On a fairly related note to this article, something I began thinking about more and more in the last 2-4 years, is if we are going to start seeing people seeking out bikes from a specific model year of their production. Mostly as bikes have Really began to mature in terms of things like geometry, suspension kinematics and pedaling performance, internal dropper routing, boost front and rear becoming the more/most prevalent standard, etc., and as the newest generations of some bikes have just gone too far in one direction or another for your given taste and requirements.
Aside from the obvious value of going with an older but still supported bike, you may find better fit and function and performance by going with a model from a specific ¨vintage¨ for a specific use case. Kind of like how skiers/boarders may have really loved the shape and flex/layup of a specific model that was only made for a year or so before the manufacturer changed it, and people go out of their way to find NOS, or even just used and abused with hopes of keeping that perfect ski in their quiver a bit longer.
When a bike just works, it just works, and pretty soon (or maybe its already happened) it wont really matter what year its from as long as the bike is sporting features and standards that are still supported and the frame was built to last.
Think this is possible? Is this already happening? Obviously the shiny and new will always carry the most broad appeal, but for the right and knowledgeable person, their perfect bike may not be the newest one.
Feb. 28, 2022, 7:55 a.m. - Metacomet
On a fairly related note to this article, something I began thinking about more and more in the last 2-4 years, is if we are going to start seeing people seeking out bikes from a specific model year of their production. Mostly as bikes have Really began to mature in terms of things like geometry, suspension kinematics and pedaling performance, internal dropper routing, boost front and rear becoming the more/most prevalent standard, etc., and as the newest generations of some bikes have just gone too far in one direction or another for your given taste and requirements. Aside from the obvious value of going with an older but still supported bike, you may find better fit and function and performance by going with a model from a specific ¨vintage¨ for a specific use case. Kind of like how skiers/boarders may have really loved the shape and flex/layup of a specific model that was only made for a year or so before the manufacturer changed it, and people go out of their way to find NOS, or even just used and abused with hopes of keeping that perfect ski in their quiver a bit longer. When a bike just works, it just works, and pretty soon (or maybe its already happened) it wont really matter what year its from as long as the bike is sporting features and standards that are still supported and the frame was built to last. Think this is possible? Is this already happening? Obviously the shiny and new will always carry the most broad appeal, but for the right and knowledgeable person, their perfect bike may not be the newest one.