DogVet profile

Would be interesting to put this up against a classic carbon short traveller with good geometry eg 5010

Yep, as you get older the pitfalls of even minor errors ( mine clipping a tree with the bars, at point of launching a drop) results can be serious, proximal fracture of humerus. Given that orthopaedic injuries take up to 2 years to maximise the recovery, that will put me just shy of 70…….what then?!!

Go steady out there contemporary oldies!!

The Bronson, IMHO, is a better all round bike.

The linkage looks uncommonly like the Giant Maestro, or is that a trick of the light?!

Maybe, but as you get older, fatigue levels and old joints need appropriate comfort, therefore a FS bike is the best.

Agreed, trails in the UK have been getting a lot of traffic in the dry summer we have had, big holes appearing in the trails. So whilst a 140/130 trail bike will be superb fun, if one has the skill, fitness and energy to hop, skip and jump down the trail.

My 160/145 mullet, is no heavier, almost as flickable, and saves my old bones when I get it all wrong!!

Ball of foot rests just about on or behind pedal axle. 50/10 impact shoe, on Burgtec composite pedal. 

Do occasionally move feet back slightly for jump lines, or steep tech slow speed tight trails.

Been riding flats for 15 years, coming from as you and Marty, years on clips.

Dan Critchlow owner of Burgtec has always ridden flats  and at WC DH level, so has a reasonable idea of how a flat pedal should work!!

32 years on post injury, calf is still smaller than opposite side.

I have found that I am more comfortable on a shorter reach bike 465- 470 as  (5’10 178 cm ape index 0 ) as heels down on steep tech terrain inherently pushes one’s hips back, too long a reach produces a superman effect.

Burgtec composites are an excellent pedal I find.

The converse is true, a group of mixed ability riders up hill can ride at same pace and chat, usually the unfit are miles behind, gasping not chatting.

DH, it also concertinas the riders, as the unfit or older don’t won’t pedal in the flatter bits, to conserve energy for the next uphill, two pedal strokes on an e bike,on those section get you up to speed.

The e bike offers to mixed abilities more chance to ride as a cohesive group.

I have both, a light powered e bike and a single pivot mullet as a complete antithesis, both are great fun, opens up more cycling groups.

The quantity v quality is also incorrect as one can gain more quantity of quality, if ridden how I ride.

Likewise the “oh I will get one when I’m 70”, nonsense, at 70 plus you won’t have the upper body strength to manage a full fat e bike, the light weight ones are much more fun IMHO, and more manageable.

I’m 66, retired,  ride either bike up to 5 times a week, solo or with mates depending on which group is going out, time is sometimes short as have a 10 month old son to deal with as well.

Bottom line is, if you like riding bikes (presumably as you subscribe to this site)  , then  the lightweight E bikes are great fun, and certainly in our little independent shop, if we didnt get involved with the e bike community, then we would be missing out on about 65% of sales inquiries!!

Try some Burgtec composites, I have ridden them for about 4 years now, with 5/10 rubber, seem to work well.