GOLDEN OLDIES

The retro market is booming as riders seek to recreate the dream machines of their youth; mbr pays homage to some iconic designs and wonders what future collectors will warm to

- Sim Mainey

KLEIN ATTITUDE

YEAR 1992

WEIGHT 25lb 04oz

ORIGIN Chehalis, Washington, USA

FEATURES Critical Racing brakes, RockShox Mag 21 forks, Cook Brothers Racing crankset

Mountain bikes are, objectively, better than ever. More capable, more refined and – regardless of what you may have heard – better value than ever. The golden age of mountain biking is right here, right now and it will be even brighter tomorrow – pandemic shortages notwithstanding. For some riders, living in the golden age is all well and good, but they can’t help but gaze fondly through the lenses of their purple-tinted Oakley M Frames at the bikes of yesteryear.

Mountain biking is a relatively new sport, so even some of the earliest bikes are only 40 years old. Needless to say, there’s been a lot of change in those four decades. Even for those with no interest in nostalgia it’s worth taking a look back through the evolution of the mountain bike to see just how far we’ve come. Seeing the ideas that worked and were refined, and those that didn’t and weren’t, helps with understanding why bikes are the way they are now.

But for those who were there (man), who owned, rode, ogled and coveted these early bikes, there’s much more than a detached appreciation to tracing the lineage of the mountain bike. These bikes represent dreams and aspiration, heroic exploits, milestones and high points. They are the bikes that helped define mountain biking and owning one is to be a custodian of a tangible part of the sport’s history.