Have you entered any races this year? We hope this video shows that regardless of your bike, you can take on a race and have fun! Get out there, give it a shot and let us know how you get on!
No... I would get hurt... Every time I ride with my friends and they put me in the front I feel like I have to ride hard and fast so I don't hold anyone up and I always seems to crash or hit a tree.
I'd love it if you guys could restomod that bike and see what it can do now. Shimano Deore M5100 11-51 1x, new tubeless tyres, an externally routed dropper post.
@@christophenglert4831 Maybe do that video BEFORE the race. Converting to a 1x with a cheaper Microshift isn't that difficult. Get an external dropper and better tires and that thing is ready for under $500.
@@AnnaOnTheBike tyres. You forgot to swap tyres. In this regards I highly recommend watching a fresh video on a GMBN channel featuring an XC legend Rich Payne, in case you are not subscribed and did not get a notification😉
You did great anna 👏 the best thing was the big smile it put on your face throughout the race!(which really is the most important thing when riding a bike) It makes me miss my old 1996 xc univega alpina530, not long ago gave it away. it just sits in a bike shop now just looking pretty on show.
Ah this takes me back to the first front suspension bike I had, a Giant Cadex CFM3 that I fitted Pace RC-35 forks to, with a rear brace mounted Magura Hydrostop. Cantis in the rear. I rode that bike a hell of a lot, in France, North and South Yorkshire. ❤
Retro 🚲 are inexpensive and AMAZING fun! I enjoy that I feel like I did when the 🚲 was made when I ride it. It's wonderful being young again as long as I pedaled the classic bikes.
Had a couple of XTC's in the 90's and early 00's, traded in a Concorde road bike for my first one as I was originally sponsored by my LBS for a couple of years as a teenager so I got it all pretty cheap. Had a lot of fun on the old mountain bikes. Stopped riding for about two decades as I pursued my career and family commitments but bought a Nukeproof Giga 290 about 24 months ago and have been having a blast riding downhill, even as an older fella! Too many responsibilities now to get any more dirtbikes so it's a great compromise.
I enjoyed this video and great presentation. You had fun with that 26" as I do, that's what matters! Options like DIY tubeless and an old Gravitty Dropper might be useful for rough circuits. Thank you.
Great being able to ride a 24 year old £150 bike in a modern competition, even with chain drops and punctures done really well Anna👏. Watching fearless hardtail riders with no dropper post taking on big tech features both scares and amazes me too, wonder if they do retro bike only races 🤔😂 - Thanks for sharing great stuff!
Thanks Anna great video. I loved the 2001 Giant. Honestly I would rather ride the Giant than the Canyon Full Suspension. I have a 2018 Giant Anthem Pro 0 carbon full suss that I seldom ride, and a 1997 Giant ATX890 World Cup Edition (restro modded with a modern 1 by drive train, shorter stem, wide bars, and Maxxis 26 x 2.1 tires) which I ride all the time.
I currently use a 2002 Giant XTC hardtail for trail riding, XT M750 groupset with V brakes... only because I need to get my rear shock in my 1996 Santa Cruz Heckler rebuilt. I love underbiking, especially for climbing. I think it's important for people to stay off their expensive new bikes every once and a while and go back to the basics.
Bikes and trails have grown together over the years. I started riding early mountain bike trails around 1991-92. The bikes were slightly modified road bikes: straight bars with slightly wider tires. Today, those trails would be considered gravel trails. As bikes got better (suspension, disc brakes, geometry, bigger tires), the trails got rougher and more technical. There is no way in hell that I would take my old "mountain bike" from the '90s and even enter a modern bike park. Your crazy girl!
I love any video with Anna riding her bike... If you guys need someone to take a Canyon Lux off your hands... I'm in Canada and would love to try one out. ;)
Nice one Anna! What an effort. Get GMBN to fork out for a nice set of Maxxis Ardent 26 x 2.4 next time😅 (or the 2.25 at the rear if the dropouts are narrow lol).
Doubt get that size tyre in that frame without clogging problems. Max be 2.1/2.2. Love to see you race a retro again Anna but size that fits you right (70/80mm stem, 700mm bars with correct frame) and proper XC tyres in 26” Maybe a follow on from this video Part 2??
Great video! I rode a 26 bike for five years, bought it for 250 euros. It was fun, but when I bought my first 29-er (also hard tail) last year I really noticed an enormous difference in comfort. And I am faster on my new bike. But both bikes are so much fun to ride, and that is what it is all about. Thanks for all the content!
Hehe, takes me back to my 2002 (I think) Specialized Rockhopper A1 FS Disc. Sadly it got stolen in 2005, so I got a GT Avalanche 0.0, which I stil have. Collecting dust now though as I ride my Relay exclusively 🤣 Fun to watch old school vs new school, gnarly 🤘
I rode a 1995 Kili at the Cannock round ( the 3 lap fun race, I don't have a licence) 26" , 21speed, Rc35 forks, 3x, cantis etc Came 40th out of 50 ish despite getting serious cramp last lap. I'm also over 60yrs old. The secret to riding these older bikes is being stupidly fit generally as it requires a lot of upper body effort to ride over constant roots and boulders and maintaining an aggressive attitude, whimp out and you'll crash. Physical endurance is important. The bikes are obviously going to be less capable but properly maintained and set up the old stuff is fun and competitive within obvious limits. I suggest you enter one of the cannock retro events when they come up. It's bonkers and fast furious racing with lots of crashes and general destruction of anodised bling....
Retro bikes certainly looked cooler . If you look back at the old Grundig world cup series when the courses were more natural they had no problem coping with the terrain . Its just all this new rock garden stuff and man made obstacles on the courses that you could say have conspired to making you need to go New school :).
To be honest, a lot of those old courses would be classed as 'Gravel' nowadays; very little technical features, and plenty of fire road climbs..... But there was something about 26" wheels, and narrow bars, with bar ends....
I don't race and I ride a modern gravel bike now but I still have the old touring bike in my garage which is in reality an MTB bike from those times with mounting points. This is however a steel frame (judging by the diameter of the tubings) and has no suspension whatsoever. It was serving me well till I bought the gravel a year ago. Anyway, while that era MTBs had their drawback compared to modern tech, I think they are still quite good. For the modern XC course, I would switch those tyres, though.
My bet is that the main cause of the dropped chains is that the limit screws on both the front and rear derailleurs weren't properly set. After working on thousands of bikes most of them have set screws that weren't properly set. While it won't be as good as well adjusted quality modern stuff it should be fine enough - if properly adjusted. Most bikes aren't properly adjusted.
It would be cool to see how capable that bike could become if you update it with a modern fork, a dropper, and a 1x system. Last year I gave my now 14 year old son my early 2000s Giant Rincon (I think 2004). We changed it to a 1x system (originally put on a 32t chainring, but after building up a Nukeproof for him, replaced it with a 38t), replaced the rear wheel to have a cassette, and put a Shimano Deore 10 speed 11-46t cassette on it. I want to change the front fork to something more updated for him, but the bike has rim brakes so that limits my options as to what can go on it. It is his everyday ride around town/gravel bike, while his Nukeproof Scout 275 with 29" wheels is his MTB trail/NICA race bike.
I kept a 3x on my 2016 hardtail for a long time because I was commuting on it too (the big chainring really did make it faster on pavement). I used an $80 chain guide, the chain stayed on, and the drivetrain felt nice and engaged. That and a pair of budget tubeless rims made the bike more than enough to ride all my local trails. I eventually went to 1x after I got a road bike for commuting, but that 3x setup worked well!
Anna, has Rich been trying to convince you that pain is fun?😂 Your videos always put a smile on my face. I, and probably many others, would happily watch your race videos using the bike you want.
I've done a few races recently where I've chosen to ride my rigid steel mtb from 1994. 21 speed with cantilever brakes! It is bloody hard work. With modern 2.25" tyres it feels a lot better than you'd expect, but the limitations are very real, and unforgiving. Retro bikes are a lot of fun!
Loved this. Nice one. Was recently gifted a 1998 steel hardtail Orange P7. Being new to MTB I know no different. But great to hear your expert thoughts.
26erss stilll cann give youu a lot of fun. I still got my very first bike, 2008 budget merida k8. I keep totally out of sentiment and in last couple of years I completetly overhauled it throwing a quite ammount of money - new air fork, wide handlebars, rear disc brake adater, hydraulic 4-pot brakes, dropper post,disc brake wheelset with tpu tubes, 1x11 deore drivetrain. Basically, the only stock part that is left, is the frame itself. It's heavy, over 15 kg, but this year I started riding it in the mountains and I am having a blast on it. And although I plan on getting a full sus shortly, I won't dissassemble it and sell part by part. I will still keep it. If someone is interested in retro 26ers, I recommend old shovel yt channel. Rob, the host, does wonderful bike restorations.
I always liked to think that, too, as a retro grouch who still rides a Ritchey P650b and Surly Krampus. Then one lap on a friend’s Transition Spur… and I experienced a paradigm shift.
Giants 17in in this was a perfect size for me at 5.8ft great bike and had the slope on the top tube like today's bike's it made it an amazing bike for control and throwing about
The answer really was: no it couldn't keep up, but do feel GMBN showed a little snobbery to their Orbea partnership on this one. It doesn't matter what you have, and if that's a 2001 hardtail then so be it - there's no issues...but ultimately skating it because it's "easier" on a modern 29er is not helpful. Sorry GMBN - first video I think is poor for the channel
I still hanker after my first mountain bike, a Cannondale CAAD 2 hardtail, which ended up like Trigger's Broom or Gilmour's Black Strat, the only thing original was the frame. I do have to say MTB's have come some a long way, I'm finding that I'm not swapping parts anywhere near as much now, chains, tyres all the bits you need to keep going, the bikes are now so much better off the peg. I now ride a Canyon Neuron 7 2023 now and love it.
What’s not to like, 26" front mech, hard tail, honestly some modern tyres and as many said probably a smaller frame ( I still measure in inches!) and a service to iron out some issues, this is still very much a useable a competitive bike for a fraction of the insanity prices of the flavour of the week modern bikes.
Still ❤ playing around on an old 26" size S Orange P7. Upgraded to discs but still running 3x9. Definitely wouldn't be comfortable doing the sort of things I do on my 27.5" Scout
Would have been a cool video had you tested a cheap big box store bike. You also weren’t comparing apples to apples. This would have been a legit comparison of you tested that retro bike to a new carbon hard tail.
I remember doing courses this hard when I was younger on even older bikes than she is comparing to. I remember riding the Downieville Classic in 1998 on a steel hardtail with Vbrakes and Mag21 up front. The rock sections were as bad as these or racing the Sea Otter Classic the first few years of the race on the same rig. Took practice to be able to ride those steep rocks with little tires and no dropper. Now I have OLD so I dont' risk it as much seems to take a lot longer to heal every time I break a bone.
I feel like this is a great example of starting on high-end bikes. And never developing any rider skill from having a high end bike do most of the riding for you. I think it's important for everyone to start and get good on a hardtail.
I started racing on an aluminium Kona NuNu. I raced hardtails for years, only moving up to a full sus when I raced a World Cup in Val di Sole in 2015. Not wanting to ride a rock garden on a 26er with 80mm of unserviced suspension and no tyre tread is not the same as being too spoilt by modern bikes that I’ve lost the skill. 😂
I disagree, she didn't start on high end bikes. I think it's an example of being used to modern geo and then getting a bike with 26' wheels, huge chainring etc. and being realistic about expectations on that course. I doubt you'd do any better on a course made for modern bikes, using an old 26'er. Could a better rider have managed everything easier? Absolutely, I expect Sam Pilgrim wins it all on that bike if he wanted, but it's not because she never developped skills due to riding high end bikes.
Cudos Anna You’ve defo proved that we don’t need 4 grand arm chair bikes to race :) Point score for the budget bikes which make riding and racing more inclusive woop :) Also if anyone needs any more proof that you can race a hardtail and don’t need to spend shed loads of money, Rob Warner and Steve Peat used to race downhill on similar bikes to the one in the video, just get a good bike shop to advise weather the bike yall chose is strong enough though.
@@feedbackzaloop most likely no points. But I do not think that the difference in actual times will be large though. It is just statistics. If I’ll take motorbike I’ll be even faster. So what? Bikes are not about being fast or first for me. It is just fun.
@@4upkoB sure, motorbikes are faster, but not allowed on trails. And Ebikes have their niche too. This here is just not the exact part of the oh so diverse sport for you. You kinda doing a Raygun Olimpic impression with pushing your perspective. And unless you win the competition, it doesn't impress anyone.
Tubes can definitely handle rough terrain, it's the tyres you're running that can't handle it by deforming so much that it damages the tubes. Run the right tyres and tubes are not the problem 👌
So I was genuinely worried you would go over the bars on that 26 er! You could do tubeless on that bike and you could get modern 26 inch tires and why don't you just do a one by nine with a modern derailleur? I know you were trying to run it the way you bought it but I think it would have been cool to see if the basic bike itself would still competitive in a modern setting
Judy is the lower end of the fork spectrum for that year, I'll bet you do greatly better with a higher end shock of that year than that one, and it would make a world of difference.
Fully agree. Giant made a 15.5 small frame ATX I bought one for my daughter and flashed it up with a one x 11 drive +2.25 tyres, swapped some wider bars, drilled out the bottle cage nut and put in a spare internal dropper. I used an old noodle off a caliper brake to feed it through. I wouldn’t look at riding it or anything for that matter on that course but it gets plenty of attention on the pump track from the other oldies even some of the gremlins say it’s a cool bike. On fairly smooth trails with lots of tight corners it’s faster but the 29ers just mow me down once I hit the straights. It would have been good to see Anna on the modernised small frame ATX or Anthem.
I'd rather just see you race with your new bike and listen to you talk about the ins and outs of xc racing, nutrition, mindset before during after etc etc. I know you guys have to sell bikes and gear and come up with content but these old vs new vids are like every other video lol. Maybe interview other racers and vendors and end it with you guys at a local pub or restaurant to give them some advertisement too. Cheers from across the pond!
Those tires. You did yourself a major disservice running those slicks. Totally inappropriate for that course. There are a few decent 26” tires left on the market. Get a pair and go over your drivetrain (I mean you dropped your chain THREE TIMES? REALLY?!?) and give it another go!
I went from my 26inch full suspension aluminium frame 2003 cantilever brakes, to a 2021 aluminium frame with 29inch wheeled hardtail. The hardtail is more comfortable due to the frame compliance and with Specialized Butchers on there's so much less frame and handlebar chatter aka now none at all, where I used to get friction burn on my hands from the grips on my 26 full sus. Massive differences. Though I do like the lower centre of gravity and the narrower tyres of the older 26er, unfortunately it got written off when a car crashed through the garage and bent the front wheel and threaded/unthreaded the head tube..
Not sure about inserts "can't handle" rough terrain - they do. Just u need a puncture protection kevlar wall tires. Also, tire pressure put correctly prevent a snake bite. SO very confused noises in Eastern Europe. Always bringing spare tube with me - no problems. It's cheap and reliable, and puncture can be sealed back home - inserts reused as spare one + patch kits are always exist. Don't understand why we suppose to move to shenanigans like sealant and additional stuff. Its too soft. New fork, new trasmition, new tires and backup inserts, short stem, wider bars - and this Giant can run like new. Also - I'm sure it will barely, but still fit 27.5 size wheels for sure, but not too wide.
this fork looks pretty familiar. not sure if I had the same one, too. But i got one after market rock shox on my stumpjumper m2 1994 model some time later. Still remember that thos constantly lost air after arround 2-3 years.....
Pure propaganda! Since that bike was far from stock with hydraulic brakes, wide bars, and a short stem, why not install some knobblier tyres? It's not the front derailleur's fault you don't know how to use it. Think of it as a full rigid singlespeed and ride it with finesse for better results.
Why didn’t you swap the tires for some new ones?? Those tires look old and no one would have raced on those even back then (in a xco type race) Number one they look old and dry and number two the type of tyre are like som kind of gravel/xcm sort and they look cheap. It looks like some typ of commuter-bike tires. It would have made a worlds difference.
I have still my 26"bike 30 gears RS Reba air 100mm and ride it more than the 29"bike what i have too and for my body high is 1.93m i love the handling 4 26"bikes more ❤ .. ps. Upgrade that bike ❤ better tires and 30 gears shimano have a Deore Shadow Plus RD-M6000 reduce the chain swinging but 1x11 ore 12 ist also fine and a better fork and brakes
.. cheap 2001 bike .. how "cheap" was it in 2001? because that sure does not look cheap. I looked up a used "giant mcm 2001 mtb" just today - and it was listed at 400-500 pounds (so kind of cheap .. today - 150 seems like an utmost steal though .. a carbon frame with disc breaks in good shape? .. 150 is a MUST buy ) Also - love the good vibes at the race .. everyone is smiling and having a good time it seems! ... i was a bit surprised you did not ride tubeless. If tubeless makes sense in ANY genre of cycling - i think its with mountainbikes.
I totally disagree about the 29er wheels!! Its a guilt tripping gimmick to make you buy a reinventing of the wheel!! For that matter, nothing wrong with the 26, or 27.5 wheels!! The 29 is clownish!!
Did everything else changed a few that were not standard at the time…….(too short stem to make handling good that generation of XC bike, 70/80mm be better. But then essentially the frame was too big for needed a medium or large) But let road/gravel tires on when plenty of proper knobby 26” tyres available that’s just silly put proper XC tires on the 26” 🤦♂️ give it a sensible chance. Of was limited by what past owner did & changed but at least suitable tread change.
Have you entered any races this year? We hope this video shows that regardless of your bike, you can take on a race and have fun! Get out there, give it a shot and let us know how you get on!
Early season knee injury kinda messed up my attempts of racing this year. But I will be hitting it hard next season.
No... I would get hurt... Every time I ride with my friends and they put me in the front I feel like I have to ride hard and fast so I don't hold anyone up and I always seems to crash or hit a tree.
I stopped in 2019. Probably the best decision ever made
I'd love it if you guys could restomod that bike and see what it can do now. Shimano Deore M5100 11-51 1x, new tubeless tyres, an externally routed dropper post.
i am gonna bet on it that this video is coming up some time soon :D
@@christophenglert4831 Maybe do that video BEFORE the race. Converting to a 1x with a cheaper Microshift isn't that difficult. Get an external dropper and better tires and that thing is ready for under $500.
Shimano Cues and PNW external dropper✌️
Pretty good idea - only the dropper is going to be hard. Tall seat tube to get decent reach means there's basically no room for drop.
I think it needs restoring after this race 😂
I love how Anna and Blake have such similiar energy and the same mental laugh when riding.
The joy really shines from their faces. I feel very happy when I'm riding but on photos I'm looking really grim . Great to watch them!
And 150 for this (almost) race-ready beauty is not a bargain, that's a steal!
Absolutely! I wanted to prove you don’t have to spend big to race. Although functional gears and tyres would really help 😊
@@AnnaOnTheBike tyres. You forgot to swap tyres. In this regards I highly recommend watching a fresh video on a GMBN channel featuring an XC legend Rich Payne, in case you are not subscribed and did not get a notification😉
You did great anna 👏 the best thing was the big smile it put on your face throughout the race!(which really is the most important thing when riding a bike) It makes me miss my old 1996 xc univega alpina530, not long ago gave it away. it just sits in a bike shop now just looking pretty on show.
Ah this takes me back to the first front suspension bike I had, a Giant Cadex CFM3 that I fitted Pace RC-35 forks to, with a rear brace mounted Magura Hydrostop. Cantis in the rear. I rode that bike a hell of a lot, in France, North and South Yorkshire. ❤
Retro 🚲 are inexpensive and AMAZING fun! I enjoy that I feel like I did when the 🚲 was made when I ride it. It's wonderful being young again as long as I pedaled the classic bikes.
Had a couple of XTC's in the 90's and early 00's, traded in a Concorde road bike for my first one as I was originally sponsored by my LBS for a couple of years as a teenager so I got it all pretty cheap. Had a lot of fun on the old mountain bikes. Stopped riding for about two decades as I pursued my career and family commitments but bought a Nukeproof Giga 290 about 24 months ago and have been having a blast riding downhill, even as an older fella! Too many responsibilities now to get any more dirtbikes so it's a great compromise.
I enjoyed this video and great presentation. You had fun with that 26" as I do, that's what matters! Options like DIY tubeless and an old Gravitty Dropper might be useful for rough circuits. Thank you.
Great being able to ride a 24 year old £150 bike in a modern competition, even with chain drops and punctures done really well Anna👏. Watching fearless hardtail riders with no dropper post taking on big tech features both scares and amazes me too, wonder if they do retro bike only races 🤔😂 - Thanks for sharing great stuff!
Thanks Anna great video.
I loved the 2001 Giant.
Honestly I would rather ride the Giant than the Canyon Full Suspension.
I have a 2018 Giant Anthem Pro 0 carbon full suss that I seldom ride, and a 1997 Giant ATX890 World Cup Edition (restro modded with a modern 1 by drive train, shorter stem, wide bars, and Maxxis 26 x 2.1 tires) which I ride all the time.
It was a surprisingly capable bike! The gears and tyres were the real let down. 😊
I currently use a 2002 Giant XTC hardtail for trail riding, XT M750 groupset with V brakes... only because I need to get my rear shock in my 1996 Santa Cruz Heckler rebuilt. I love underbiking, especially for climbing. I think it's important for people to stay off their expensive new bikes every once and a while and go back to the basics.
Did you fit it with a dropper?
This was actually enjoyable to watch. Nice video.
Bikes and trails have grown together over the years. I started riding early mountain bike trails around 1991-92. The bikes were slightly modified road bikes: straight bars with slightly wider tires. Today, those trails would be considered gravel trails. As bikes got better (suspension, disc brakes, geometry, bigger tires), the trails got rougher and more technical. There is no way in hell that I would take my old "mountain bike" from the '90s and even enter a modern bike park. Your crazy girl!
I love any video with Anna riding her bike... If you guys need someone to take a Canyon Lux off your hands... I'm in Canada and would love to try one out. ;)
Ooooh…. No dropper post. Impressed that you compete without.
Nice one Anna! What an effort.
Get GMBN to fork out for a nice set of Maxxis Ardent 26 x 2.4 next time😅 (or the 2.25 at the rear if the dropouts are narrow lol).
Hahaha yeah that would have been nice 😅
Doubt get that size tyre in that frame without clogging problems. Max be 2.1/2.2.
Love to see you race a retro again Anna but size that fits you right (70/80mm stem, 700mm bars with correct frame) and proper XC tyres in 26”
Maybe a follow on from this video Part 2??
Great video! I rode a 26 bike for five years, bought it for 250 euros. It was fun, but when I bought my first 29-er (also hard tail) last year I really noticed an enormous difference in comfort. And I am faster on my new bike. But both bikes are so much fun to ride, and that is what it is all about. Thanks for all the content!
Great video, I love the energy.
Anna is looking gorgeous and amazing on that bike! Great job ❤
Hehe, takes me back to my 2002 (I think) Specialized Rockhopper A1 FS Disc. Sadly it got stolen in 2005, so I got a GT Avalanche 0.0, which I stil have.
Collecting dust now though as I ride my Relay exclusively 🤣
Fun to watch old school vs new school, gnarly 🤘
I rode a 1995 Kili at the Cannock round ( the 3 lap fun race, I don't have a licence) 26" , 21speed, Rc35 forks, 3x, cantis etc
Came 40th out of 50 ish despite getting serious cramp last lap. I'm also over 60yrs old.
The secret to riding these older bikes is being stupidly fit generally as it requires a lot of upper body effort to ride over constant roots and boulders and maintaining an aggressive attitude, whimp out and you'll crash. Physical endurance is important.
The bikes are obviously going to be less capable but properly maintained and set up the old stuff is fun and competitive within obvious limits.
I suggest you enter one of the cannock retro events when they come up. It's bonkers and fast furious racing with lots of crashes and general destruction of anodised bling....
Retro bikes certainly looked cooler . If you look back at the old Grundig world cup series when the courses were more natural they had no problem coping with the terrain . Its just all this new rock garden stuff and man made obstacles on the courses that you could say have conspired to making you need to go New school :).
To be honest, a lot of those old courses would be classed as 'Gravel' nowadays; very little technical features, and plenty of fire road climbs.....
But there was something about 26" wheels, and narrow bars, with bar ends....
And 120mm stems and V or canti brakes!
Nick your a legend!
Anna awesome footage well done and great riding!
Nick saved the day with his retro puncture repair knowledge 😅
@@AnnaOnTheBike Hi Anna!
Was awesome to see and ha ha was so retro!😆
I don't race and I ride a modern gravel bike now but I still have the old touring bike in my garage which is in reality an MTB bike from those times with mounting points. This is however a steel frame (judging by the diameter of the tubings) and has no suspension whatsoever. It was serving me well till I bought the gravel a year ago. Anyway, while that era MTBs had their drawback compared to modern tech, I think they are still quite good. For the modern XC course, I would switch those tyres, though.
New tyres, short stem and wide bars. That's all it takes, you got 2 out of 3 and got up the 7th place!
short stem would mess the geo too much
@@zwicker5585 not mess, but improve from originally messed.
Front derailleur is not the cause of chain drops. It's the lack of clutch on the rear mech
My bet is that the main cause of the dropped chains is that the limit screws on both the front and rear derailleurs weren't properly set. After working on thousands of bikes most of them have set screws that weren't properly set. While it won't be as good as well adjusted quality modern stuff it should be fine enough - if properly adjusted. Most bikes aren't properly adjusted.
It would be cool to see how capable that bike could become if you update it with a modern fork, a dropper, and a 1x system.
Last year I gave my now 14 year old son my early 2000s Giant Rincon (I think 2004). We changed it to a 1x system (originally put on a 32t chainring, but after building up a Nukeproof for him, replaced it with a 38t), replaced the rear wheel to have a cassette, and put a Shimano Deore 10 speed 11-46t cassette on it. I want to change the front fork to something more updated for him, but the bike has rim brakes so that limits my options as to what can go on it. It is his everyday ride around town/gravel bike, while his Nukeproof Scout 275 with 29" wheels is his MTB trail/NICA race bike.
I kept a 3x on my 2016 hardtail for a long time because I was commuting on it too (the big chainring really did make it faster on pavement). I used an $80 chain guide, the chain stayed on, and the drivetrain felt nice and engaged. That and a pair of budget tubeless rims made the bike more than enough to ride all my local trails. I eventually went to 1x after I got a road bike for commuting, but that 3x setup worked well!
I still have the exact same bike but with Rockshox SID fork, but only recently swapped the XTR V-brakes for discs :). It still rocks :)
Anna, has Rich been trying to convince you that pain is fun?😂 Your videos always put a smile on my face. I, and probably many others, would happily watch your race videos using the bike you want.
I've done a few races recently where I've chosen to ride my rigid steel mtb from 1994. 21 speed with cantilever brakes! It is bloody hard work. With modern 2.25" tyres it feels a lot better than you'd expect, but the limitations are very real, and unforgiving.
Retro bikes are a lot of fun!
why didnt you put on proper tires?
either way, great riding!
Loved this. Nice one. Was recently gifted a 1998 steel hardtail Orange P7. Being new to MTB I know no different. But great to hear your expert thoughts.
26erss stilll cann give youu a lot of fun. I still got my very first bike, 2008 budget merida k8. I keep totally out of sentiment and in last couple of years I completetly overhauled it throwing a quite ammount of money - new air fork, wide handlebars, rear disc brake adater, hydraulic 4-pot brakes, dropper post,disc brake wheelset with tpu tubes, 1x11 deore drivetrain. Basically, the only stock part that is left, is the frame itself. It's heavy, over 15 kg, but this year I started riding it in the mountains and I am having a blast on it. And although I plan on getting a full sus shortly, I won't dissassemble it and sell part by part. I will still keep it. If someone is interested in retro 26ers, I recommend old shovel yt channel. Rob, the host, does wonderful bike restorations.
i think the rider makes more difference than the bike ever will.
I always liked to think that, too, as a retro grouch who still rides a Ritchey P650b and Surly Krampus. Then one lap on a friend’s Transition Spur… and I experienced a paradigm shift.
Giants 17in in this was a perfect size for me at 5.8ft great bike and had the slope on the top tube like today's bike's it made it an amazing bike for control and throwing about
The answer really was: no it couldn't keep up, but do feel GMBN showed a little snobbery to their Orbea partnership on this one.
It doesn't matter what you have, and if that's a 2001 hardtail then so be it - there's no issues...but ultimately skating it because it's "easier" on a modern 29er is not helpful.
Sorry GMBN - first video I think is poor for the channel
It's Canyon partnership this time
I currently ride a GIANT XTC team 2001, although only the frame and 26' rims are left. It's quite pleasant to ride :)
This would've faired so much better with better tires. Those Schwalbe Hurricanes are commuter tires vaguely disguised as MTB tires.
Blake: I love haaarrdtaills!
She is so rad!
I still hanker after my first mountain bike, a Cannondale CAAD 2 hardtail, which ended up like Trigger's Broom or Gilmour's Black Strat, the only thing original was the frame. I do have to say MTB's have come some a long way, I'm finding that I'm not swapping parts anywhere near as much now, chains, tyres all the bits you need to keep going, the bikes are now so much better off the peg. I now ride a Canyon Neuron 7 2023 now and love it.
I don't understand the 26 thing, Sam hill, peaty and minnar would own us all on 26 still, it's fine just hit it and will be good :)
5:17 yes, but thats a modern hardtail, not one from 2006
What’s not to like, 26" front mech, hard tail, honestly some modern tyres and as many said probably a smaller frame ( I still measure in inches!) and a service to iron out some issues, this is still very much a useable a competitive bike for a fraction of the insanity prices of the flavour of the week modern bikes.
It would be nice to see this with some sensible new parts on, like tyres and the like and see how much better it is then. 👍
Still ❤ playing around on an old 26" size S Orange P7. Upgraded to discs but still running 3x9. Definitely wouldn't be comfortable doing the sort of things I do on my 27.5" Scout
Would have been a cool video had you tested a cheap big box store bike.
You also weren’t comparing apples to apples. This would have been a legit comparison of you tested that retro bike to a new carbon hard tail.
Can't beat a good ride out in a retro bike, and what a bargain XC buy. I take my Giant ATX out through Wharncliffe Woods a fair bit
It's amazing how much quieter bikes have become.
RUclips needs more awesome content like this! The endless stream of "this sport is only for the rich" content gets awfully tiring.
I remember doing courses this hard when I was younger on even older bikes than she is comparing to. I remember riding the Downieville Classic in 1998 on a steel hardtail with Vbrakes and Mag21 up front. The rock sections were as bad as these or racing the Sea Otter Classic the first few years of the race on the same rig. Took practice to be able to ride those steep rocks with little tires and no dropper. Now I have OLD so I dont' risk it as much seems to take a lot longer to heal every time I break a bone.
so cool!
I feel like this is a great example of starting on high-end bikes. And never developing any rider skill from having a high end bike do most of the riding for you. I think it's important for everyone to start and get good on a hardtail.
I started racing on an aluminium Kona NuNu. I raced hardtails for years, only moving up to a full sus when I raced a World Cup in Val di Sole in 2015. Not wanting to ride a rock garden on a 26er with 80mm of unserviced suspension and no tyre tread is not the same as being too spoilt by modern bikes that I’ve lost the skill. 😂
I disagree, she didn't start on high end bikes. I think it's an example of being used to modern geo and then getting a bike with 26' wheels, huge chainring etc. and being realistic about expectations on that course. I doubt you'd do any better on a course made for modern bikes, using an old 26'er. Could a better rider have managed everything easier? Absolutely, I expect Sam Pilgrim wins it all on that bike if he wanted, but it's not because she never developped skills due to riding high end bikes.
@theonlydriver Bruh, it’s obvious that Anna has skills. It’s only in the movies that Tom Cruz can out fly an SU-57 in an F14 Tomcat.
Anna 🤘
Cudos Anna
You’ve defo proved that we don’t need 4 grand arm chair bikes to race :)
Point score for the budget bikes which make riding and racing more inclusive woop :)
Also if anyone needs any more proof that you can race a hardtail and don’t need to spend shed loads of money, Rob Warner and Steve Peat used to race downhill on similar bikes to the one in the video, just get a good bike shop to advise weather the bike yall chose is strong enough though.
It would be cool to go back even further and try a 90s steel Bontrager, nothing beats a Bontrager.
I can ride this ride on my old steel one speed pedal brake soviet bike. With lots of fun.
The thing is not the bike but the rider.
Can you score points for the cup though? Cross-country is rarely about fun
@@feedbackzaloop most likely no points. But I do not think that the difference in actual times will be large though.
It is just statistics.
If I’ll take motorbike I’ll be even faster.
So what?
Bikes are not about being fast or first for me. It is just fun.
@@4upkoB sure, motorbikes are faster, but not allowed on trails. And Ebikes have their niche too. This here is just not the exact part of the oh so diverse sport for you.
You kinda doing a Raygun Olimpic impression with pushing your perspective. And unless you win the competition, it doesn't impress anyone.
@@feedbackzaloop love you,
You are the best :* kiss
@@4upkoB love you too mate! Outside these official venues there's place on the trails for every bike
Should do this with a old Giant NRS
Tubes can definitely handle rough terrain, it's the tyres you're running that can't handle it by deforming so much that it damages the tubes. Run the right tyres and tubes are not the problem 👌
So I was genuinely worried you would go over the bars on that 26 er! You could do tubeless on that bike and you could get modern 26 inch tires and why don't you just do a one by nine with a modern derailleur? I know you were trying to run it the way you bought it but I think it would have been cool to see if the basic bike itself would still competitive in a modern setting
Judy is the lower end of the fork spectrum for that year, I'll bet you do greatly better with a higher end shock of that year than that one, and it would make a world of difference.
Pretty decent considering the very very light tires on that thing and the poorly adjusted shifters
That A line is basically a trials course !
It's a super impressive course! So much fun... on a decent bike at least 😅
That’s old giant is massive- did I spot it saying 19.5 on the frame. You can’t really ride this size and compare it to a small modern bike.
Noticed this as well. Not a fair comparison.
This is specifically addressed in the video.
Fully agree. Giant made a 15.5 small frame ATX I bought one for my daughter and flashed it up with a one x 11 drive +2.25 tyres, swapped some wider bars, drilled out the bottle cage nut and put in a spare internal dropper. I used an old noodle off a caliper brake to feed it through. I wouldn’t look at riding it or anything for that matter on that course but it gets plenty of attention on the pump track from the other oldies even some of the gremlins say it’s a cool bike. On fairly smooth trails with lots of tight corners it’s faster but the 29ers just mow me down once I hit the straights. It would have been good to see Anna on the modernised small frame ATX or Anthem.
I'd rather just see you race with your new bike and listen to you talk about the ins and outs of xc racing, nutrition, mindset before during after etc etc. I know you guys have to sell bikes and gear and come up with content but these old vs new vids are like every other video lol. Maybe interview other racers and vendors and end it with you guys at a local pub or restaurant to give them some advertisement too. Cheers from across the pond!
Those tires. You did yourself a major disservice running those slicks. Totally inappropriate for that course. There are a few decent 26” tires left on the market. Get a pair and go over your drivetrain (I mean you dropped your chain THREE TIMES? REALLY?!?) and give it another go!
I went from my 26inch full suspension aluminium frame 2003 cantilever brakes, to a 2021 aluminium frame with 29inch wheeled hardtail. The hardtail is more comfortable due to the frame compliance and with Specialized Butchers on there's so much less frame and handlebar chatter aka now none at all, where I used to get friction burn on my hands from the grips on my 26 full sus. Massive differences. Though I do like the lower centre of gravity and the narrower tyres of the older 26er, unfortunately it got written off when a car crashed through the garage and bent the front wheel and threaded/unthreaded the head tube..
Not sure about inserts "can't handle" rough terrain - they do. Just u need a puncture protection kevlar wall tires. Also, tire pressure put correctly prevent a snake bite.
SO very confused noises in Eastern Europe.
Always bringing spare tube with me - no problems.
It's cheap and reliable, and puncture can be sealed back home - inserts reused as spare one + patch kits are always exist.
Don't understand why we suppose to move to shenanigans like sealant and additional stuff. Its too soft.
New fork, new trasmition, new tires and backup inserts, short stem, wider bars - and this Giant can run like new.
Also - I'm sure it will barely, but still fit 27.5 size wheels for sure, but not too wide.
She's got a fun personality.
Great video! Do they even make 26" tires anymore?
Its not exactly a cheap bike, its just an old bike. It was quite expensive at the time, so i would expect that it would still hold up today
BOLD to leave it running schwalbe hurricanes front and rear
I’m guessing some new cables and housings would solve most of the gear shifting issues.
The wheel size isn't as much of an issue as you make it look. It the rest but not the wheel size.
this fork looks pretty familiar. not sure if I had the same one, too. But i got one after market rock shox on my stumpjumper m2 1994 model some time later. Still remember that thos constantly lost air after arround 2-3 years.....
A bit of tweaking here and there definitely a decent bike and loads better than my steel old beast
Update the bike with an entry level 1X chainring and clutch derailleur and set up tubeless and see how that goes. Compared to this run.
Good bike, with deore derailleur must feel nice, the fork is too stock :D.
Hardtails are nimble and light, but just orrible once you are over 40 years old 😂
Rider skill < Bike
Pure propaganda! Since that bike was far from stock with hydraulic brakes, wide bars, and a short stem, why not install some knobblier tyres? It's not the front derailleur's fault you don't know how to use it. Think of it as a full rigid singlespeed and ride it with finesse for better results.
The bike shouldn't be called 'the excuse'.
Are those wide handlebars the ones on the bike in 2001?
I seem to remember narrower bars back then.
Why didn’t you swap the tires for some new ones?? Those tires look old and no one would have raced on those even back then (in a xco type race)
Number one they look old and dry and number two the type of tyre are like som kind of gravel/xcm sort and they look cheap.
It looks like some typ of commuter-bike tires.
It would have made a worlds difference.
would have been fair if the old bike got new tires too...i think thats where ya can get alot back
I have still my 26"bike 30 gears RS Reba air 100mm and ride it more than the 29"bike what i have too and for my body high is 1.93m i love the handling 4 26"bikes more ❤ .. ps. Upgrade that bike ❤ better tires and 30 gears shimano have a Deore Shadow Plus RD-M6000 reduce the chain swinging but 1x11 ore 12 ist also fine and a better fork and brakes
The XCuse 😂
.. cheap 2001 bike .. how "cheap" was it in 2001? because that sure does not look cheap. I looked up a used "giant mcm 2001 mtb" just today - and it was listed at 400-500 pounds (so kind of cheap .. today - 150 seems like an utmost steal though .. a carbon frame with disc breaks in good shape? .. 150 is a MUST buy )
Also - love the good vibes at the race .. everyone is smiling and having a good time it seems! ... i was a bit surprised you did not ride tubeless. If tubeless makes sense in ANY genre of cycling - i think its with mountainbikes.
surprised it has proper brakes
I totally disagree about the 29er wheels!! Its a guilt tripping gimmick to make you buy a reinventing of the wheel!! For that matter, nothing wrong with the 26, or 27.5 wheels!! The 29 is clownish!!
What this bike fully serviced and tuned before the race?
I'm sure it would have made a big difference if it was and at least replacing your tires.
All of the bikes we buy are checked over and made work safely by our in-house workshop before we go riding them :)
Too wide a bar makes those old bikes twitchy I only go up to 720mm max
YASSSSS QUEEN 👑 RACE 👏 CHEAP 👏 BIKES 👏 💕💕💕
I don't have a retro bike only a newer 29er and full suspension set up
Bro she doesn't wanna try anything what's the point.
How much fun would a 2024 "2000's only" race be like? 😮
Not this gnarly, of course, but maybe 75% as gnarly?
wow long ad for year 1990 vs 2024bike 😂
Did everything else changed a few that were not standard at the time…….(too short stem to make handling good that generation of XC bike, 70/80mm be better. But then essentially the frame was too big for needed a medium or large)
But let road/gravel tires on when plenty of proper knobby 26” tyres available that’s just silly put proper XC tires on the 26” 🤦♂️ give it a sensible chance.
Of was limited by what past owner did & changed but at least suitable tread change.