I'm a cycling focused KZfaqr! I've got three videos in the works right now restoring old 26" MTB's. Old 1980's Giants, Diamondback Ascent, etc. Love your videos, stoked to keep following your journey.

26” bikes make fantastic tourers as well, I’ve a 1990 Halfords Carrera, 3x8 speed, V brakes, parts available in the middle of nowhere I’ve done 50+ countries on 4 continents on it, as well as commuting on it in between touring

Oh boy, this makes me wanna get another commuter in addition to my fixed geared, skinny tired one asap. Seen quite a few people restoring old 26 MTBs in the last years over here in Berlin. What I really like about it is how every build looks so unique.

Hey Craigh, you hit the nail on the head with your first point about the covid road bike craze. It took me three years to realize what you just said! Good thing I did not gave up road bikes, I just added 26" MTBs which brought another (stronger) wave of joy and fun! Plus, it's super nice to wrench on these old bikes, unlike carbon roadies where I'm scared I'd f#ck up something with the hydraulics or delicate materials. I fixed 25 year old MTB for a friend, in fact it was his high school bike back in the days and this brought me such a joy. And it brought me to your channel which I truly enjoy! Keep up the great work, stay motivated! Looking forward to more rambling and ranting about old 26" steel :) All the best from Prague!

I love your content! I have a 1987 specialized rock hopper. Turned it into a single speed commuter. You are absolutely correct about the comfort. Tires make all the difference in shock absorption. For me the sweet spot between weight and bounce is 1.95 x 26" tire. Make it a street slick and you have the best all around tire. A seat the edges on a little wide and a little padded with a perineal groove is the best. I go for the resto-modern look. I like the original chrome look but I also like some of the innovations like hollow-tech BBs, better pedals etc.

I get so excited when these builds come out. This is by far my favorite channel on KZfaq

I love this. All of my rides are 26 inch wheeled 90's hardtails.

Really great video! I’ve had the exact same conversation with so many people over the years.

Man I miss my steel hardrock so much! Can’t wait for this video! That build is sick!

I have an old 95-96 m2 stumpjumper already sitting in my garage. Thanks for the inspiration. I've been wanting to do something with it.

Hi Craig, love your videos. I agree with what you are saying, i have a 1970's road bike with a riser stem and cruiser handlebars, big fat tyres, love it. Actually rescued this bike and retromoded it during covid lockdown in 2019. I can leave it anywhere without risk of being nicked. I love it so much, if i was going to have a new bike I would consider a 26 inch mtb, but to be honest i don't want to ride anything else, super comfy and reliable. Cheers from Australia.

80s & 90s “mountain” bikes make great commuters. Mine is an ‘84 Schwinn Sidewinder that a neighbor chucked over my fence in the summer of 2000. It was built before anybody knew what a mountain bike looked like, but the result is the foundation for an absolutely bullet-proof town bike, & that’s what I did with it. Street treads, racks, lights, fenders, etc, & it’s been serving that function for more than 22 yrs now. Mine has nearly zero BB drop w/ a 23” seat tube, so it sits _tall._ I’m just short of 6’ & my height’s not in my legs, so that stand-over height is a risk. It’s one that the jewels have survived so far & I _like_ that tall ride height. The frame is a stiff, heavily built 26” w/ clearance for 2 1/2” tires & then some, _w/ fenders,_ & it has braze-ons for racks front & rear. It was built as a 3x6 - around 10 yrs ago I replaced a run-out freewheel w/ a 7 spd & now have 1:1 on the bottom end. I call it a semi-stationary exercise bike. It’s not fast, but you just can’t break it. If my town were any lumpier that a billiard table this bike wouldn’t be as useful as it is, but one thing I do with it is haul 80lbs of cat food & litter per week. I don’t take that load straight home, either. I pick it up 5 klicks into a 25k loop & complete that loop with a bike that’s pushing 40lbs before it catches an 80lb load, plus my own 220. The Sidewinder’s the go-to brute that never breaks. It’s not needy, I don’t have to be careful with it, & if somebody tried to steal it I could chase them down at a walking pace. Chances are they’d see me coming & realize that their only chance would be to jump off & run - right? Like a lot of older riders I have every bike that I thought was cool back when I couldn’t afford them. A 40 yr old World Sport set up as a town bike is a fast & light cafe/pub bike. A 33 yr old LeTour is the road bike that’s tough enough to handle 155 miles per week of Zone II & HIIT action, & a 35 yr old Paramount is like a classic Jag that gets a ride or two per month. I’ve got _nice_ bikes, & somehow it’s the Sidewinder that does it for me. If I could have only one, that would be it.

Hey from Oz I really enjoy your vids. Great work thanks.

My channel is about vintage steel road bikes but did have a modern steel gravel bike which opened my eyes on how there are WAY more riding options when you have the right bike/wide tire setup and you’re not stuck on the paved roads. But I’m already working on getting a 26” wheel vintage steel mountain bike as I type this 😁 Awesome video too loved it!

Fab vids mate. I’ve found you just as I’ve got my ‘96 Hardrock on the road again after 10 years! Keep it up.

..i´m binged chronologically through all your vids & i reaaly love your attitude bringing bikes back to live, and even more your thoughts about making cycling accessible and keeping it affordable. stoked to got your patch soonish in my letterbox. take care*

the streets and sidewalks are incredibly clean there. Nice!

Hi Craig, just recently discovered you. Truly enjoying the content, nice refreshing tone. Here in Canada winters is a great time for me to putter around the shop to do a bike build. I've done already some bike builds for myself and family. However you've convinced me to pull out of the shed, my own hybrid that I purchased as a university student back in 1985. I'm a big guy, 196cm. This bike is 68cm frame with 26" wheels with canti brakes. So I'm going to strip it and do a restomod. I thank your posts to inspire me.

Great videos bro. Just subscribed. Keep it coming also have 2 26inch mtb and love them.

I recently got a job where I really want to start riding and i'm slowly starting to build my retro 26 so i loook forward for that info man i appreciate you man

26" wheels rules!

I have built out four 90s MTBs in the last three years. One clapper that is the best frame and fork that fit me, picked out my parts, then passed the frame and fork to another. Another resto mod is now my winter specific ice/snow commuter with an Alfine 8 speed. Absolute generic with unknown origin, no serial number, but the crazy circus wagon paint job that was intact with water pipe steel. Now an icebreaker for Wyoming streets and roads. One build was a 1x8 conversion to get a family member out on a commuter and grocery chaser.

Love the pop of color on those cables! I agree. I’m also an addict and have acquired a collection of bikes lol running out of room.

You sold me! Just got back from riding through some spring snow, bought a 93’ Cannondale M400. I’ve loved 90s Cannondale road bikes for over two decades now, time for something a bit different!

really nice video! loving 26ers, duh. But I also love this edit with you on the bike and in the studio, kind of overlaping and interacting. brilliant!

De Pues Shop - American. I enjoy watching this channel for retro builds. Nice laid back presentations.

I shall look forward to the parts upload

Love my 1991 trek 950,its the most comfortable bike ive ridden.

Yes, modernizing old steel bikes is addictive and want to keep doing it, N+1

Great video and have subscribed :-) Just wondering what you use to film the on bike scenes? We have a GoPro but this looks amazing! Thanks in advance, Sarah

just picked up a 93 trek 950 love it so far, ive already put 20 miles in the past 2 days lfg

He's right. I got a 26in and it's super comfortable, absorbs all the cracks in the road. And make sure you're fairly upright, so you'll need some swept back handlebars.

Sometimes when I can’t think of anything to say, but still want to comment so it will help you I just write a short sentence like this. And I like your videos.

Love this stuff, you convinced me to buy a 1992 giant iguana frame about a month ago, and it’s become my winter project. It’s 26” and I’m going single speed with s cheap air fork to just bump it around town and jump over stuff, while also being suitable for quick errands. I have a nice and proper 29” mountain bike but the rolling resistance of onza porcupines makes it unsuitable for asphalt. Since my errands are sub 10 mile round trips, I figured something single speed but still bouncy would be fun. But who knows? Maybe I’ll find a different use for it and I’ll have to build another 90’s bike frame up?

Another good restorer is Cycle Fields. Love your channel eland your content!!!

I have a 2012 Voodoo Hoodoo frame I bought second hand, it is a 26" but as it's disc I can squeeze in 27.5 X 2.2 as long as the tread is not aggressive or 700X32c, maybe 38's as there's still some room. It is set up with cable discs so it has had flat, alt and drop bars at various times, 1X10, 2x8 and single speed, I have even raced it in MTB. It has had a trials fork, a Manitou Machete and a Surly fork at the moment with a completely different vibe with every set up. The only down side is BB height, best $50 AUD I have ever spent.

My in-town bike is a rigid, full chromo 1990 Giant Rincon. The plump tires and granny gear are just the ticket for the pothole-ridden, hilly streets of Atlanta, Ga.

Brother, we'd love to see you and your awesome bikes at Critical Mass!

I love my old and new 26" wheels 3 mtb. Lighter and more nimble than what the industry wants to sell us. My theory is that 29" wheels were born because of the needs of the e-bikes (like the higher BB and the 1 by transmission).

Amazing tartarian buildings in your video

Love your videos and decals, Craig. So far I’ve resto’d a GT Zaskar, Marin Hawk Hill, Proflex 856, Giant Sedona, GT Avalanche, Iron Horse Porter and Orbea Occam. A Manitou FS is next on the bench. Yes, it is an addiction. And they all proudly wear “Save Old Bikes” decals.

See, told you I would!

Finally someone speaks the truth 😅 My gateway drug was a '99 Trek 820 I retro moded as a commuter, already spent on it almost as much on my modern mid tier mountain bike Yesterday I found a Handmade touring bike by AntBikeMike, I had to have it (wife wasn't happy about it to say the least) This is definitely an addiction, costing 2x of what I anticipated, but working on these vintage machine is also 3x satisfying, so still worth it in my eyes Ps. Keep on with your content, it has been a big influence on my build 🙏

Haha, "this is like a drug" - too true!

I enjoy the videos. I would REALY enjoy them if there were links to the parts in the description but I know that's some extra work.

Rad video ✌️

hey mate I love the videos ! i've got a lovely collection of older bikes and a couple of these awesome retro mountain bike ! i'm wanting to video the resto would Love to connect

This would be a sick Messenger bike

I am building up a ‘88 hard rock after your inspiration hit me hard. Now I just want to keep frame hunting and build another. Can you do a video to help justify the addiction of multiple bikes that are pretty similar? Like should I be thinking about a purpose built retro mod?

In France we got this tip on buying commuter bike which is buying cheap old Decathlon mtb from 1994 (especially Rockrider 520) : very sturdy chromoly frame, STX groupset, 26 inch that can fit up to 26x(2.4) inch. Like for 50 bucks you can strike gold and get smth which will never be broken

I do like 26 inch wheels, but i got a disc tab welded on my 1998 Kona frame and run it 650bx47 now. I gotta say, it is a lot better. More wheel choice, lighter wheels, more tyre choice etc Dont get me wrong, 26 inch still does the job and i still have a couple of them, but im always using the Kona now and prefer it loads more to when it was 26x2.1 rim brake

i like 26 because i find more of them in the dmpsters than other sizes 😁

In the middle of 2022 I got a new job and the office was a really easy bike ride downtown so I said to myself "what the hell, lets get that old '95 Rockhopper fixed up and it can be my commuter bike!" Well the Alivio cranks were recalled, the headset bearings were absolutely trashed, the bars were uncomfortable and I absolutely hated the super sloppy plastic-detent 90s grip-shifters. Was was initially going to be a simple regrease-and-go became a frame-up rebuild since the frame was in excellent shape. Cheap but excellent Tange Seiki 1-1/8" sealed bearing threaded headset worked for the original fork. Got a quill adapter, threadless stem, and some cheap alloy flat bars. Found a decent deal on a deore 5120sgs, 11-46 10s cassete, Deore shifter, and 1x Deore Crankset paired with the requisite HT2 73mm bottom bracket. Slapped a larger HG freehub on it to fit the 10s cassette (without any wheel redishing needed), a new seatpost and seat and I was set! Except I realized I didn't like flatbars, so I got a VentureMax bar and some Microshift M100 brifters. Then built new wheels since the cups on the original Alivio hubs were pitted and rough and the Araya rims had some wear to the brake tracks. Also I wanted black rims and spokes and hubs. So I built a set of new 26" wheels on Shimano T610 hubs, cheap 2mm straight gauge DT spokes, and RhynoLite rims. Swapped in some more solid (and matte black) vintage Deore LX cantis to replace the cracked Alivios (seeing a pattern here? Alivio stuff wasn't really built to last at least now when no maintenance is performed). Then later snagged a decent deal on a carbon 27.2 Seatpost and paired it with a 30.4-27.2 Cane Creek seatpost adapter to add a bit more comfort, the cheap amazon 30.4 alloy post was really unforgiving and was getting damaged by some ridged in the seat-tube hole that I needed to file down. Then I wanted to build up my wife's old Marin so I pillaged many of the flat bar parts from my old build and stole the 5120SGS and crankset for her bike and took the opportunity to upgrade mine to slightly fancier M7000-GS and M7000 cranks, in part just to experiment whether the "11s" parts would still work with the 10s stuff, which they did. In fact the M7000GS is nearly identical to the 5120 SGS. Anyway all this is to say, its awesome how adaptable these old 26" MTBs are. If its based on industry standards then its SO easy to find compatible parts and basically anything new will bolt right on. Wireless stuff might be a pain but thats something an intrepid person would likely work around. I love this bike and have ridden it 800+ miles in the past year and a half and ride it 6 miles to work 2-3 times a week all year around. Its a beast and its so special to me since its been in my family since it was new (my parents bought it in 95 when I was not even a teenager). I even hooked up a somewhat period correct Cateye Mity wired computer that I pillaged from my mom's old Trek for basic MPH and odometer duties. Its so cool getting something that you can make your own, that won't make a thief look twice, but is still special to you. It puts a smile on my face every time I ride it. That being said, the 2001 Litespeed Tuscany my dad handed down to me is a bit more fun and definitely faster than the Rockhopper (and weighs 40% less), but its far less versatile.

Mid to late 90s is my sweet spot. Love v-brakes and hate cantis ❤

From my experience of commuting by bike for almost 10 years is Modern roadbikes don't last long. I'm now commuting on my fully rigid mtb with 27.5 tires. It's amazing. Would love a classic MTB to modify for commuting to work.

Hey I am bike commuter with zero experience on building bikes! ATM I have a Mercier Kilo TT which is great! I love the single speed set up, I thought I liked the 700/28c tires but recently I have noticed my commute is not super comfortable and my wheels always seemed to get out of alignment. My question is where to start? I LOVE the IDEA of riding a retro MTB/Hybrid with 26in wheels, I had a Trek Mountain Sport 800 but it was stolen. I love your videos!

I couldn’t agree more. For 10 years I rode 700x23 commuters tyres on a hybrid, and I’ve come to realise this was the dumbest decision. The roads / cycle lanes / canal tow paths of London are not suitable for 23 gatorskins. Nothing like wildly skidding on cobblestones at the edge of the Lea. Switched to 32 and not regretting it. I’m also planning on refurbishing my old Veneto Arkanda mtb on 26 wheels and sticking 2.1 semi-slick knobblies on that.

Depending on the terrain, if you can fit a 700x30 or 32 on a road bike and run lower psi, that also provides a decent ride. I love my 2021 Allez because it's not extremely aggressive geometry. I tried to put larger tires on there and really liked the smoother ride, but ended up returning the tires because there was no clearance for the fork, they barely fit. From the small amount of riding I did though I enjoyed it greatly. New model uses disc brakes so you can fit larger tires....but...disc brakes unfortunately

You are spot on mate! Four years back I began tinkering on old mtbs. Now I have 26 in my shed. I have given away 7 sold 1. Thoroughly enjoy building them and riding them. SAVE OLD BIKES 😊

26in wheels definitely a thing of my past im Loving 27.5in so much on 2.4 tyres I never went for the 29ers bike would be way to big but is faster rolling I maybe doing the mullet set up soon 29 on from 27.5 on rear I've got a 2024 emtb with all the new modern Geometry my old Giant boulder from 2000 is now retired best thing I done was try out a modern ebike mountain bike no more slow uncomfortable 26in wheels but then your the opposite it's interesting bit each to their own for comfort! I've seen a few reviews on the on one Bars are they the Half in rise? Seen alot liking the 2.5in rise one's with the bar bag in middle but I tried a different kind I had no traction on front end and was hitting my knees when trying to turn so they were no good for my my wrists are used to the 30°rise bars 7° backsweep

I'd love to see someone do a restomod video on a retro bike using internally geared hubs. Especially for an urban commuter. Has someone done it and I missed it?

Love my 90’s GT’s and konas. I ride the bhf London to Brighton bike ride each year and have done so on my road bike. I think next year it will be a retro ride. Maybe my 95 Kona lava dome or fire mountain? It would be good if there was a retro community there to hit the road?!

I picked up a Trek 8000 SL for $40. It had a $65 rear rack and a $15 tire pump. So now I'm putting on a corner bar and making a gravel bike. I'm sure by the time I'm done I could have just bought a new one. But it wouldn't be vintage.

Every thing you mentioned is true. I've had many bikes in the past and my Specialized hard rock is the most comfortable bike that Ive used for commuting and leisure rides. I used to have a surly karate monkey, a brompton, a mini velo and many more but nothing compares to the joy of having a retro mountain bike. Very cool, very comfortable without breaking the bank. Also have watched all those channels you mentioned for a while now. Hope you continue to post more awesome content, Craig!

Cheapo 90s mountain bikes make the best commuters! Gt a decent steel frame, shop around for decent cheapies bits and you’ve got yourself a bespoke bike that’s tough and invisible to thieves

Can you please make a video about retro bike sizing? The bike sizing of these old bikes is really confusing. Thanks!

well our jump bike has 26 wheels just a BALLACHE to get hold of forks! and even wheelsets at times ££££££ the bike u choose was the #1 chav bike back in the day! / council estate think people used to jump them too cant fault many of the 90s bikes even 80s im in my mid 30s and just got into bmx'ing LOL try greyjam for stickers ;) my pet hate is putting bearings in well bottom set

26 feet wheels? Whoa!

Parts: its were true ebay addiction is born.

is front mounted tray better than rear mounted? many years back majority of the trays are rear mounted, i noticed front mounted is the trend now

… I call it riding a bike. In the states we have a thing called the Idaho Stop. In Idaho it’s legal for a cyclist to treat a signalized stop as a sign, & a stop sign can be treated as a yield - legally. So what Idaho’s done is at least try to recognize how people ride the world over. We have 9 or 10 states that have their own versions of it, but so far as I know none are as permissive as Idaho. In my state for example, we have a Dead Red rule. If you sit there for 2 minutes & the light doesn’t change (because the metal detector in the street doesn’t know you’re there), you can legally blow off the red light & go. Me, I just ride my bike.

All i saw was " next bike is 26 inch...." and funny enough i am lol currently custom building wheels for a handsome shopbike and a velo orange polyvalent.

@SJMCycles is also a good channel for bike restoration

What bar is that on the bike in the intro?

My channel is here 🙋🏼‍♂️

Hahaha I've just got myself a Trek 810. 26in, rim brakes etc... guilty of watching yours and other channels.

I've bought so many vintage bike just for the parts it had on it ...

My old bike is 26" , i put new 1 x 12 groupset, so i guess my new bike is a 26er. x

Can you explain between 26 /27.5 and 650b

wtf i love hipsters now

What I don't get tho is why get a 26 inch mountain bike over regular steel touring bike with comfortable bars? Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems way easier to find spare parts for a "regular" frame, you have eyelets for racks and fenders, and in the city those fat tyres seem a bit heavy/slow? 🤔

26 foot wheels?! what will the industry come up with next?

wait til the back problems kick in. or when you have to ride home into the wind.

I will ride my gt triple triangle until I’m 90

Have you ever watched Spinal Tap?

Gringineer, BikeFarmer, The Bike Sauce, BikeShedBoy, FOAD Gang, Toasty Rides, RJ the bike guy, Cool Bike Projects

At this rate we soon have to join SOB anonymous...i am adiel and i am an addict

The next sticker should be "the curb hop sneaky performer"

Guilty of watching all of those guys and yourself included.

I'm pretty sure I couldn't ride a bike with 26 foot wheels

Help me, I've become addicted. Is their any hope?

Say FU to the man... in lycra... get on a 26". My 2003 Rockhopper is the bike every gravel bike wants to be! Stick a pannier rack on it and it becomes the SUV every bloated urban cruiser wishes it was!

See pathlesspedaled? 26ers aint dead

26' is pretty big my man......think you mean 26"

Any girls here? 👩‍🔧

Crap.

1,75 or 1,95 allaorund tires size and you will ride safe and confortable on a 26" almost averywhere....i prefer 26" bike than 28"

@Backto.26 😊 ive been trying my best...

Check out adVANture St. He’s better with bike, camera and editing than he pretends to be and does some serious adventures.