dan_bo
How much does it cost to Oldham?
Nah. If it works it works.
Thinking of a new MTB but just can't get excited about current bikes....
- Thread starter I like Skol
- Start date
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Nah. If it works it works.
kayakerles
Have a nice ride.
- Location
- Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
Or maybe just stuck with your perfect ride. Sometimes our old school stuff is just hard to beat for us. So many factors.
Even worse, you could spend a lot on something new and not be as satisfied with it, ride wise, component wise, all around “feel” etc.
Just my two cents.
Best of success in the long hunt, ILS and whatever you decide.
ChrisEyles
Guru
- Location
- Devon
I'm with you on this. Tried a couple of modern hardtails and found that while they are flattering in some situations (very steep rough chutes) they are much less engaging when not riding as fast as I could at 10/10ths of my ability.
I did find they encouraged me to ride more difficult trails that I'd normally bottle, which was great. Funny thing is after riding them a few times on the modern bike, I was able to go back on my 2010 XC hardtail and get down them all right, albeit not quite as confidently.
I'd say if you're able to confidently ride all the terrain you want to be able to ride on your current bike (it's that awesome zaskar, right?) there's not much advantage in swapping.
If you want to progress your riding (bigger, steeper, rougher etc) beyond what you're currently comfortable with, a modern mtb will almost certainly help.
Personally I'd be looking for something with a slacker head angle, nice modern components, but not too long reach, as it's the latter trend for long bikes that seems to suck some of the fun out for me.
All the above goes double for 29" wheels IMO.
I did find they encouraged me to ride more difficult trails that I'd normally bottle, which was great. Funny thing is after riding them a few times on the modern bike, I was able to go back on my 2010 XC hardtail and get down them all right, albeit not quite as confidently.
I'd say if you're able to confidently ride all the terrain you want to be able to ride on your current bike (it's that awesome zaskar, right?) there's not much advantage in swapping.
If you want to progress your riding (bigger, steeper, rougher etc) beyond what you're currently comfortable with, a modern mtb will almost certainly help.
Personally I'd be looking for something with a slacker head angle, nice modern components, but not too long reach, as it's the latter trend for long bikes that seems to suck some of the fun out for me.
All the above goes double for 29" wheels IMO.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
He's still faster than us on his old Zaskar - he'd be a complete nutter on a modern FS.
ChrisEyles
Guru
- Location
- Devon
Sounds about right 
That's the thing with modern MTBs, they're designed to enable you to ride incredibly demanding terrain at speed, but if most of your riding is standard red grade sort of trails I don't see that they have a huge advantage over an older, less capable bike.
On the trails I ride regularly that I'm confident on there was hardly any time difference between the modern and older MTBs I was riding (Strava segments, so take with a pinch of salt I guess). It's only when riding stuff that I find challenging on the older bike that the modern one became a big advantage.
Another thing I discovered, is that I feel like if I take my 2010 GT Avalanche to Forest of Dean and give it a thrashing on the DH runs, I'm getting pretty close to the top end of the sort of riding of what's sensible on that bike - the bike's capabilities feel reasonably well matched to my own limitations in skills/balls. On a modern FS, I feel like they're so capable I'm never going to push it anywhere remotely near what it's capable of, and it feels a bit like the bike's wasted on me.
Guess it depends what sort of riding you have available locally / how prepared you are to drive a little while to get to the really crazy stuff. And how prepared you are to accept the higher consequences of an off when you're riding that sort of terrain.
I vote keep rocking the Zaskar!!!
That's the thing with modern MTBs, they're designed to enable you to ride incredibly demanding terrain at speed, but if most of your riding is standard red grade sort of trails I don't see that they have a huge advantage over an older, less capable bike.
On the trails I ride regularly that I'm confident on there was hardly any time difference between the modern and older MTBs I was riding (Strava segments, so take with a pinch of salt I guess). It's only when riding stuff that I find challenging on the older bike that the modern one became a big advantage.
Another thing I discovered, is that I feel like if I take my 2010 GT Avalanche to Forest of Dean and give it a thrashing on the DH runs, I'm getting pretty close to the top end of the sort of riding of what's sensible on that bike - the bike's capabilities feel reasonably well matched to my own limitations in skills/balls. On a modern FS, I feel like they're so capable I'm never going to push it anywhere remotely near what it's capable of, and it feels a bit like the bike's wasted on me.
Guess it depends what sort of riding you have available locally / how prepared you are to drive a little while to get to the really crazy stuff. And how prepared you are to accept the higher consequences of an off when you're riding that sort of terrain.
I vote keep rocking the Zaskar!!!
OP
OP
I like Skol
A Minging Manc...
- Location
- Sunny Ashton-under-Lyne
Thrashed the old 96 Zaskar around north Wales for two days this weekend and again at Llandegla today. Loved it, smashed it, nailed it and had no doubts about the Skolly/Zaskar combination being the right one.
The 2x9 drivetrain is right for me and a wide spread of situations. Hardtail suits me. Bike fit and agility are IMO perfect, can't really imagine anything being better.
I think I must have been mad to consider replacing it, just seems a bit wrong that a 26 year old bike hasn't got an obvious replacement from modern versions?
The 2x9 drivetrain is right for me and a wide spread of situations. Hardtail suits me. Bike fit and agility are IMO perfect, can't really imagine anything being better.
I think I must have been mad to consider replacing it, just seems a bit wrong that a 26 year old bike hasn't got an obvious replacement from modern versions?
