Here is my ‘97 cannondale killer v 900 ht. it’s a high end bike from the 90s, I was wondering what would be better for xc trails, so the type of natural stuff you’d find in a forest in New England, this, or a $500-600 new bike like a trek marlin 4/5.
mine is basically mind condtioon, has deore xt/lx 3×8 drivetrain with sram mrx comp shifters, and pc/pg 850 cassette and chain.
it has deore lx v-brakes with kool stop salmon pads and servo wave levers. stop great in dry.
literallt just serviced headshok dd60, but with a fatty 70 air/oil damper.
hubs are shimano stx rc, front rim is a sun cr18 with 32 15ga spokes, rear rim is a weinmann zac19, 36h 14ga spokes, with brand new modern shwalbe rubber.
new large crank brothers stamp 1 pedals.
i really only ride in dry weather, sometimes trails are damp but that’s it. I am a beginner rider, but I’ve only ever ridden this bike and I’m used to the skinny bars/ 140mm stem. can absolutely wrench in it when it gets out of tune, love the bike and don’t really care about any new stuff. I ride sometimes on asphalt for a commute, ride trails purely for fun. no big jumps or steep dh.
not planning on gettin a new bike soon, but just curious: what would be better for ME, this, ($120 purchase with 400 for service and minor upgrades ) or modern entry level hardtail ($500-600 msrp) I rode my friends marlin 4 for a little, noticed that mine shifts, stops, climbs, looks better and I’m sure will last twice as long. The marlin only descends better.
by Confident-Milk3422
9 Comments
Keep riding the Cannondale until you feel like it’s holding you back.
Then upgrade to a more modern bike.
(Sick bike btw)
I would go for something a bit more modern but still high end used and cheap. Like 2000-2010 stuff.
I’ve got a 97 Univega. I’m thinking of putting on some studded tires and making it a winter bike. A nice new 29er hard tail would be better for trails. Looks like you have a nice bike there. I get why you are reluctant to replace it. With care a bike can be a forever machine.
IF I didn’t already have a bike I would without a doubt go for a modern bike with 29er tires and hydro brakes and a wider bar.
But you’ve got a bike, it’s got good parts, and you keep it serviced, so unless you are not happy with it there is no reason to change anything?
One thing you can do easily is ask a buddy to swap bike for a day and see what a more modern bike feels like, or go to a shop and ride a couple bikes. Maybe try a little more aggressive bike too, just to see what a slacker head angle feels like.
Personally I rode 90’s hardtails back in the day and you couldn’t pay me to ride one now, but I enjoy a lot of descending and jumping and technical terrain, not xbiking, so my “least aggressive” mountain bike still has 180mm rotors, enduro spec wheels, and a 65 HTA. And it’s my townie beater 🙂
This will outperform a modern entry level bike on all fronts except gnarly downhills and jumps. 90s Cannondales might just have been the Pinnacle of hardtail design. Personally, I’d hold out as long as that headshok still works smoothly. Save up and get something in the $1k+ range. Anything lower than that will only be a minor improvement from what you have now
high end old mechs surely are more durable than cheapo new parts. if the new bike has mechanical disc brakes, i prefer the old rim brakes. geometry however is quite different. I bought a 29 bike a few years ago- only to sell it one summer later. I didn’t like the riding position and wide bars. it may be what you’re accustomed to. I am in my 50s so go figure 🙂
but old xt parts are hard to beat.
You should ask this question in r/MTB not in here. In this sub you will get answers from people who don’t actually mountain bike but believe in pouring thousands of dollars into outdated geometry to ‘ride trails’
A modern entry level handrail will be way easier and more comfortable to ride, not just because of hydro brakes, but also due to geometry/tires/etx. Whether “easier and more comfortable” is what you’re looking for is up to you.
As other people have pointed out, this sub is sort of dedicated to riding vintage bikes in silly situations.
I ride New England single track, you can probably ride a lot of it using that bike if you take it easy and know how to pick lines and use your body as the primary suspension.
Since you’re a beginner, you would absolutely have an easier and safer go of it and be able to do more with a modern hardtail that has much lower and more stable geometry, 27.5 or 29″ wheels, an air fork that can be tuned to your weight, an easier to operate and less complex wide range clutched 1x drivetrain, much more powerful and easier to modulate hydraulic brakes, and of course a dropper post.
Vintage bikes are awesome, but they’re nowhere near as capable as modern aggressive hardtails. You also don’t need to spend a fortune to build a modern bike, just need to know how to get the best bang for your buck.