Enamored by the golden era of mountain biking? Looking for the best mountain bike of the 90s? Look no further
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Vintage mountain bikes have a certain charm about them. Although the new and modern mountain bikes have improved the rider’s performance, they can never match the classics.
Best vintage mountain bikes were elegant and highly durable due to their strong steel frame and body. These mountain bikes were rigid and sturdy because of their design.
If you are looking to buy the best vintage mountain bike of the 90s, this article will surely cater to your needs. We have selected the 16 best vintage mountain bikes for you. You can check them all here, but before that, you must know why you should ride a 90s bike and what is so special about them.
What’s So Great About 90s Bikes?
Build Quality
The bikes made till the late 20th century were stronger in build. From build, we mean body and its components, which were made of steel material.
During this period, the manufacturers concentrated on manufacturing quality bikes instead of quantity. And care was taken at every stage of production to ensure a long-lasting frame.
Proper Sizing
The bikes during this era were made keeping in mind the stature of males and females. The same bike for males and females had different frames and wheel sizes appropriate to their height and body build.
Easy Repairs
The bike components made today are brittle, break easily, and cannot be repaired. Hence every time you break a component, you need to replace it.
But the case with 90s bikes is quite different. Till today any part that gets damaged can be easily repaired and at a very affordable price.
#1 Ned Overend – 1990 Specialized Stumpjumper Epic
The 1990 Stumpjumper mountain bike was the world’s first production mountain bike. Mike Sinyard, the founder of specialized bike components, had great foresight about the future of mountain biking as a sport and a recreational activity.
At that time, there were very few sellers that were selling custom mountain bike frames. He saw this as an opportunity and capitalized on it by introducing the Stumpjumper Epic.
Great mountain biker Ned Overend used to drive the Stumpjumper in his races, and he even won the inaugural mountain biking championship held in 1990 with this bike. The 1981 Stumpjumper has 26 inches wide front and rear wheels; its wider wheels allow you to maintain your balance while riding on mountains.
The weight of this old-school Stumpjumper was 29 pounds as it had a solid steel frame. Another amazing feature of this mountain bike is that it has a 15-speed sun tour drivetrain.
This drivetrain will help you navigate through rough patches while driving on a mountain.
According to mountain bike enthusiasts, the Stumpjumper is definitely among the best vintage mountain bikes out there.
#2 Julie Furtado – 1990 Yeti FRO
The 1990 Yeti FRO is a custom bike built by Chris Herting for championship mountain bike driver Julie Furtado. Although Julie Furtado had a short mountain biking career, she was at the top of her game while she was active. She did win the mountain biking championship three times in the five years she was active.
She drove a 1990 Yeti FRO, and this bike is among the best vintage mountain bikes because of its unique custom-built frame. This mountain bike has 26 inches wide front and rear tires with specialized ground control. Driving on rigid terrain is simpler with these tires as they provide you with extra grip.
The FRO in the Yeti FRO stands for For Racing Only. This bike initially was a BMX cruiser but was later modified as a racing mountain bike. The unique thing about this mountain bike is that its frame is made from a continuous piece of Chromoly steel.
To know more about this spectacular rider and bike, you can see the following video
#3 John Tomac – 1991 Raleigh Signature Edition
This 1991 Raleigh Signature Edition is among the elite and classical vintage mountain bikes. This mountain bike launched at a higher price point due to which only a few people could afford it.
Although this Signature edition mountain bike was featured in many articles and magazines due to its unique look, John Tomac used a higher but shorter stem while riding. Due to this position, John Tomac had a positional advantage over other racers.
Raleigh Signature mountain bike has a carbon titanium frame. Carbon titanium frames are among the strongest and the most durable frames for mountain bikes. Once you get your hands on this mountain bike, you will forget about any other mountain bike.
This bike’s front and rear tires are 19 inches wide with a natural carbon finish that will give your bike an elegant look. The 26.5 pounds weight of this best vintage mountain bike makes it ideal for traveling as well.
For more authentic information on this bike, you can watch this video on YouTube.
#4 Henrik Djernis – 1992 Ritchey P22 Team
The 1992 Ritchey P22 team mountain bike is a classic vintage bike. This mountain bike was driven by Henrik Djernis, who is a professional mountain bike racer. He is a Danish cyclist and the first man to win the mountain biking championship three times.
The P22 uses 19 inches wide front and rear tires, and these tires help mountain riders to gain excellent traction while riding on rugged terrain. Wider wheels on a mountain bike help the rider distribute the weight evenly, which makes it easier to maintain your balance.
The P22 is in the conversation for the best vintage mountain bike as it has a pretty quick handling mechanism. The stiff front end and a more compliant rear end make handling the bike easier.
#5 Apollo Kosciusko Mountain bike 1984’s
Apollo is amongst the oldest bike manufacturers in the country. From cruiser bikes to electric bikes, the brand has come a long way. The company has sold millions of bikes to date, but the 90s was the company’s golden era. The brand sold thousands of cruiser bikes during this period, but the Apollo Kosciusko Mountain bike topped the chart.
The bike was quite popular amongst the mountain bikers, and the first thing you will notice in the bike is its huge fat tires. This bike gave tough competition to its rivals and was considered one of the toughest bikes in the market.
The design of the bike is simple, yet it is executed with its immensely durable cantilever brakes. It also has a retro geometry with a cool split stem and a sticker on the frame with the number 4130 written on it. Long handle that is designed with rubber grips on it to get a nice hold. It had a three-wheel hub and was one of the fastest bikes. For all those who were looking for an easy-to-maintain bike, this was one of the best.
If you want to learn more about the bike, you can check out this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg8OR3xQJmk
#6 Thomas Frischknecht – 1996 Ritchey P-21
The 1996 Ritchey P-21 mountain bike is a more recent addition, but it certainly is a vintage mountain bike. This mountain bike has a fillet-brazed steel frame along with a combination of welded steel.
This mountain bike is vintage, it has no rear shock or suspension, so you will feel the impact of the terrain, giving you an authentic bike riding experience.
Thomas Frischknecht is a former Swiss mountain biker who famously used the 1996 Ritchey P-21 for all his competitive events. He is also regarded as a mountain biking legend. The 26 inches wide wheels on this mountain bike provide you with the extra grip you can rely on, especially on rugged terrain.
So if you are interested in getting the best vintage mountain bike, then why not get the one used by the legend.
#7 Team Marin
Since its debut in 1986 with its offices in San Rafael at the base of Mount Tamalpais, in Marin County, the birthplace of mountain biking, Marin Bikes are a well-known name in Mountain biking. Marin bikes mention that their bikes are made for fun.
The MTB’s are designed for a fun-to-ride experience, be it commuting long distances, camping, bike racing, Exploring the neighborhoods. Marin’s passion is to provide satisfaction to riders across the world with the joy of cycling.
The Marin’s range of MTBs has Zolatone paintwork with a neon fork and stem. It looks good to date, displaying Team Marin on its superb Cro-mo frame while being kitted with Deore XT, considered the original mountain bike component preferred by bike riders for reliable shifting and superior braking.
The Marin tires, also called Rockstar tires designed by Joe Murray, the winningest racer in mountain bike history, designed with the rugged 2.0″ off-road tires with grip lock make them the best climbing tires. The tire also solved mud clogging by setting a balance of tread separation.
In the 90’s Marin even launched its bike components for reducing weight and adding performance to its bikes. Marin’s 1990 road bike line had the models Verona, Venezia, and Vicenza.
Components such as the Marin lite cantilever brakes and Marin Quake 7.0 and 7.1 tires were introduced in 1995. The aluminum frame Marin Monocoque was launched in 1996, and the Marin Mount Vision Pro MTB was launched in 1997.
#8 Trek Single Track
Born in a barn in 1976 with five employees. Trek bikes came in full production by manufacturing 904 touring frames handcrafted and hand-painted. Trek broke the convention that all bikes should come from Europe.
From the nineties, Trek’s Single Track range bikes were a true benchmark in steel MTBs mass-produced for American masses with great handling and specifications. The Treks have always been considered conventional and boring in design, but the Trek 970 still looks great and has a great design even to date.
The Trek 970 SingleTrack Competition comes with Shimano Deore XT componentry with big Kahuna tires and multi-condition brakes secure grip.
The frame is a Trek true temper custom-butted Cro-Moly main tubes and Cro-Moly fork. With a Shimano Deore 2 drivetrain. Since four decades of its beginning, Trek has always been involved in continuous innovation.
#9 Kona Explosif
Kona has been in the business of bicycles since 1988 and still has the same founding owners. In 1989, Kona produced the first straight-leg MTB production fork. More than ten versions of this fork are produced for the wheel mountain and asphalt bikes range today.
The Kona Explosif was one of the benchmarks for mass-produced mountain bikes. The Explosif is built on Shimano Deore DX with rim brakes and 26″ wheels. These MTBs were produced using mid to high-end steel. The Explosif variant was available from Kona for mountain biking enthusiasts to purchase till the year 2018.
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#10 Diamond Back Axis
The Diamondback bike company is committed to making bike riding more awesome for all people while being committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion and supporting all ideas and voices.
The Diamondback axis mountain bike though not very amazing at first sight and its lower specs bike, the Diamondback Apex using an identical frame, was a complete all-rounder bike and among the best bikes that can be bought at that price point.
The DiamondBack Apex had a similar or identical frame but was equipped with slightly less expensive components like STX and LX instead of Deore XT in gear shifters.
#11 Raleigh Special Products 853
The Raleigh, Special products division was formed in the 1980s to produce specialist bikes apart from the mass-manufactured bikes. The Raleigh UK’s high-end mountain bike frames were a bit underrated earlier.
They were more specifically known for their innovative titanium offerings, such as the Dynatech Diablo STX, M Trax 400, and the M Trax 300.
Raleigh’s special products division also manufactured some particularly fine hand-built Reynolds steel mountain bike frames during the 1990s, the Raleigh Dynatech Encounter. The company had produced good quality steel mountain bike frames for a decade until another company bought it.
#12 Rocky Mountain Blizzard
In 1981, three friends came together and decided to build their mountain bikes for off-roading around Vancouver. Forty years later, their passion for designing and building the best mountain bikes continues. Rocky Mountain is one of the legends in the North American mountain biking scenario.
He has 40 years of experience in designing and building amazing bikes which are tested and fine-tuned in the wilds of British Columbia.
The Rocky Mountain Blizzard is a retro classic and still stands out of the crowd creating its own space as a fat bike in off-road mountain biking with its unique styling and commendable handling. The blizzard still sells to date, and this fat bike can take on snow with ease.
#13 Orange Clockwork
The Orange brand was born in the late ’80s to make better race bikes with British heritage. The brand quickly gained popularity by winning British championships in the ’90s and then went on to the top of the sport with global racing teams.
The Orange Clockwork was a Taiwan-built Cromoly steel bike and had a classy British design to it. The bikes were with a racy styling and were light and responsive.
As they are nicknamed, Oranges were popular with the image-conscious mountain bikers willing to buy British while having a little extra to spend. This bike is meant for bikers looking for a lean, fast, and wild riding trail hardtail.
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#14 Nishiki Alien ACX
Nishiki brand of bicycles is designed, marketed, and distributed by West Coast Cycle in the United States. The initial manufacturing takes place by Kawamura Cycle Co. in Kobe, Japan, and further by Giant of Taiwan.
The Nishiki Alien ACX introduced in the ’90s is the outcome of Nishiki’s research on making the bicycles lighter without losing their strength. The Alien ACX was introduced as everything a custom bike should be without a heavy price tag.
The Alien ACX combined both the materials; Aluminium and Steel, together to give utmost durability. Using a rectangular Aluminium Tubing increases the strength by increasing material at the critical axis points, i.e., typically a weak area in round tubes.
The bike’s rear triangle is made of Prestige Chrome-Moly, providing ultimate shock-absorbing quality with a lightweight performance body to the bike. The ACX frame shock-absorbing straight steel blades clamp into an aluminum crown reducing unnecessary welds that weaken the fork. This made the Nishiki bikes stand out among other bikes.
#15 Hubert Pallhuber – 1997 Diamondback Axis TT
The Diamondback Axis TT is an all-terrain mountain bike, or it can also qualify as an endurance bike due to its high-performance build and structure. The frame size is 18 inches, whereas the wheels on this vintage mountain bike are 26 inches wide.
This mountain bike was famously driven by Italian pro mountain bike racer Hubert Pallhuber. He won the world championship for mountain biking in the year 1997.
The titanium alloy frame on this bike is capable of withstanding immense pressure and stress. The special positioning of the handlebars on this mountain bike is designed to give you an edge while racing.
People who want to purchase the best vintage mountain bike that provides you with a round experience should consider using this mountain bike.
#16 Michael Rasmussen – 1999 Gary Fisher Katai
The 1999 Gary Fisher Katai is a solid and sturdy mountain bike. Due to its strong build, this bike is also often compared to a German tank. Many professional mountain bikers prefer this vintage mountain bike due to its stability as well.
The extreme stability of this mountain bike on the terrain makes it an excellent choice for people who love classical designs and desire performance from their bikes.
If you would like to consider the views along with reviews of other people of this vintage mountain bike, then you can visit here
More Questions About 90s Bikes
Are old mountain bikes still good?
Old mountain bikes are good for mountain biking. Sometimes they are even better than modern bikes as the vintage mountain bikes have sturdier and rigid mountain bike frames. But as you go for mountain bikes older than five years, they tend to be a little more expensive.
What is the best mountain bike ever?
There are plenty of brands that make high-quality mountain bikes that have that classic look and vibe and deliver on the performance aspect. Some of the best vintage mountain bike brands are Yeti cycles, specialized turbo, Stumpjumper, etc.
What is the most reliable mountain bike brand?
The most reliable mountain bike brands are Cannondale, Diamondback, and so on. These mountain bike brands are among the most popular as well as oldest bike manufacturers. Users have trust in the quality of their products due to their past experiences.
What are the best vintage mountain bikes?
The best vintage mountain bikes are bikes that have a stable design. Mountain bikers generally prefer bikes that are easy to handle.
We have selected the 16 best 90s mountain bikes on our list. However, if you are looking for one recommendation, Raleigh Special Products 853 can be one such bike. This mountain bike that has a stiff front is easier to control on rugged terrain.
Another major factor that affects the riding experience, especially in the mountains, is the tire width. This bike had a wider tire width compared to its counterparts. More the width of the tire on your mountain bike more will be your stability as your body weight is distributed over a larger surface.
A Final Word On These Wonderful 90s Bikes
Vintage or 90s bikes can be your asset if you take care of them properly. You can also change some of the components of these bikes to enhance their performances.
The above article gives you a brief history and the specifications for the best vintage mountain bikes available in the market.
Selecting the perfect vintage mountain bike now according to your taste will be easier now. Mountain bikes with wider tires, sturdy frame, easy handling are attributes of a good vintage mountain bike.