail with 12 yr old tech, still having fun.
As someone who rides a 1999 Univega DS 900, I completely agree with this!!! After all the laughs I've gotten while riding all the same stuff as people with more capable bikes, I'm very glad you're bringing to light the enjoyment of intentionally riding a bike like this!
This is exactly what I have been doing for the past half year, minus the owning a contemporary bike. I have now 2 Specialized Stumpjumpers, one the gorgeous mango yellow M2 stumpy, and the other one my first bike after separating from my ex and one with a very fitting name, the Rockhopper! haha. Also, there is something magical about finding a "dead" frame and reviving these "beings" that have been around for so long, it just feels different, they have a sort of ACQUIRED PERSONALITY. Finding them, liking them, dating them, growing with them... It makes it less about getting things and more about enjoying things, it reinforces the journey from a place of gratitude. Yes, a brand new "dream bike" can make you feel gratitude because of it, but when you feel gratitude with a lot less than that "dream bike" you learn a bit. Great video!
Funny you mention that. I'm finishing up an 89' Stumpjumper that I completely rebuilt, powdered and 1x-11 converted. I've got a 94' Rockhopper commuter that is getting a cheap 1x drivetrain and cleaning. I'm so excited to have them up and running. I love the vintage specialized
Yep, totally agree. So much so, I'm restoring an abandoned '92 Marin I got for nothing, and I'm really looking forward to revisiting my past. Biopace 3x7, no sus, Tange steel frame...It's so much simpler to work on too!
Seth, this is one of my favorite biking videos in a long time. I still have and ride a front suspension bike from 20 years ago and lend my Santa Cruz to friends while I ride the old Bianchi. Its great fun and to be honest, I often like the riding just as much. I descend a little slower, but everything else is basically the same! Thanks for making this episode of Berm Peak!
YES!! Thank you for expanding my vocabulary! I’ve been an under biker most of my life. More fun, less fund! My first mountain bike came from a campus police auction in 2001. I rode that 80’s Fuji Cadenza 200mi around campus before I found a seat post and joined some friends for my first ever trail ride, on a snowy hiking trail! It hit me hard in 2010, in response to a ridiculously expensive replacement for my 29lb 29er. Instead of selling an organ for a new mountain bike, I made my local trail (Bonneville Shoreline) more thrilling/challenging/time consuming by stuffing my beach cruiser with 3inch ‘flame’ tires, a tiny kids bike chainring, and a 2 speed kick back coaster brake hub. In 2014 I organized a very fun ‘clunk’ shuttle ride with street commuter bike geeks and donated cruisers from my local non-profit bicycle shop. After years of riding all kinds of places, I’ve settled with one simple ride anywhere bike which nicely blends modern and classic elements. Rigid 2016 steel Salsa Fargo, wood chipper drop bars, bar end shifters, cable disc brakes, 3x29 tires, 2x10 boost. With toddler life, I don’t ride much, but when I do, my bike is ready, I dress for any weather, boots, mittens, sandals, raincoat, throw a leg and ride ON!
My very first "mountain" bike (I use the term extremely loosely) was a Huffy Stalker in Middle School back in the early 90s, and in hindsight, the stuff my friends and I would do on those horrible department store bikes was borderline suicidal. Here we are in our 40s, and most of us still ride. There's nothing quite like rattling your teeth out of your head on a jangly pile of steel tubing, headed face-first down a trail with almost no braking ability, and those experiences definitely kicked off an addiction. This video brought back some memories.
Love it. This is one of the reasons I still have my Schwinn 90's "mountain bike" that my parents got for me in high school. If you want that saddle to not rattle so much, you can pop some of the bits into a sock (like the CO2 cartridge). It doesn't add much weight but it will stop that annoying rattle.
Seth, I wanna see you try some dual compound koolstop break pads on that bike. I stuck a couple sets of those on my old v breaks and it's insane how much better they work compared to the typical black rim break pads.
Could you tell me the exact model? Or are they the same besides the shape? I'm currently riding my first MTB, a 10 year old Orbea 26er which was 200€ new, on its second pair of pads... I clean the pads to slow down their wear but they might be in for a replacement.
they're all the same as long as it says dual compound, just the shape is different. i use the MTB pads on my 99' GT (converted into a commuter/gravel bike). they stop like nothing else, my only issue is they kinda sweat in the rain and get weaker
Spreading the good word. Love it. Many people treat the sport like it's all about the bike, how nice, shiny, and good it is/looks. And it is a bit about that up to some extent, but it's about getting together with friends and enjoying the thrilling nature in the first place
I don't remember MTB trails in the late 80s and early 90s. All I know is that you found yourself at the top of a hill, made sure your shoes were tied, and let it rip. I don't even remember anyone checking their brakes. If you crashed, you were a hero, If you didn't you were a boss. I can't even recall the first mountain bike I laid eyes on. It was all about BMX or a chromed out Schwinn. No helmet, wearing jean shorts, banana seat wobbling and if you had a pair, the bike had coaster brakes hahahaha. Later on in the 90s I started getting into MTB and that Diamondback death trap was at the top of the list. Thanks for bringing back those memories.
I started my MTB adventures riding a Mt. Shasta Pachanga Comp during the mid 90's. I still have that bike in my fleet, and I really enjoy it! Great video again!
Great video! We don’t need expensive stuff to have fun. People had fun on these bikes for years and tons of them survived and are still usable today. Also, old rigid mtb’s are the best for around town. The ability to hold up on rough roads along with off-road capabilities make them so much more versatile than a road bike or city bike.
Every time you do a video on that old Diamond Back, I'm taken back to when I bought my first mountain bike in maybe '89? Guess I would've been 14 years old. A Diamond Back Ascent with a super cool smoke paint job. I loved that bike, and I rode the snot out of it on the gnarliest downhill tech there was. No suspension, garbage rim brakes, super narrow handlebars, no dropper post, fingers completely cramped up from pulling on the brake levers so hard the entire time. It was awesome. I'm often glad I got my start back then, as it makes me appreciate my modern bikes so much more!
Seth, What a great video. Thank you for providing such a great perspective and context for mountain biking. In the 1990’s and early 2000 I rode all the trails in Pisgah, Kitsuma, Mills River and Brevard on 1989 Trek 8900 with a Rock Shox Quadra 21R and had a blast! Underbiking did not exist because we did not know any different. As much as I appreciate the technology and development of mountain biking, you do NOT need a $4000.00 mtb to have fun in this sport.
9:22 Seth, you’re the best! Arguably the best MTB content creator ever! It’s incredible how you can squeeze great stuff from the most mundane situations! I started my MTB journey on a DB Topanga, just like that one, and I undoubtedly had amazing moments riding it. I can’t stress more how a good bike like that (for that era) was important to me to enjoy what I do ever since. Here in Brazil we mostly ride XC, and the Topanga was a “suitable” bike for the discipline, given its limitations. But seeing you trying to climb a rock, or emulate a dropper post and descend that sketchy (gnarly, by my XC standards) trail section was way too much. The geometry and the lack of a suspension fork turned that descent so… funny, it’s like you were handling a jackhammer! As much as I liked my beloved Topanga, I have never regretted all the bike upgrades I went through ever since lol. Thank you, you’ve just made my Thursday better!
Man I love your videos. You actually inspired me to try mountain biking! Went down my first descent on a garage sale full suspension probably from Walmart and had a blast! I couldn’t wait for the next time! I am now a decently fast XC rider, racing things like fools gold, and Snake Creek gap! Thank you for getting me going!
I love your videos like this, I grew up on cheap or used bikes, my first mountain bike was an orange gt triple triangle front suspension, I rode it until I couldn't, as i broke too many parts. I still have the frame and fork. It was given to me by my late neighbor Randy, he and that bike sparked my love for mountain biking, for free. Thanks Randy, miss ya buddy:)
Seth, that image of you, belt-sanding down your tire sides absolutely made my day! Especially after weeks of fiddling with the fitment on a nasty gravel conversion. 😂
One of my favorite MTB rides was on a Trek MTB pulled out of the used bike pile. Same vintage, original everything (down to the rock-hard-even-after-bastard-filed brake pads and foam grips), in the dark. I'm always on the lookout for a bike like that to rip the local trails with. Thanks for the great content, Seth!
No, they don't. I have one of the last Cannondale F600s (26 with disks). It is totally sketch compared to a more modern 29" Cannondale Trail. Even for climbing.
@@johnkem2630 I have all those sizes as well in addition to a 27.5/650. Nimble is a subjective term and not a 'fact'. As for nimble itself, the trail is different than on tarmac.
@@bindingcurve Physics - Centrifugal Force is directly proportional to mass & the radius from it's axis and exponentially calculated by velocity. For a bicycle wheel & tire given the same tire, rim & spokes but at a different radius the larger radius configuration will exhibit greater centrifugal force. This will require more energy to spin at the same revolution as a smaller radius. The definition of 'nimble' is "quick & light in motion", of which a smaller radius spinning object will exhibit over the equivalent larger radius spinning object.
@@johnkem2630 OMG you are right, we all need to be riding 12 inch wheels. Think of it this way, the wheel may be more "nimble" but your not riding the wheel, you are riding the bike. So things like contact patch and even dampening have a huge impact on the ability of the bike to change direction. In addition, the rider leans the bike, and the rider can be more aggressive with the counter torque with a larger rim making the bike more nimble.
City dwellers here. Still riding those today 25 years after I received it as a gift. I have 2 of them now, one is full rigid, one with front suspension (short travel like 50mm). Enjoy the ride very much. Bike ride just put a smile on my face.
This is a perfect topic for today. I am just finishing up (tires coming today) my monster-cross conversion of a 1996 Raleigh. And I’m more excited about this build than I was about my new trail bike last year. I grew up riding rigid 26” hard tails, had a lot of fun then… is no less fun today.
And now there's thousands of them in ok condition ready to be had for far less than their original price or the price of a new current bike. We're enjoying a cool era of cycling.
Strong advocate of "underbiking" here, even my main bike is an underbike compared to todays rigs. I do however say there is a minimum level of equipment if you still want to ride swiftly and safely without feeling that you are destroying your bike. Vbrakes, 1x, fresh grips, freshly tightened wheels and yes modern tyres. Wider handlebars will also transform the bike from awkward and sketchy to comfortable and stable, but arent so much of a must as the other items.
This is one of my favorite Mtn. Bike videos, and topics. Radless riding? I was a late comer to this amazing activity, in 1980 and deep-under biking was the norm. My favorite ride is an early 90's rig that has been modernized but still gives me the thrills BPE speaks of, plus it didn't cost as much as a small car.
You really cant beat the nostalgia and fun of riding an old MTB or Klunker out on the trails. Just in general rigid MTBs are fun and super speedy, i remember getting air on my dads old trek 800 all the time
I still own a '98 Specialized Stumpjumper M2 S-Works hardtail and a '98 Stumpjumper M2 Comp hardtail because I love their simplicity, light weight, having to finesse the bike and pick the best line up and down trails - the way I used to ride when I first started mountain biking in the early 1990s. I haven't ridden my Stumpjumper FSR in several years now, opting instead for one of my hardtails. They're a blast and absolute pleasure to ride.
I’m a new mountain biker. Bought a trek Marlin in 2020. I have it with the stock wheels and brakes, everything else is replaced. I put cross country tires on it and still ride it to this day!! Love being underbiked sometimes. It reminds me about what my full sus is really doing for me, in terms of purchase and geo, and keeps me safer on my more capable bikes. Great video.
I had no idea there was a name for it. My bike isn’t a 90s bike but it’s a budget, junior sized (I’m very short) hardtail . Front suspension has hardly any travel, only 1.95” width tyres, rim breaks, no dropper post, isn’t compatible with tubeless. So even though it’s only a couple of years old, it pretty much meets everything else you were talking about as it’s way under spec’d compared to other mountain bikes. And I love riding trails on it. The three chainrings are the front make climbing effortless and the extra challenge on the downhills so it’s so much fun. I feel everything through the bike. But that teaches me how to use my body to both absorb it and to position myself/the bike to tackle it. I don’t particularly want a modern, full suspension MTB. I love being on my underbiked hardtail.
An absolute pleasure watching your videos over the last 4 years. Plenty informative guidelines and extremely entertaining at the same time. Lock me in!
My first MTB was a fully rigid Barracuda in 1994. Now I get the same thrills by under biking with my gravel bike. It definitely spices things up and builds some skillz
Thank you Seth! This was a fun video. I can't wait to be able to justify buying a nicer bike some day, but for now I am content with my $75 Craigslist special.
One of my favourite bikes is a 1993 Giant Cadex CFM3 which I picked up for a bargain and put a few hours of work into refreshing it. Definitely an underbike today but back in the day was an 'out of my price range" weapon. It's certainly nice and light to drag up a long climb.
I just had my 1993ish aluminum frame PX bike gone through. Have not ridden it for 30 years. Loving it! I have not ridden a modern bike, might be fun, but I used to drop into vertical creek washes on my hard tails way before this bike with maybe 1.5” travel forks. Gen X was just a different world.
This is exactly why I bought a gravel bike and after riding it for a few hours it's almost the same sport as "proper" mountain biking in the 90s. It allows me to feel challenged on easy trails or to judge the actual difficulty of the terrain when I'm out with beginners or family. Gravel bikes also allow you to cover a lot more ground in the same time frame (assuming that you have to ride asphalt to reach trails). All that said, my favorite mountain bike of all time was a chromoly Gary Fisher hard tail from 1999. I always said that bike had everything but breaks and I loved everything about it!
If you can't have as much fun on an old, outdated bike as on a state-of-the-art new one, are you really biking for fun? or is it your ego you're trying to feed? Dude, thank you for this video!!! The gearhead mindset has run wild soooo far in the biking community, especially in mt/wilderness biking. people have completely been distracted from the essence of the sport. Gotta remember that every time you ride a new bike - especially if it's got fewer bells and whistles - you will acquire new physical and mental skills. Not only that, things and obstacles that were once taken for granted are suddenly tricky and require skill + problem solving! And the novelty, oh my god. It is so fun. 3 of my friends and I once took bmxs on a riverside trail, we had not had that much fun on that trail in years. I am eager to see more people embrace this mindset, of using what you have, and doing things that aren't best practice. Really? you NEED your 7k cyclocross bike for accompanying friends on this here flat dirt trail? Loosen up a bit! Surfers are revisiting longboards and midlengths, climbers are trying old shoes again, musicians will use old, beat up instruments all the time. What's our excuse?
Recently started upgrading my dad's old 90s era Trek 750 (chromoly frame, 3x7 Shimano STX drivetrain, grip shifters, 700c rims, etc.), and I've been having a blast on trails with it. Been advised to upgrade my wheelset, shifting, and brake system, but otherwise, it did admirably on the trails down at Lake Anna in central VA. The full solid frame is uh...a little rough, especially over exposed roots, but it's motivating me to start biking again and get active. Glad I found this video, I didn't know that there was a term for what I was getting into!
I really liked this. So many people base their love of cycling on technology, which is shallow and wrong- headed. If you have a shop that is more into service than sales of new bikes, by all means support it!
After many years of riding, I first got in to mountain bikes in about 1989. They were so simple compared to today's bikes. The most modern one I have owned had front suspension and cable disc brakes, aluminium frame and 26 inch rims. A decent entry level bike at the time. The more stretched out position was awful, I really couldn't get on with it. My favourite MTB was a rigid Trek, with cro-mo steel frame and fork, V-brakes, 26 inch rims and a 3x7(?) transmission. It fitted like a glove, did everything I wanted it to do, and I'd have another in a heartbeat.
Back in summer 2003 I was an intern, I casually mentioned that I love to ride but did not have a bike. My boss offered to let me use his rigid for the summer and I couldn't be happier. I also enjoyed it, found it pretty ok with a pair of gloves to dampen the bumps a little. I just started riding back then so I have little expectation and skill, and it served me well. It took me to local trails, which was also my first trail experience. I miss it, not that I will get a rigid now, but I really appreciate the experience it gave me. At the end of the summer, I had it tuned up and returned it to my boss, and he was grateful that I used it well.
You definitely took me back in time with this video. My first MTB was a 1989 26" Bianchi Grizzly. rigid Chrome Moly frame, cantilever brakes, 1.95 tires and the most god-awful Celeste green color. Had so much fun on it even though I got beat up every time I rode. Great learning experience.
I was forced to underbike when my Santa Cruz 5010 was recalled. I got my old (1994 vintage) mountain bike down from the rafters and tuned it up so I could ride. When I rode it for the first time it felt like the front wheel was between my knees and the handlebars were super narrow. I got used to it after a few rides and I will say that it was great on tight switchbacks and with the triple chainrings and light weight it climbed very well. It was spicy on technical trails and on fast downhill sections but that was kind of fun. Glad to have my 5010 back, I appreciate it more now!
You are obviously a great rider. When I was young I could not do what you do. I'm 67 and I still have my Bridgestone MB1 from the 80s. I am too old to take chances like you do. I mostly use my Cyclocross Titanium bike but I still love riding the MB1. The guys in my bike shop always tell me how cool my bike is.
Seth, it's another great vid! Underbiking is also a great way to put bikes back in circulation that otherwise may end up in a landfill. It's great re-use. Some of those 90's mountain bikes make a decent commuter or gravel bike too.
I pull out my underbike (early 2000's Giant NRS) whenever someone comes over and wants to try mountain biking. They get to try my modern bike, and I ride the underbike. And yes, it has a seat pack! The thing I can't believe is that there are people who still ride these as their primary mountain bike. People don't understand just how much progressive/slack geometry has improved biking. My underbike is constantly trying to throw me over the handlebars even though it's a larger frame size than my modern bike. It constantly smacks the front chainrings, and I can't get behind it for anything. Like you said though, it evens the score when you're riding with newbies!
The sound of you coming down the hill with the seat bag banging around and the bike stressing over the roots brings me back to my early days of riding in the late 80's and early 90's. Nostalgia at it's best
"under-biking" is exactly how i got into mountain biking because it was all i had at the time. i started my mtb career hitting trails in my little 20" tire, single speed, fully rigid bmx bike with only one rim brake on the rear wheel, and ill tell you what that is still some of the most fun ive ever had on some trails. because of how small and light that bmx bike was, it was incredibly easy to throw around which made it tons of fun, and due to it being rigid it helped me learn how to pick better lines very early on
so glad you like it! especially the descending. I ditched my modern MTB last year when I pulled a Bianchi Osprey (very similar to that diamondback) out of a junk pile and fixed it up. No more power robbing suspension and cushiness. Replaced the bearings and even though the races are pitted... who cares!? I love it and it requires very little maintenance.
I love this concept. The first year I was into “mountain biking “ I was literally riding my hard back trail box bike down off roaring and 4x4 trails. This gave me a ton of skills and insane endurance and strength. When I finally saved up for my first bike , a trek fuel ex, I was smashing it right off the rip and had instantly found a sport I would do the rest of my life as well as spread to dozens of friends and family’s
I’ve been under biking all the way up to last year where I finally got myself a full suspension e-bike. Wow, what a difference. Before that I had a 1998 Diamondback Apex with front suspension. It is very light weight and still works pretty well. My teenage son rides that bike now.
I bought a hybrid, Cannondale quick for this very reason!! Slapped on some slightly thicker tires and bam! It's a blast to ride almost everywhere, and I literally ride it everywhere! Greens, light blues, cycling trails, city cycling, you name it. It's so fun and makes riding XC trails fun again. My favorite feature about the bike is the front thru axle. Most hybrids come with QR but those don't have enough stiffness to prevent the tire/wheel from rubbing against the fork. It's really annoying when that happens.
I was thinking about buying a new bike for mountain biking thinking I needed it. But after this video the fact I have front suspension is looking pretty good. Took it on the trail for my first time and it was great.
I LOVE this video!! I got into MTB back in 1993, first bike was a Trek 8000 rigid. Well, I took a break for a few years and got back into MTB around 2010 not really thinking about a new bike. I absolutely RIPPED some trails on that old bike but unfortunately almost every ride I was breaking my titanium spokes or other parts, the bike was older and not really built for rocky trails. Still, I had FUN! I also got back in shape and after trying out a friends full suspension bike realized I wanted one. Eventually I bought a Pivot bike, most expensive sports purchase ever but I'm still riding it today. But that last part where you said don't listen to people that say you need to spend about $4000 to get into MTB was great! Definitely would encourage anyone wanting to try the sport to check out a good vintage bike, as much as I love my new bike I'd still be having just as much fun on that old one.
My road bike is a GT outpost that my dad got before I was born and I've repaired things on it, replaced parts, add panniers, and made it my own. That thing runs beautifully and I love it. That bike cost me nothing to get and I just repaired and replaced stuff as I went.
I still have my 'Full-NoSpension Retrogrouch Bridgestone MB-1 and after riding my 27.5" Switchblade and 29" Santa Cruz Hightower LT there's something seriously fun about getting back to my Roots - lol There's a purity & simplicity to it that's somehow inexplicably good for the Soul. You're forced to go slower, or just plain Slow and in doing so MB'n becomes less carnival thrill ride and more "organic" where I can feel the earth more and taste more of the mountain than when flying low at 30mph on a cushion of technorogy. You hit it spot-on with your comparison to camping, less comfortable/ more flavour.
I did my first mountain bike race in 2018 on a 1997 trek 780… it was so fun! The following year I “upgraded” to a 90mm hardtail single speed- so much fun!!! It’s just about getting out there, and having fun!!
I am perpetually under-biked riding a semi-ole budget hardtail on some tough trails in Colorado. Makes everything more of a challenge and it gives you a big sense of pride when you do a long ride and are the only hardtail in sight
Awesome, great video! I often underbike by necessity. I even rode my fixed gear (brakeless) bike with 25mm tires on MTB trails. It was fun and live to tell the story! Btw, I grew up with no suspension 90's mountain bikes.
My oldest and I have gotten into mountain biking this summer/fall. I got my hands on a cheap "under bike" and we have a bike park with several miles of trail literally next to our neighborhood. It has been a blast! I get to spend time with my children and I found a buddy who loves mountain biking. Friends family and fun! Now, I need help convincing my wife that for Christmas I need to stop "underbiking." 😉
I have made a bunch of friends that all ride pro-am for a few teams and they usually fly to another part of the country to race at least a couple of times during our college semesters. I've been more and more interested in going on a couple of trails near our school and I got curious about the cost of entry to mountain biking. It's wild how expensive modern "good" bikes are! When I used to bike to work and back (about 5 miles each way) as a teenager I think I was riding a bike that had cost my family like $100 new, probably from a walmart or something. Great to see the budget options out here like this for people like me who are just looking to dip a toe into this sport for the first time. Great video!
I have a Schwinn High Sierra from the mid 80’s. I gave it to my son and when he got a newer bike, he hung it up in my workshop. Two years ago, I put used but better tires on it, lubed everything, adjusted everything, and took it to the MTB trails on old Fort McClellan. I had a blast.
Yep, I totally get it. I own a Specialized Stumpjumper FSR, but more often than not I tend to ride my 1995 Specialized Stumpjumper FS w/ a chromoly frame, cant. brakes, and a Mag 21 susp. fork. It keeps me honest, my finesse skills sharp, and my eyes always looking for the best lines on trails. Way more fun.
I love the idea behind this because the cost and confusion around modern bike technology is such a barrier for most of us that it's hard to forget that all you need to do is get on a bike and have fun. I'd argue that a more practical approach to this is buying an entry level model of a reliable brand. Bikes have gotten so good that even a $600 Trek or Rocky Mountain is amazingly capable and probably on par with a high end bike from 15 years ago.
"Under-biking" is how most people participate in mountain biking! Riding what they can, with what they got.
I was gunna say, "under biking" is just called "going for a ride" for me. I can't afford a new bike. I can't afford a less than 10 year old used bike. I rode nearly 3000 miles last year, "underbiked" the whole time. You know what? I still had a blast, and I didn't have to put shit on my credit card.
@@nasonguy Agree man, my bike is way small and short, my kneecaps almost give out when I take it past 10kms, but man oh man is it fun
That's how I started.
@@kidflash9905 Budget Pro Tip here. You don't have to ride a bike that's gunna break you and mess up your knees...
If you live in or near a bigish city, chances are there's a co-op or bike exchange kinda place.
Go hunt some yard sales and find a decent 90's or early 00's frame in your size with a decent enough groupset and straightish wheels. That's most of the battle, but if you look hard enough you can usually grab something for about $50 to $80 bucks. Go take it to that co-op place and rebuild the whole damn thing. Every bearing, every cable. Replace what needs to be replaced out of their parts pile. Usually less than $100 if you don't have to replace any major components.
I've done it this way a few times and I have a couple decent bikes that fit me well and run like a charm. My "Cadillac" bike is an old GT Zaskar hard tail. I've got a total of $400 in that thing and I ride it constantly. It's killer.
Like riding my road bike on trails because I don’t have cash for a mtb
Great piece. This isn't an under-bike, this is my only bike. I learned in the early 90s and never upgraded. Less complication, less cost, a more pure ride. Thanks for taking the time to appreciate the past.
spot on
me too, still have my Stumpjumper from the late 80s and my Trek Singletrack 950 from the mid 90s
Same here! Maybe if I would have had the budget I might have bought a new mtb somewhere along the line, but I don't think so tbh, as I lost my interest in mountain biking when it got ever more 'EXTREME!!!1!'. I kept on riding, but only after gravel biking became I thing did I get really into it again. I just brought back the old feeling and led me to rebuild my '94 mtb in to a 'monstercross' bike, with a dirt drop bar and faster tires. And I absolutely LOVE it. I have zero interest in buying/owning/riding a modern mountainbike.
Simple, uncomplicated, honest fun!
@@Yowzoe mine was a rock hopper and it's still awesome!
@@captainchaos3053 I ride both of mine every week, more in the warm months. I'm afraid if I ever got on a modern bike I might think of my two oldies differently
I will say... The first months of my adventure into mtb, I was riding a ragged hardtail and bouncing down the trail with a huge grin. I am unsure I've smiled that big in a long time! Had nothing to do with the bike, but the challenge.
The bike I rode for my first 2 years was $20 off Facebook and probably older than me. It was great!
Totally me. I just go at the pace I can go on my 1990 Diamondback (the Dump Truck) and smile all the way.
I didn't really enjoy mine somehow :(
Just got a full suspension. Can’t imagine riding that 😂
When I first went crazy mountain biking I was riding a Wal-Mart bike I found in a dumpster. Replaced the bars grips and chain and beat the hell out of it
Just a heads up I am autistic person and youtube had taken me off your videos but now I am back on and I have been looking at your videos from the beginning and I am 38 years old and love the Energy that come off your videos that you make bro so I hope you keep on going
When I started doing this years ago, it was a great way to rediscover the terror! When you're used to going 30mph on a rocky section with the latest suspension technology, you forget the thrill of going 12mph through the same section on a bike that you're pretty sure is about to explode.
Take an XC bike on real trails! Soo much fun, jump trails take time to learn but its possible and youll be doing it better than the full suspension guys
I still hit sections of bad road fast enough on my classic rigid MTB to blur my vision ... just like when I used to ride that same bike on trails at literal breakneck speeds. I have a full suspension bike too now, but it's almost boring in how smoothly it descends.
@@dl9248 My first bike was a racing BMX bike ... i'd take it trail riding for days, 1 brake and handle bars that wanna bend from a bunny hop lol. Thats how I learnt most of the skills I know. Tyres that basically had no tread, everyone thought I was crazy XD
@@bevanmcnicholl2525 aka Mr. Walk the hill
@@lanuyey4593 Exactly!
Climning hills is fun on a racing bmx though! Youll get 2 metres and be pretty happy wiht yourself
In the early days of front suspension for mountain bikes, I remember sales people at bike shops recommending bikes with rigid forks for beginners so that they could "learn how to ride a bike" (picking lines, etc.) before moving up to a suspension fork.
I've had the 'go fast' bikes, but even then, have always loved "under-biking."
Great, down to earth content, Seth!
"Underbiking", or as we called it in the 90's "biking".
I can't explain how much I enjoyed this video. Well done, Seth!
I'm not cheap I'm underbiking!
Agree! Rad video.
@@timlewis5527 😂😂
Great video. "Under-biking" a few short years ago was also known as regular biking and people had the same amount of fun back then.
If you close your eyes while Seth descends in the video it sounds like a shopping cart being pushed down a staircase. 😁 Love this video. It totally reminded me of the reason I fell in love with the sport 20+ years ago. Thanks again, Seth!
No worse than sounding like a swarm of murder hornets. 😄
OMG!! The eggs! Noooooo!
Yeah, we didn't need dedicated trails because everyone within a 3 mile radius could hear us rattling along.
The sound of tools in a bag shaking around under the heavy vibrations of a rigid bike riding rough terrain..
My whole first season of high school mountain biking was done on a 1989 specialized fsr that my dad gave me and was sitting on a rack for 15 years or so. I did my first race on it at bever mountain in Utah. Now that I have a modern bike I have tremendous respect for the original mountain bikers that had EVEN LESS than what I had on that fsr. I mainly use my marlin 7 to shred trails now but every now and then I like hit some sick uphill and sketchy downhill on my 25 year old specialized fsr. Under biking is one of my favorite things to do!
While I don't have a retro MTB in my fleet (yet) everything in this video is a huge part of why I love my gravel bike so much.
Exactly!
I ride my gravel bike on MTB trails fairly often and it's super fun. It can be a bit sketchy because my stem is slammed and I run 40mm tyres, but at least I have a 50mm dropper post. I've done the whole 300m vertical (both up and down) at my local MTB park and it's always a good change from the trail bike.
Enjoyed watching this. Back in the 1980s when I started mountain biking, that would have been a dream bike! Just getting back into it now, after 25 years. Much nicer bike, much more breakable body!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 for the much more breakable body part!
Seth is reminding us of a very important thing to remind ourselves - to appreciate the bikes we have and remember why we mountain bike. I started off with a 3x7 marlin 6 with a coil fork. When i got my full sus Stumpjumper it felt like a whole new ball game. After owning both for multiple years now though, I enjoy riding both of them. Sometimes i choose to take my marlin out for the very reason that Seth mentioned - because it’s slightly sketchier and that sometimes makes it more fun! It also makes me appreciate the act of riding, the fact that my marlin can still get me up and down any trail in my area, despite being a “less capable bike”. Honestly it’s just as capable, just slower downhill and less smooth. The point is, 99% of us mountain bike because it’s simply fun, it’s fun how we’re not on perfectly smooth pavement, it’s fun that there are other variables involved. The bike industry makes us think that we need the latest and greatest, but when we take a look at what we have in the shed already, we should take a moment to appreciate the bike we have and simply go out and ride, because the version of us that started mountain biking for the first time would kill to have the bike we currently own right now. All a matter of perspective.
I quite liked your second to last sentence, 100% accurate.
So true, even though I prefer using an all-terrain on the blacktop, not having all of the amenities of a modern rig can put a spring in your step after a nice downhill.
I had a marlin 8
It was sh1t
I still have my first mountain bike, a 96' Fuji Suncrest. Even all these years later, I still love riding it. My hardcore mountain biking friends always comment about it--how it's so old and how I can even ride the thing with no shock up front, but it's what I learned on and when I'm riding it, I can still tear the trails up with the best of them. Disclaimer: I also have a Rocky Mountain Fusion 10 for those days when I want to dance with the wolves.
Thank you Seth! Biking can seem expensive to new riders but it’s not. Biking is for everyone and your channel is leading the way with repair vids and flips and this video. You rock!
I don't get why people keep saying that. Maybe to feel themselves feel special? I've had so much fun on the most basic of bikes.
As long as it hold together and doesn't just break all the time, just ride it!
But it is expensive. You need the right protective gear, some essential kit, a bike that won't break down on a rough road and put your life at risk. All this costs, sometimes unnecessarily much
@@catalinpth You're riding on roads? That's what's putting your life at risk. A bike breaks down on a trail? Walk it back. You'll live. In Search and Rescue, we had no recoveries for people mountain biking, hiking, trail running, even off roading or ATVing or dirt biking.
@Jim Baker well said, people often say they spend more for "safety" but in reality is just to boost their ego.
@@lanuyey4593you sound insecure
Been mountain biking for 25 years and rode so many amazing bikes. With that said I sold them all and am now rockin a $50 yard sale 26" and am loving it clacking forks and all! On a side note I think 26" wheels are pretty amazing!
I love my 80’s/90’s Specialized bikes. Awesome video showcasing older MTB’s and how they’re still capable.
I’ve commuted thousands of miles on such bikes!
I have an 80's Specialized StreetStomper. I love that thing so much. So simple, easy to fix, and I'm never worried my lock getting cut
80/90's brand bikes second hand are still so much better than what you get in the grocery shop for the same money. At the time they were made for MTB and MTB hasn't really changed. Meanwhile, the new bikes are just build so cheap they break down all the time and what good is that going to be?
I wouldn't want to ride rim breaks tbh, but other than that, for the money, I'd much prefer any used one over the new ones.
Thank you for making this video. It's important that the community welcome all people, including those who spend most of their money on necessities. Your video shows that mountain biking can be more affordable than golf or downhill skiing. I also hope your video inspires people to donate an old bike or share their tools and bike repair knowledge with a friend who bought a bike at a yard sale. Great work!!
It’s a feeling that you can’t understand until you try it. To me it makes you feel more immersed into the dangers and obstacles ahead, and makes you rely more on bike control and maneuvering rather than just letting your suspension eat up all the terrain and obstacles.
It is truly difficult to understand without trying it, that's absolutely true
I just climbed mulinax and squirrel gap on a 120mm hardtail without a dropper because that's the only bike I have. I've never wanted a full suspension bike more. Think I walked a mile of the 13 mile loop. Took almost 3 hours. I'm an older beginner and I could've used a lot more traction and less of a beating personally. It was fun but probably more fun on a bike designed for that much technical climbing. I will not discount me also needing more skill and endurance but a more appropriate tool for the job would help.
its kinda what people say about riding hardtails, it takes more work to ride smooth
I have been a full time bike messenger for 8 years. After many bikes and setups, I have finally settled on the most uncomplicated and pure set up possible. A Single Speed steel frame with 25mm slicks. No gears, no disc brakes, no suspension, no fenders, no front rack, and minimal maintenance. I find the challenge fun. I feel everything and it's pure urban cycing Zen. Less is more more sometimes.
I agree with most of your points about simplicity, but mudguards/fenders are a must for everyday biking, unless you enjoy dirty spray from the roads up your back and lower front. If you're just going riding, that's fine, but riding to get somewhere where you don't want want to be wet and dirty is different. And a rack plus panniers are far more comfortable than a backpack.
you are acting like you didnt follow the exact path of every bike messenger ever and arent riding the exact same bike lmao
Thank you for this. Like the truck guys say " It's more fun to do easy trails in a stock rig than it is to do hard trails in a built rig". Single speed takes it up another notch
Just like the "slow car fast" life in racing or autocross.
Single speed destroys your knees.
I was thinking the same thing. I've heard guys build their rigs to takle the harder trails, then find it too easy. It's more challenging to run a stock(ish) rig on open diffs, makes you learn how to pick your lines and develop skill.
@@pascalbruyere7108 Not necessarily, it rather depends on the gearing you choose. Fixed gear on the other hand... that can really hammer your knees.
I appreciate you Seth for showing the youngsters of today you don’t need the newest bikes or most expensive to get into mountain biking this video was awesome ! thank you Seth
On my budget all I've ever done is under-biking and love it!!! Currently have a 1985 Schwinn High Sierra...1985 Ross Mt Hood Chrome...and a 1958 Schwinn Klunker...including upgrades into all of them for about $600
Great video. I like the message that you don't have to spend lots of money to have fun on a trail bike. I'm still riding a hardtail with 12 yr old tech, still having fun.
This is one of the main reasons why I bought a hardtail. Specially the part about going riding with beginners and still have fun
As someone who rides a 1999 Univega DS 900, I completely agree with this!!! After all the laughs I've gotten while riding all the same stuff as people with more capable bikes, I'm very glad you're bringing to light the enjoyment of intentionally riding a bike like this!
I watch this as I’m putting my stuff together for a simple 3 day camping/mountain bike trip. It always feels good to go back to the basics
How did it go?
@@bradycunningham1267 great it was really fun. I posted a video of the first day on my channel 😁
This is exactly what I have been doing for the past half year, minus the owning a contemporary bike. I have now 2 Specialized Stumpjumpers, one the gorgeous mango yellow M2 stumpy, and the other one my first bike after separating from my ex and one with a very fitting name, the Rockhopper! haha. Also, there is something magical about finding a "dead" frame and reviving these "beings" that have been around for so long, it just feels different, they have a sort of ACQUIRED PERSONALITY. Finding them, liking them, dating them, growing with them... It makes it less about getting things and more about enjoying things, it reinforces the journey from a place of gratitude. Yes, a brand new "dream bike" can make you feel gratitude because of it, but when you feel gratitude with a lot less than that "dream bike" you learn a bit. Great video!
Funny you mention that. I'm finishing up an 89' Stumpjumper that I completely rebuilt, powdered and 1x-11 converted. I've got a 94' Rockhopper commuter that is getting a cheap 1x drivetrain and cleaning. I'm so excited to have them up and running. I love the vintage specialized
Yep, totally agree. So much so, I'm restoring an abandoned '92 Marin I got for nothing, and I'm really looking forward to revisiting my past. Biopace 3x7, no sus, Tange steel frame...It's so much simpler to work on too!
Yeah! They were design to be easily serviceable and many spares are easy to find due to trickling down of tech.
Seth, this is one of my favorite biking videos in a long time. I still have and ride a front suspension bike from 20 years ago and lend my Santa Cruz to friends while I ride the old Bianchi. Its great fun and to be honest, I often like the riding just as much. I descend a little slower, but everything else is basically the same! Thanks for making this episode of Berm Peak!
YES!! Thank you for expanding my vocabulary! I’ve been an under biker most of my life. More fun, less fund! My first mountain bike came from a campus police auction in 2001. I rode that 80’s Fuji Cadenza 200mi around campus before I found a seat post and joined some friends for my first ever trail ride, on a snowy hiking trail! It hit me hard in 2010, in response to a ridiculously expensive replacement for my 29lb 29er. Instead of selling an organ for a new mountain bike, I made my local trail (Bonneville Shoreline) more thrilling/challenging/time consuming by stuffing my beach cruiser with 3inch ‘flame’ tires, a tiny kids bike chainring, and a 2 speed kick back coaster brake hub. In 2014 I organized a very fun ‘clunk’ shuttle ride with street commuter bike geeks and donated cruisers from my local non-profit bicycle shop. After years of riding all kinds of places, I’ve settled with one simple ride anywhere bike which nicely blends modern and classic elements. Rigid 2016 steel Salsa Fargo, wood chipper drop bars, bar end shifters, cable disc brakes, 3x29 tires, 2x10 boost. With toddler life, I don’t ride much, but when I do, my bike is ready, I dress for any weather, boots, mittens, sandals, raincoat, throw a leg and ride ON!
My very first "mountain" bike (I use the term extremely loosely) was a Huffy Stalker in Middle School back in the early 90s, and in hindsight, the stuff my friends and I would do on those horrible department store bikes was borderline suicidal. Here we are in our 40s, and most of us still ride. There's nothing quite like rattling your teeth out of your head on a jangly pile of steel tubing, headed face-first down a trail with almost no braking ability, and those experiences definitely kicked off an addiction. This video brought back some memories.
Love it. This is one of the reasons I still have my Schwinn 90's "mountain bike" that my parents got for me in high school. If you want that saddle to not rattle so much, you can pop some of the bits into a sock (like the CO2 cartridge). It doesn't add much weight but it will stop that annoying rattle.
I stuff a spare inner tube in there, you need one anyway!
Seth, I wanna see you try some dual compound koolstop break pads on that bike. I stuck a couple sets of those on my old v breaks and it's insane how much better they work compared to the typical black rim break pads.
Could you tell me the exact model? Or are they the same besides the shape? I'm currently riding my first MTB, a 10 year old Orbea 26er which was 200€ new, on its second pair of pads... I clean the pads to slow down their wear but they might be in for a replacement.
they're all the same as long as it says dual compound, just the shape is different. i use the MTB pads on my 99' GT (converted into a commuter/gravel bike). they stop like nothing else, my only issue is they kinda sweat in the rain and get weaker
@@artemisxo6734 Thank you!
Spreading the good word. Love it. Many people treat the sport like it's all about the bike, how nice, shiny, and good it is/looks. And it is a bit about that up to some extent, but it's about getting together with friends and enjoying the thrilling nature in the first place
I don't remember MTB trails in the late 80s and early 90s. All I know is that you found yourself at the top of a hill, made sure your shoes were tied, and let it rip. I don't even remember anyone checking their brakes. If you crashed, you were a hero, If you didn't you were a boss. I can't even recall the first mountain bike I laid eyes on. It was all about BMX or a chromed out Schwinn. No helmet, wearing jean shorts, banana seat wobbling and if you had a pair, the bike had coaster brakes hahahaha. Later on in the 90s I started getting into MTB and that Diamondback death trap was at the top of the list. Thanks for bringing back those memories.
GOOD TIMES! I had a couple of "Spyder bikes", i.e the ones with high handlebars and banana seats... 😁
On this week’s episode Seth finds out why gravel bikes are so fun.
I started my MTB adventures riding a Mt. Shasta Pachanga Comp during the mid 90's. I still have that bike in my fleet, and I really enjoy it! Great video again!
Great video! We don’t need expensive stuff to have fun. People had fun on these bikes for years and tons of them survived and are still usable today. Also, old rigid mtb’s are the best for around town. The ability to hold up on rough roads along with off-road capabilities make them so much more versatile than a road bike or city bike.
"tons of them survived". For a moment, I thought you meant the people. (And, indeed, I did survive.)
Hybrids is the closest I’ll ever be to a road bike. Because they are about as fast as city bikes, but more confortable and can do some off-road.
Every time you do a video on that old Diamond Back, I'm taken back to when I bought my first mountain bike in maybe '89? Guess I would've been 14 years old. A Diamond Back Ascent with a super cool smoke paint job. I loved that bike, and I rode the snot out of it on the gnarliest downhill tech there was. No suspension, garbage rim brakes, super narrow handlebars, no dropper post, fingers completely cramped up from pulling on the brake levers so hard the entire time. It was awesome. I'm often glad I got my start back then, as it makes me appreciate my modern bikes so much more!
Seth,
What a great video. Thank you for providing such a great perspective and context for mountain biking.
In the 1990’s and early 2000 I rode all the trails in Pisgah, Kitsuma, Mills River and Brevard on 1989 Trek 8900 with a Rock Shox Quadra 21R and had a blast! Underbiking did not exist because we did not know any different. As much as I appreciate the technology and development of mountain biking, you do NOT need a $4000.00 mtb to have fun in this sport.
9:22 Seth, you’re the best! Arguably the best MTB content creator ever! It’s incredible how you can squeeze great stuff from the most mundane situations!
I started my MTB journey on a DB Topanga, just like that one, and I undoubtedly had amazing moments riding it. I can’t stress more how a good bike like that (for that era) was important to me to enjoy what I do ever since. Here in Brazil we mostly ride XC, and the Topanga was a “suitable” bike for the discipline, given its limitations. But seeing you trying to climb a rock, or emulate a dropper post and descend that sketchy (gnarly, by my XC standards) trail section was way too much. The geometry and the lack of a suspension fork turned that descent so… funny, it’s like you were handling a jackhammer! As much as I liked my beloved Topanga, I have never regretted all the bike upgrades I went through ever since lol.
Thank you, you’ve just made my Thursday better!
Man I love your videos. You actually inspired me to try mountain biking! Went down my first descent on a garage sale full suspension probably from Walmart and had a blast! I couldn’t wait for the next time! I am now a decently fast XC rider, racing things like fools gold, and Snake Creek gap! Thank you for getting me going!
I love your videos like this, I grew up on cheap or used bikes, my first mountain bike was an orange gt triple triangle front suspension, I rode it until I couldn't, as i broke too many parts. I still have the frame and fork. It was given to me by my late neighbor Randy, he and that bike sparked my love for mountain biking, for free. Thanks Randy, miss ya buddy:)
Seth, that image of you, belt-sanding down your tire sides absolutely made my day!
Especially after weeks of fiddling with the fitment on a nasty gravel conversion. 😂
One of my favorite MTB rides was on a Trek MTB pulled out of the used bike pile. Same vintage, original everything (down to the rock-hard-even-after-bastard-filed brake pads and foam grips), in the dark. I'm always on the lookout for a bike like that to rip the local trails with. Thanks for the great content, Seth!
26” climbs well and is nimble with much less centrifugal mass than larger wheels. Thanks for showcasing this classic bike.
No, they don't. I have one of the last Cannondale F600s (26 with disks). It is totally sketch compared to a more modern 29" Cannondale Trail. Even for climbing.
@@bindingcurve I stated a fact. A smaller wheel exhibits less centrifugal mass. I have 26", 29" & 700c bikes.
@@johnkem2630 I have all those sizes as well in addition to a 27.5/650. Nimble is a subjective term and not a 'fact'. As for nimble itself, the trail is different than on tarmac.
@@bindingcurve Physics - Centrifugal Force is directly proportional to mass & the radius from it's axis and exponentially calculated by velocity. For a bicycle wheel & tire given the same tire, rim & spokes but at a different radius the larger radius configuration will exhibit greater centrifugal force. This will require more energy to spin at the same revolution as a smaller radius. The definition of 'nimble' is "quick & light in motion", of which a smaller radius spinning object will exhibit over the equivalent larger radius spinning object.
@@johnkem2630 OMG you are right, we all need to be riding 12 inch wheels. Think of it this way, the wheel may be more "nimble" but your not riding the wheel, you are riding the bike. So things like contact patch and even dampening have a huge impact on the ability of the bike to change direction. In addition, the rider leans the bike, and the rider can be more aggressive with the counter torque with a larger rim making the bike more nimble.
City dwellers here. Still riding those today 25 years after I received it as a gift. I have 2 of them now, one is full rigid, one with front suspension (short travel like 50mm). Enjoy the ride very much. Bike ride just put a smile on my face.
This is a perfect topic for today. I am just finishing up (tires coming today) my monster-cross conversion of a 1996 Raleigh. And I’m more excited about this build than I was about my new trail bike last year. I grew up riding rigid 26” hard tails, had a lot of fun then… is no less fun today.
And now there's thousands of them in ok condition ready to be had for far less than their original price or the price of a new current bike. We're enjoying a cool era of cycling.
Strong advocate of "underbiking" here, even my main bike is an underbike compared to todays rigs. I do however say there is a minimum level of equipment if you still want to ride swiftly and safely without feeling that you are destroying your bike. Vbrakes, 1x, fresh grips, freshly tightened wheels and yes modern tyres. Wider handlebars will also transform the bike from awkward and sketchy to comfortable and stable, but arent so much of a must as the other items.
This is also why Gravel bikes keeps growing, you just don't need to have as challeging and cool trails to have fun
You know you’re underbiking on a trail when you’re the only non-enduro bike on it 😂 is how I feel most of the time on my gravel bike
This is one of my favorite Mtn. Bike videos, and topics. Radless riding? I was a late comer to this amazing activity, in 1980 and deep-under biking was the norm. My favorite ride is an early 90's rig that has been modernized but still gives me the thrills BPE speaks of, plus it didn't cost as much as a small car.
You really cant beat the nostalgia and fun of riding an old MTB or Klunker out on the trails. Just in general rigid MTBs are fun and super speedy, i remember getting air on my dads old trek 800 all the time
I still own a '98 Specialized Stumpjumper M2 S-Works hardtail and a '98 Stumpjumper M2 Comp hardtail because I love their simplicity, light weight, having to finesse the bike and pick the best line up and down trails - the way I used to ride when I first started mountain biking in the early 1990s. I haven't ridden my Stumpjumper FSR in several years now, opting instead for one of my hardtails. They're a blast and absolute pleasure to ride.
Hi Seth you are my favorite mtb TH-camr
Same
He’s my favorite TH-camr. Period
What?
I’m a new mountain biker. Bought a trek Marlin in 2020. I have it with the stock wheels and brakes, everything else is replaced. I put cross country tires on it and still ride it to this day!! Love being underbiked sometimes. It reminds me about what my full sus is really doing for me, in terms of purchase and geo, and keeps me safer on my more capable bikes. Great video.
That's why I bought a gravel bike (cue ignorant comments). Green trails are fun again!
*ignorant comment*
I had no idea there was a name for it. My bike isn’t a 90s bike but it’s a budget, junior sized (I’m very short) hardtail . Front suspension has hardly any travel, only 1.95” width tyres, rim breaks, no dropper post, isn’t compatible with tubeless. So even though it’s only a couple of years old, it pretty much meets everything else you were talking about as it’s way under spec’d compared to other mountain bikes.
And I love riding trails on it. The three chainrings are the front make climbing effortless and the extra challenge on the downhills so it’s so much fun. I feel everything through the bike. But that teaches me how to use my body to both absorb it and to position myself/the bike to tackle it. I don’t particularly want a modern, full suspension MTB. I love being on my underbiked hardtail.
An absolute pleasure watching your videos over the last 4 years. Plenty informative guidelines and extremely entertaining at the same time. Lock me in!
It would be interesting to make a video on what to check after buying a second-hand bike, both in terms of performance and safety
My first MTB was a fully rigid Barracuda in 1994. Now I get the same thrills by under biking with my gravel bike. It definitely spices things up and builds some skillz
Thank you Seth! This was a fun video. I can't wait to be able to justify buying a nicer bike some day, but for now I am content with my $75 Craigslist special.
One of my favourite bikes is a 1993 Giant Cadex CFM3 which I picked up for a bargain and put a few hours of work into refreshing it. Definitely an underbike today but back in the day was an 'out of my price range" weapon. It's certainly nice and light to drag up a long climb.
😂 I still run a saddle pouch to this day. Even on my newest full suspension bikes!
Saddle pouches are also pretty ubiquitous for road bikers even to this day.
My saddle pouches (one for my vintage MTBs, one for my vintage road bikes) are like the American Express card; I don't leave home without 'em!
I just had my 1993ish aluminum frame PX bike gone through. Have not ridden it for 30 years. Loving it! I have not ridden a modern bike, might be fun, but I used to drop into vertical creek washes on my hard tails way before this bike with maybe 1.5” travel forks. Gen X was just a different world.
I did something like this in Afghanistan called “under wiping”. We’d go on a mission for a few days and I’d only take 4 baby wipes in a ziploc bag.
This is exactly why I bought a gravel bike and after riding it for a few hours it's almost the same sport as "proper" mountain biking in the 90s. It allows me to feel challenged on easy trails or to judge the actual difficulty of the terrain when I'm out with beginners or family. Gravel bikes also allow you to cover a lot more ground in the same time frame (assuming that you have to ride asphalt to reach trails). All that said, my favorite mountain bike of all time was a chromoly Gary Fisher hard tail from 1999. I always said that bike had everything but breaks and I loved everything about it!
"I love being minimalist... because I can't afford not to be." Great video!
If you can't have as much fun on an old, outdated bike as on a state-of-the-art new one, are you really biking for fun? or is it your ego you're trying to feed? Dude, thank you for this video!!! The gearhead mindset has run wild soooo far in the biking community, especially in mt/wilderness biking. people have completely been distracted from the essence of the sport.
Gotta remember that every time you ride a new bike - especially if it's got fewer bells and whistles - you will acquire new physical and mental skills. Not only that, things and obstacles that were once taken for granted are suddenly tricky and require skill + problem solving! And the novelty, oh my god. It is so fun. 3 of my friends and I once took bmxs on a riverside trail, we had not had that much fun on that trail in years. I am eager to see more people embrace this mindset, of using what you have, and doing things that aren't best practice. Really? you NEED your 7k cyclocross bike for accompanying friends on this here flat dirt trail? Loosen up a bit! Surfers are revisiting longboards and midlengths, climbers are trying old shoes again, musicians will use old, beat up instruments all the time. What's our excuse?
Very late, but I wanna tell y'all that I found out my house has sinks
Recently started upgrading my dad's old 90s era Trek 750 (chromoly frame, 3x7 Shimano STX drivetrain, grip shifters, 700c rims, etc.), and I've been having a blast on trails with it. Been advised to upgrade my wheelset, shifting, and brake system, but otherwise, it did admirably on the trails down at Lake Anna in central VA. The full solid frame is uh...a little rough, especially over exposed roots, but it's motivating me to start biking again and get active. Glad I found this video, I didn't know that there was a term for what I was getting into!
I really liked this. So many people base their love of cycling on technology, which is shallow and wrong- headed. If you have a shop that is more into service than sales of new bikes, by all means support it!
After many years of riding, I first got in to mountain bikes in about 1989. They were so simple compared to today's bikes. The most modern one I have owned had front suspension and cable disc brakes, aluminium frame and 26 inch rims. A decent entry level bike at the time. The more stretched out position was awful, I really couldn't get on with it. My favourite MTB was a rigid Trek, with cro-mo steel frame and fork, V-brakes, 26 inch rims and a 3x7(?) transmission. It fitted like a glove, did everything I wanted it to do, and I'd have another in a heartbeat.
Back in summer 2003 I was an intern, I casually mentioned that I love to ride but did not have a bike. My boss offered to let me use his rigid for the summer and I couldn't be happier. I also enjoyed it, found it pretty ok with a pair of gloves to dampen the bumps a little. I just started riding back then so I have little expectation and skill, and it served me well. It took me to local trails, which was also my first trail experience. I miss it, not that I will get a rigid now, but I really appreciate the experience it gave me. At the end of the summer, I had it tuned up and returned it to my boss, and he was grateful that I used it well.
Couldn’t agree more, under biking can be awesome! I’m also certain this is one of the reasons gravel bikes became so popular.
You definitely took me back in time with this video. My first MTB was a 1989 26" Bianchi Grizzly. rigid Chrome Moly frame, cantilever brakes, 1.95 tires and the most god-awful Celeste green color. Had so much fun on it even though I got beat up every time I rode. Great learning experience.
I was forced to underbike when my Santa Cruz 5010 was recalled. I got my old (1994 vintage) mountain bike down from the rafters and tuned it up so I could ride. When I rode it for the first time it felt like the front wheel was between my knees and the handlebars were super narrow. I got used to it after a few rides and I will say that it was great on tight switchbacks and with the triple chainrings and light weight it climbed very well. It was spicy on technical trails and on fast downhill sections but that was kind of fun. Glad to have my 5010 back, I appreciate it more now!
You are obviously a great rider. When I was young I could not do what you do. I'm 67 and I still have my Bridgestone MB1 from the 80s. I am too old to take chances like you do.
I mostly use my Cyclocross Titanium bike but I still love riding the MB1. The guys in my bike shop always tell me how cool my bike is.
Seth, it's another great vid! Underbiking is also a great way to put bikes back in circulation that otherwise may end up in a landfill. It's great re-use. Some of those 90's mountain bikes make a decent commuter or gravel bike too.
I pull out my underbike (early 2000's Giant NRS) whenever someone comes over and wants to try mountain biking. They get to try my modern bike, and I ride the underbike. And yes, it has a seat pack! The thing I can't believe is that there are people who still ride these as their primary mountain bike. People don't understand just how much progressive/slack geometry has improved biking. My underbike is constantly trying to throw me over the handlebars even though it's a larger frame size than my modern bike. It constantly smacks the front chainrings, and I can't get behind it for anything. Like you said though, it evens the score when you're riding with newbies!
The sound of you coming down the hill with the seat bag banging around and the bike stressing over the roots brings me back to my early days of riding in the late 80's and early 90's. Nostalgia at it's best
"under-biking" is exactly how i got into mountain biking because it was all i had at the time. i started my mtb career hitting trails in my little 20" tire, single speed, fully rigid bmx bike with only one rim brake on the rear wheel, and ill tell you what that is still some of the most fun ive ever had on some trails. because of how small and light that bmx bike was, it was incredibly easy to throw around which made it tons of fun, and due to it being rigid it helped me learn how to pick better lines very early on
so glad you like it! especially the descending. I ditched my modern MTB last year when I pulled a Bianchi Osprey (very similar to that diamondback) out of a junk pile and fixed it up. No more power robbing suspension and cushiness. Replaced the bearings and even though the races are pitted... who cares!? I love it and it requires very little maintenance.
Amen to this video! This is exactly how it started. Once in a while, I still take my old K2 out and am amazed what it can do! Thanks!
I love this concept. The first year I was into “mountain biking “ I was literally riding my hard back trail box bike down off roaring and 4x4 trails. This gave me a ton of skills and insane endurance and strength. When I finally saved up for my first bike , a trek fuel ex, I was smashing it right off the rip and had instantly found a sport I would do the rest of my life as well as spread to dozens of friends and family’s
I’ve been under biking all the way up to last year where I finally got myself a full suspension e-bike. Wow, what a difference. Before that I had a 1998 Diamondback Apex with front suspension. It is very light weight and still works pretty well. My teenage son rides that bike now.
I bought a hybrid, Cannondale quick for this very reason!! Slapped on some slightly thicker tires and bam! It's a blast to ride almost everywhere, and I literally ride it everywhere! Greens, light blues, cycling trails, city cycling, you name it. It's so fun and makes riding XC trails fun again. My favorite feature about the bike is the front thru axle. Most hybrids come with QR but those don't have enough stiffness to prevent the tire/wheel from rubbing against the fork. It's really annoying when that happens.
I was thinking about buying a new bike for mountain biking thinking I needed it. But after this video the fact I have front suspension is looking pretty good. Took it on the trail for my first time and it was great.
I LOVE this video!! I got into MTB back in 1993, first bike was a Trek 8000 rigid. Well, I took a break for a few years and got back into MTB around 2010 not really thinking about a new bike. I absolutely RIPPED some trails on that old bike but unfortunately almost every ride I was breaking my titanium spokes or other parts, the bike was older and not really built for rocky trails. Still, I had FUN! I also got back in shape and after trying out a friends full suspension bike realized I wanted one. Eventually I bought a Pivot bike, most expensive sports purchase ever but I'm still riding it today. But that last part where you said don't listen to people that say you need to spend about $4000 to get into MTB was great! Definitely would encourage anyone wanting to try the sport to check out a good vintage bike, as much as I love my new bike I'd still be having just as much fun on that old one.
My road bike is a GT outpost that my dad got before I was born and I've repaired things on it, replaced parts, add panniers, and made it my own. That thing runs beautifully and I love it. That bike cost me nothing to get and I just repaired and replaced stuff as I went.
I still have my 'Full-NoSpension Retrogrouch Bridgestone MB-1 and after riding my 27.5" Switchblade and 29" Santa Cruz Hightower LT there's something seriously fun about getting back to my Roots - lol
There's a purity & simplicity to it that's somehow inexplicably good for the Soul.
You're forced to go slower, or just plain Slow and in doing so MB'n becomes less carnival thrill ride and more "organic" where I can feel the earth more and taste more of the mountain than when flying low at 30mph on a cushion of technorogy.
You hit it spot-on with your comparison to camping, less comfortable/ more flavour.
I did my first mountain bike race in 2018 on a 1997 trek 780… it was so fun! The following year I “upgraded” to a 90mm hardtail single speed- so much fun!!! It’s just about getting out there, and having fun!!
Great video, also under bikes are very versatile and less likely to be stolen.
I am perpetually under-biked riding a semi-ole budget hardtail on some tough trails in Colorado. Makes everything more of a challenge and it gives you a big sense of pride when you do a long ride and are the only hardtail in sight
Awesome, great video! I often underbike by necessity. I even rode my fixed gear (brakeless) bike with 25mm tires on MTB trails. It was fun and live to tell the story! Btw, I grew up with no suspension 90's mountain bikes.
My oldest and I have gotten into mountain biking this summer/fall. I got my hands on a cheap "under bike" and we have a bike park with several miles of trail literally next to our neighborhood. It has been a blast! I get to spend time with my children and I found a buddy who loves mountain biking. Friends family and fun!
Now, I need help convincing my wife that for Christmas I need to stop "underbiking." 😉
I have made a bunch of friends that all ride pro-am for a few teams and they usually fly to another part of the country to race at least a couple of times during our college semesters. I've been more and more interested in going on a couple of trails near our school and I got curious about the cost of entry to mountain biking. It's wild how expensive modern "good" bikes are! When I used to bike to work and back (about 5 miles each way) as a teenager I think I was riding a bike that had cost my family like $100 new, probably from a walmart or something.
Great to see the budget options out here like this for people like me who are just looking to dip a toe into this sport for the first time. Great video!
I have a Schwinn High Sierra from the mid 80’s. I gave it to my son and when he got a newer bike, he hung it up in my workshop. Two years ago, I put used but better tires on it, lubed everything, adjusted everything, and took it to the MTB trails on old Fort McClellan. I had a blast.
Yep, I totally get it. I own a Specialized Stumpjumper FSR, but more often than not I tend to ride my 1995 Specialized Stumpjumper FS w/ a chromoly frame, cant. brakes, and a Mag 21 susp. fork. It keeps me honest, my finesse skills sharp, and my eyes always looking for the best lines on trails. Way more fun.
I love the idea behind this because the cost and confusion around modern bike technology is such a barrier for most of us that it's hard to forget that all you need to do is get on a bike and have fun. I'd argue that a more practical approach to this is buying an entry level model of a reliable brand. Bikes have gotten so good that even a $600 Trek or Rocky Mountain is amazingly capable and probably on par with a high end bike from 15 years ago.