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| My blinged-out Specialized Hard Rock and commuter/winter-ready Peugeot St. Laurent. |
The resurgence of 26" ATB bikes has been dominating conversations and predictions in 2026. Due to the rising cost of new bikes, tariff-affected component prices, and weirdly complicated internal routing, electronic shifting - you name it - there's a distinct backlash against new bicycles. Combine that with a demographic shift to Gen Y and Z interest - buying used, like their preference for second-hand clothing - the buzz is centered around taking older bikes and converting them into usable, trendy transportation: think baskets, swoopy handlebars, colored grips, and wider/all-terrain tires.
In fact, in 2026 there are more 26" tires available than five years ago. 1980-90s bicycles are still found in garage sales, your parents' basement, Ebay, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace. The steel rigid mountain bike is easy to work on, upgradeable, accepts fenders, and can be converted to a cargo bike. Bicycle co-ops recondition and resell them for a reason. Our local non-profit, Old Spokes Home, specializes in rigid mountain bikes and will even customize one for you from the frame up, if that's your thing.
This interest is not lost on me, of course. I've owned and toured extensively on a 1986 Trek Antelope, and despite owning several bicycles, I will always prefer the elongated comfort of a sturdy older bike for many types of riding. I now own two!
(And don't get me started on the fiddly Presta valve trend - wish that one would disappear in favor of Schraeder valves for their strength and ease of use.đź‘Ť)
Figures, just as soon as 26" tires become popular again, my trusty old steed develops a severe crack in the BB shell and the downtube. I'm still looking for a replacement my dearly departed circa 1989 GT Timberline.
ReplyDeleteUgh, noooo.
DeleteYeah, it was very sad when I had to say goodbye to my old GT. It was my sole bike for some 17 years. Fortunately, I've since bought an old GT Outpost of a similar size and swapped the parts over to it from a way-too-small-for-me Timberline that I had bought last year. Well, nearly all of the old parts; the Outpost has a 1 inch head tube, so it couldn't accept the 1 1/8 fork from the Timberline. I had no idea that some old GTs used 1 inch head tubes. But aside from that issue, the swap went smoothly, and I'm not happy to start riding my new GT TimberPost.
DeleteWhoops, slight typo there in my reply from yesterday.. I'm VERY happy to start riding the new bike. I took it out for a brief shakedown cruise today, and aside from a couple of small issues, she's ready to ride.
DeleteYay to 26 inch! And I hear you about Schrader vs. Presta. I only have one Presta-tired bike (my 26" Bantam, ironically), and never got on with the fiddlyness of those valves. I think people told themselves they liked Presta for so long because 1) it was what is on "pro" bikes and 2) holds air longer, though I never felt any real difference, especially with modern tubes.
ReplyDeleteGood news about 26” tires choices!
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to building up a 26er again in 2026! I grew up riding 90s MTBs when they were new, and they're still my favourite - sturdy yet pretty light, agile yet stable, and can just about do anything. I really question why I've spent so much on more expensive bikes when I'm just as happy on a $200 old MTB!
ReplyDeleteI was introduced to mid 80s mtbs, those are also attractive to me. My 86 Trek was the best one because it had fork braze ons and came with a riser bar which was comfortable and lightweight. I had that one for 30+ years. The Hard Rock is a close second, especially with mods. I prefer V brakes over less finicky cantis.
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