Post gravel, back to the roots and rocks Presented by @ultraromance 

sorry about the mask and muffle folks, nov 2021 was a different time ---- or is this even me????? 🎭

Sheldon Brown - 100% agree!!! Hands down the best technical resource I've ever seen on anything! Basically the Stephen Hawking of bikes.

Love this. I guess I started Mtb'ing around the same time, have worked in the industry too and Ronnie's perfectly articulates my perspective of the current cycling scene. The freedom we found with early 90's Mtb was so special and definitely feel that positive nostalgia towards those times. The way he describes modern mtb is spot-on, it's become something quite different to what it we cherished from back then. There's a lot of sickness in the corporate disposable market-driven consumerist fantasy that is pushed towards riders who would probably be far happier pursuing a different path. Such great hair too.

It’s all about the riding. In the 80’s here (UK) I used to go to mountain bike races purely for the fun ride on the Saturday. 300 plus people just out for a fun ride. Recently I picked up a Reynolds 531 frame from the 80’s and I’ve recreated my old ATB. 26” tires and a frame that’s too small. I love it. Maybe people would have more fun if they picked up a junker bike and made it into something special to them, like I did.

This is a gem for the internet to ponder over for decades to come.

deep thinking while hands off the bars

This really echos my own experiences with western new England mountain biking, both in the 90s and today.

Since we live in a capitalist realm, it would be inevitable for those large manufacturers to foray into gravel scene. A new market and money to be made. Oth, if we focus on the positive side, there are more people now taking up cycling, those who find road cycling a bit too extreme/snob, and mountain biking a bit too daunting for their skill level. Gravel riding can be safe and fun. It's up to the riders, whether riding bicycle made by major brand, or bicycle made by alternative/fringe brand to make the best use of their bicycle. The most important thing now is to get people on bicycle, we can then figure out where to go and what to do next, wheteher it be camping, picnic, fishing, or just rambling about with friends.

Great talk. I totally agree that the bike industry has taken cycling down the wrong path. Industry would make you believe that you need to buy new expensive stuff to enjoy cycling. The beauty of the bike is simplicity and utility. I started riding in the 50’s, raced criterium in the early 70’s and used those bikes to build my first off road adventure bike in 73. I love bikes and have many to ride. My go anywhere bike and the one I gravitate to now is my German trekking bike. Just filter out the noise and ride the bike you love.

This is a great talk. I use my budget fat bikes (Northrock XC00 and XCF) and just get out there. All terrains, and simply enjoy. Thanks for this.

enjoyed this and glad you're out here doing it. I came of age on 90s mountain biking and def feel nostalgic for it (rake & ride and/or shovels beats "groomed" trails for me every time). We'll have to agree to disagree on a lot of bike tech, tho! tons of great stuff these days - 1x, dropper posts, sus forks, etc - MAGIC. Keep up the good work!

proof that Ronnie Romance is an immortal being, there he is in that mountain bike adventure video from the 70s.

I freaking love the pearl pass videos, and enjoyed your talk! I've started gravel racing over the past couple years, albeit on a few iterations of rat bikes, and I am hooked. Coming more from fix gear conversion riding than mountain, my first gravel bike was a 1970 Windsor pro, with campy 8 speed road triple and mafac racers. That build got parted out after a very un-fun decent down from the Mount Princeton trailhead here in CO (cell towers). Gravel races are massively fun though. Its as close as we get here in America to accessible world tour type endurance racing. Brings people and money into local economies. My last event, Gravel Locos, ingeniously, supports local volunteer fire departments, not-only helping them out, but helping to bridge the gap between the cyclists and the duelly driving rancher types that man the fire departments and own the dirt roads. First time my head hit the ground crashing a bike was during a gravel descent. Next build is definitely going to be a 26". fortunately or unfortunately there seems to be loads of 26" cool stuff out there no one wants anymore because 29" disks and whatevers, can it hang with the gravel roady types in the rolling hard pack is the question?

Thanks!!

Oh man, I was at PBE last year but missed this talk. Had been hoping it would be uploaded. Thanks!

Speaking to my heart. 90’s mtb is my choice way to explore our outdoors.

Totally agree with your sentiments regarding modern bike trends,corporate profit before people takeover of the bike industry....

Does anyone remember cyclocross?

This talk is sick af.

Fair bit younger and from Old England but your no bro attitude to cycling and doing it for a buzz and to be out there is great. Wish there were more guys like you out there that had this attitude to all outdoor pursuits rather than making it into some bragging challenge

i admire this guy , he is so inspiring to me

Great talk Ron! I am now front derailleur curious again :)

My first mountain bike was a 1991 Bridgestone MB-3 that I bought used at a yard sale for peanuts in 1996 (parents selling sons bike he never rode) and that lasted me until 2023. It orig had those green Michelin WildGrippers mounted that I replaced with the same until they disappeared. Just finally upgraded to a rigid fork Karate Monkey. I resisted all urges to upgrade and “get with the program” and I heard that 1000 times over the years and just kept replacing parts forever. The KM came up as yet another almost brand new and sick deal and here we are (and still missing the cantis 😅). But yeah, I love the explore culture of cycling, plus, not “keeping up with the bike Jones”always (and still does) bring the benefit of QUALITY top notch used parts that are considered out of date. Anyways, I really dug this talk/vid and the “do your own thing and enjoy” discipline that I am feeling here, and I am always a sucker for talking about New England cycling. Lastly, RIP to Sheldon, I was lucky to have met him at the shop before I knew who he “was”, (and he ordered me my replacement WildGrippers) ✌️

OooooOOooohh, didn't expect a good ol' Ronaldo PBE Ted talk today, spectacular.

I have the same experience. Initially Im riding MTB and found this sport is too technically complicated. Then I changed to modern gravel bike scene. But now I just put my normal sunglasses & simple helmet and ride my chunky steel touring bike wherever I wish without being a standard "cyclist".

Such a great talk and insight from Ronnie, especially regarding the two investment firms gobbling up all cycling related media and why you should be mindful of your cycling related consumption.

Yup back in the 90’s here in Steamboat Colorado we would ride out hardtail bikes up to the continental divide trail on a dirt road over 5k ft of climbing amd then over to the ski resort on singletrack…it was always an all day adventure with beers and food on our camelbacks…nowadays I ride my full squish for a few hours on perfectly made trails right in town and I’m home for dinner…I miss those all day adventures not knowing if we were even gonna make it home

I have always loved bikes without suspension. Cromo forks and frames. Cycling through forests.

I agree the early 90's Mtb days were amazing and also still read old books, magazines and watch old races as a comfort thing. I think it would be nice/great if we could move away from pigeonholing ourselves into little groups and event/race organisers stop making mini versions of a pro race and just make "off road" events/challenges that are as much about enjoying and completing the ride as they are about competing. Mush together Gravel, MTB, cyclo cross etc where no bike is the right one as the terrain varies so much. Grinduro kind of has it but events need to be about 10% of the entry fee. Bicycling and bike events/races should be for all not the elite be that money or fitness.

Back in the 70s derailleurs like Huret were rebuildable and spare parts were available for them.

Tons of dorks here complaining about the mask

I have two functional bikes now, and an old steel road racing frame from the early '90s that I can't let go for nostalgic reasons. Of the two functional bikes, one is a [big name brand] hybrid that I bought as a pair with my wife 12 years ago. It has since been modified a bit, but not that much. I wanted to ride dirt roads and go off road a bit more with it, so I put some treaded tires on it. Not quite a mountain bike, not quite 'cross, not quite gravel, but perfect for what I want to do in my area. The other bike is a [big name brand] road bike for those longer distance rides. I tried to buy a gravel bike the other day, but none are available in my size where I live, so I guess I don't need one right now. // P.S. I was in Nebraska off and on during parts of the '90s, as people with mountain bikes started trying to figure out how to put them to better use for the local terrain. I saw the birth of "gravel" and it was beautiful. At first, it was just a couple guys from the bike shop who would disappear on long rides out into the countryside. Little by little, those rides became group rides. I was too busy with my senior year of college though, so the most I got into "gravel" (which didn't have that specific name yet) was going on short rides on one of the rails-to-trails crushed limestone trails between the bike shop in Walton and the coffee shop in downtown Lincoln. Those were the good ol' days which I am trying to re-enact on the other side of the world now. 🙂

I like to use a friction shifter so I can use what ever cassette I can find.

Still the best damn video on the internet

Nice how you describe MTB people. To me personally, is ever since the 80ties, and being able to pick a bike of my liking, after riding a few kinds of models, even a road bike my father and grandfather wanted me to like road race bikes. But my goodness, all the things on them those days, they where outfitted like touring bikes at some point, and after a while they rattled, and made too much noises, things falling of, the tires way too thin and unbalanced, than the weird steering tube, and the weird way it had to break, while going superfast, with rim breaks...was waiting on issues to appear. And accidents to happen... Well lead to several accidents with me and the road. And than the next bike, it had to be destroy proof, easy to fix, and not too much hassle on them, not needing any mud guards...it was there and jumped to my eye, the mountainbike. TADAAAHH Send from heaven! After needing several stitches to my head, and body, I sat down one day after. And my dad was like, your bike is repaired again and ready to ride. I said, that race thing I never wanted. I am sorry dad, but it is too difficult to ride for me. I need something easy, lightweight, fast, and something that can stand a beating. I want a simply thing, not a rocket for the road. And when it goes fast, it needs to go over things, and not take me down. And we laughed a bit. It damned hurt my body still. So we went to change it into a new bike that day. I was searching the tank I needed. Now I could go take my cycle in the forest, and to my girl friend, and I could simply take it anywhere. So I stuck to it. Still doing it, it takes me everywhere I want and need to go. I love rides out, nice, Earthing lol. So my MTB is my freedom, while efficiently saving my time. And it looks robust. I like robust stuff. I love my MTBs. So why this bike my dad said when I pointed it out. Cuz it's cheap, it has no things that start to rattle in a few days. And it looks fast, easy to ride. No BS bikes. So I would love to get that bike. And the store owner a friend of ours. Laughed it out loud, his son is like 5 years older than me, and they bet on it. Son said he takes the MTB. Dad said he takes a normal bike with gears... Since I just described the very thing a MTBer needs, and no more no less. :D I understand the soul need the MTB people wanted. It was funny. I was 9 at the time. And I never wanted another bike. :) I am 50 now this year in a few months. And I still ride MTB hardtails. I rode double suspension as well, but feel I am getting older, and the stunts, well...I don't want to break things anymore. I just can't picture nor want to ride other bikes. :) The only other bike I rode in between was a tandem, and it was on holiday, rented it, to try it with my lady. Which was quite a funny experience. My MTB is my freedom still. And it get's me there rocking, through mud, wind, rain, and tough terrain, and easy roads. It helps me over small ridges and bigger ones. So why change it. It takes me in nature, and in the city, it would even serve me on the moon? Our experience way of this world, needs us to experience it out there. To Earth and to City, and much in between. My life is my life, and my MTB made it easier, safer, faster, more efficient, it's fun to pimp them. And that is also it. It is simple lol. It needed a way to transport, to get a little farther. And they made a bike for it. It simply, as many described, came to be a bike, by evolution of a generation and generations of people, using bikes. And it needed to be simple. It became the MTB. Simple as that, things fell of our bikes, we needed a robust type way of travel. It needed to be always there for us. We depended on it, our freedom did. This is the MTB. If you got few bucks, or a lot, MTB people are MTB people. :D 2x11 hardtail, and I pimped it my way. I love it, and it loves me. What can I say more. I don't mind the people on electric bikes, because, they all have good reasons, those ai met, to say the least. Have all good reasons to choose such a bike. Because their knees don't work or whatever other bodily structure that gave way lol. They come with battery calculations and schedules, and learn their ways as well. I never had one coming up to me to ask for a battery or a socket to plug in. I guess satellite depending bikes, also work lol. But are not my thing, yet. It it would take me there, without too much hassle and pain, why not right? They got to have it their way. As long as MTBs stay. They are awesome bikes. Mechanical, dependable, easy to get and to maintain. Simple.

I hear you on the gravel bike movement. I had a great trek bike I used for touring and the frame cracked. It was under warranty but there were no touring bikes available to replace my frame. My only option was a "gravel bike" frameset. Of course that is not what I needed or wanted. These are for sure two different things and now Trek does not seem to sell any touring bikes. Ughhh.

Sheldon 🥰

not mention Outside magazine now owning Gaia GPS so you know they know where you're secret stash is

This all sounds great until I remember that I ride a full suspension bike because I have a back injury.

Path less Pedaled Ryan Van Duzer Hardtail Party The Radavist etc, etc, etc. There's so much healthy marrow in the bones of mountain biking. I'm glad I'm still around to see it.

Advertising is how the rich beg.

Connie Carpenter-Phinney, probably worth mentioning

i ride on grass sometimes glass

I started riding in the mid 90s as well. Imo, mountain bikes peaked somewhere around ‘10, and then started going too far toward downhill geo. Even xc bikes have stupid slack HA’s and idiotically wide bars. There is no versatility at all. I hate the front ends- climb like crap, wag, not precise…My favorite bike right now is my Lynskey gravel bike: external cable routing, 45mm tires…just totally usable and easy to live with. Meanwhile, the plastic FS in the corner is just quietly becoming outdated to the point of being worthless.

I have been saying this my whole life regarding the culture of ATB. I like Ron and his thoughts though.

Love how this notionally exists in a world where 650b isn't yet another standard.

If you need a full face helmet, you are going too fast. :)

love how he mutes the video than says there's no sound.

ron is the best

one for the history books speqkiwithout notesp

The mid 90s... down with Shimano era.

Try biking in the mid 1970s. We had to find out things by rumor and myth. MTBs in the 1990s really exploded cycling.

Considering where you grew up, did you work for Clarke?

:)

The worst thing to happen to bicycling is the introduction of carbon fiber and disk brakes. Its interesting that as you age and you wish to stay active, you propagate to what works best. Having been through the 90s also, I had picked up a cheap used MTB from Craig's List a few years back, only having a frame size closer to an 'English racer' (for my fitment). Removed the Rock Shock, installed upright bars, added fenders and a little thinner tires. I ended up with something that looks a lot like what you've got there. A bike that works pretty much anywhere with really decent components and yet is not very aesthetically pleasing. Yup from about '90 to '94 seems to be where the good componentry and frames will just last and last with minimal care. I think the last of the good frames are where they moved the shift cables to the top tube although not necessary at all. I don't understand the disdain for front derailleurs and why do people think its a good idea to have the bar stem height 10cm lower then the saddle? Save the decent vintage '90s mountain bikes, they're re-usabe and less likely to be stolen. And when I say this, I don't mean, throw away the 'three by' gearing or toss the Deore crank. Kids today...

Who is this guy? What company does he own/work for?

The messiah has spoken

You can't roadify being a Fred. If you make those Shimano SPD sandals a requirement, you'll be sure to keep the athletes and sponsored teams away.

Capitalism and the Contemporary Bike

Ronnie thinks people didn't drive to pearl pass with their bikes to race? I guess the whole town must have been into mountain biking lol

No! The square tape BB was simply not the best invention from the beginning. Crunchy undersized bearings, bad sealing, bad crank interface with wobbly cranks in result. Many parts have become better. You just can't compare budget parts with the higher end stuff. Shimano and Campa still make awesome cup/cone bearings that are fully serviceable. And, my DT Swiss bearings run silky smooth after years not to mention that they are very easy to replace if need be. Then, 90's MTBs (Yes I am a child of the 80s) had terrible shifting performance and a severe lack of gear range, constant chain suck on top. Try getting up a hill with old road gearing having your knees survive. Du to the earlier alloys and profiles, those wheels back then had to constantly being trued. Blown 1" headsets? A monthly pleasure to replace back then. I could go on and on, you can have a wonderful time on an age old bike. No doubt because it is that ride that matters.

The coolest guy on 2 wheels.🤓

lmao

The phones and the internet is the problem.

What’s with the endless giggle giggle? Good ideas less effective by granola style pitch

Too much conjecture...

Consumerism is absolutely out of control in cycling. That said, I feel like this guy is selling something too. Sick of all of it.

I'm BOOOSTING!!! I wear two masks AND I'm on my 4th booster.

Whats this wearing a face nappy😂

Worst thumbnail ever.

Showcasing the "obedience" with that mask on...😂

can the speaker not remove their mask?! Not quite the same without facial expressions..

Lost me at the gender thing. Where are genders discriminated on bikes? Love riding but the culture is weird.

It's silly to be excited about and to promote racial and sexual inclusiveness. Because when viewed worldwide every kind of person is riding bikes. So there is no problem. And when in the US black people aren't riding bikes as much that's their problem. No one is holding them back. Women are riding bikes but you see most of them riding casually and shorter distances. So when a man looks around in his circle in group rides or who is he meeting in the mountains those cyclists are mostly male but that's not the only type of riding. And it's in the nature of men to be adventurous and not so much in the nature of women. So there is no problem. The cycling industry shouldn't try to change nature.

talking with the mask. ridiculous

1. Those snarky digs at “capitalism“ are just pathetic, since it’s precisely capitalism that helped all those trends and (sub)genres to spring up, spread and evolve (and then devolve at times), and made it all attainable for most over time. Take it from someone from communist block who observed the beginnings from behind the Iron Curtain. It’s entirely up to your damn self whether you will get swayed by marketing n shit, or stick to, or come back to the essence of the sport. 2. I’m all for the ATB, durability, simplicity, retro stylig etc. But getting older and weaker, and being a card carrying anti-eBike reactionary, I might just settle on a lightweigjht carbon gravel with comfy cockpit after all, as those mountain tops will be out of what is physically possible anymore.

This guy, he's arrogant.

whats with the mask chief?

Thought I’d turned on a video about performing surgery...why else would anyone wear a surgical mask??

Masks? C’mon bro..get with it..

Stupid masks.must disobey

I just can't get past the mask. It's time to stop with that nonsense.