I Spent $800 Fixing Up a Mediocre Bike and Couldn’t Be Happier
Recent article in Outside magazine. He mentions that the bike retailed for $800 in 1993 – that's definitely NOT a mediocre bike in my book…Double butted True Temper CrMo tubes, Shimano 300LX, etc: Here's some specs: 1992 Diamond Back Topanga Mountain Bike Catalogue
by Twentysix2
17 Comments
I like bikes too
Love it. I bought a 1987/88 Jamis Dakota back then I paid $650.00 or 700.00 can’t remember. That was a ton of money for me and a bike. Well life moved on.
I retired 3 years ago. I’ve put Blackburn outpost racks front and back. Ortlieb panniers, Brooks B-17 split. Nitto handle bar. Billy Bonkers on the rims. Fenders
Bottle cages that hold 1 liter Nalgen bottles. Also Ortlieb trunk and handlebar bag. Soooooo yup a ton of money for a good steel frame Bikecamping. Don’t even get me started on the hammock set ups and stoves etc……enjoy enjoy
As long as it makes you happy, DO IT!
https://i.redd.it/jzjxpl3oypgg1.gif
Yeah, I spent a little less than that on my StumpJumper in 1993. Tange steel, great frame.
So, you’re telling me I should not feel bad about dumping money into it?!
No drive side pic🥴
This is the way. I found a Gary Fisher Aquila in the trash.. woohoo! Free bike! Then I immediately turn around and buy a $300 fork for it. lol
I was richer without the “free” bike. Can’t claim to be happy yet, yet… we’ll see how she rides once I get around to selecting the rest of the build.
Those are rookie numbers. They can do better
I bought a $40 1995 Raleigh on Craigslist and I’m rebuilding nearly all of it.
They gotta update the $800 for inflation. Pretty close, though.
Accounting for inflation, that’s $1,782 in 2025 money. That’s mad, that’s not a mediocre bike. A mediocre bike in 1993 costs $100 max, in 2000 I could buy a rather decent MTB from a shop in Cambridge UK for £100, and the £:$ ratio was 1:2.
There is a world of difference between “midrange” and “mediocre” the author of the article is not aware of.
Only mediocre by today’s standards.
I wonder if the xbiking craze has made people overlook the many good options of the post-26c era.
There are a bunch of retrofitted 90s MTBs on marketplace near me, going for hundreds of pounds. There are also loads of neglected bikes that are less cool and worth absolutely nothing.
I guess what I’m saying is xbiking isn’t just 26ers? Idk. Real friends are the frames we found along the way
Never thought I’d hear people praising lx groups. Gimme some of that xbike kool-aid, I wanna drool out the side of my mouth too.
Absolutely not a mediocre bike at all.
Anyway, even if you spend 800 your bike is a million times better than 100% of 800 usd bikes off the rack.
If you like it and ride it, it’s the best bike for you.
The point of diminishing returns is pretty low on a bike anyway. A lot of what you are paying for is weight, which on an older guy is really likely less than your weight fluxuation, even day to day. My weight can vary by like 5-8lbs. If you aren’t riding in lycra, your clothing weight can be fairly large too, especially season to season.
That’s what it is all abut mate. Happy riding
Some people are bristling at the bike being called mediocre, but while it may have been pretty good for its time, it’s definitely going to be mediocre compared to modern bikes. There are a lot of things about old bikes that some people like or even prefer now, but basically every bicycle component has vastly improved in the past thirty years.
The adjusted price of ~$1,800 is pretty on par with a middle-of-the-pack hardtail or gravel bike from a bike shop, from a reputable brand. Like, a few notches above entry level, but still a ways down from the upper end of the range.