Simply the best?
supersonic
Posts: 82,708
So what are your favourite components from the last say 20 years, or ones you consider to be the 'best': not maybe as good as the latest kit, but defining parts and iconic equipment?
Fork: Z1 Bomber. I think this got hold of the front sus world and showed them how it is done. And some are still going strong today!
Plenty more to come, that just to get the ball rolling!
Fork: Z1 Bomber. I think this got hold of the front sus world and showed them how it is done. And some are still going strong today!
Plenty more to come, that just to get the ball rolling!
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I have an extremely limited knowledge of years and years of bike stuff as I am only quite a recent bike-ee. I have to say my Pikes are fantastic, I have forgotten I even have forks on the front, they are so smooth, and require me to do absolutely nothing, other than enjoy them.
I also like Ritchey components - I've had a few seatposts, stems, bars etc and all have been faultless.0 -
The original Cane Creek Aheadset, a clever idea, well done.
Panaracer's smoke/dart combo, the first really modern offroad tyre design, which still performs as well as modern tyre designs.0 -
Ah, the Aheadset high on my list too! Still run an original DiaCompe unit.0
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Cartridge bearings, they make life a lot easier for a lot of people.
I remember when STI shifters came out thought WOW at the time.
Not sure if it counts as such but cable ties are also great.0 -
Ergon Grips. No more painful wrists. If they stop making them I'm in bother.0
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i am also a new biker but in my limited time:
for me it is adjustable geometry, cant believe there are bikes about without it.0 -
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I'd second the Aheadset, and add Hydro disc brakes.
Once I had brakes that worked, I could do all manner of stupid things that were just too dangerous beforehand.0 -
Avid Mechanical Disc brakes. (I had a BB5 from 2001 I think and ran it on two bikes over the years up until my P7 got nicked in jan this year)
First decent budget disc brake - proved that good cable discs could be done and basically paved the way for cheaper hydros to work their way down.0 -
The frame on my 1997 Stumpjumper - bomb proof yet very light.
Specialized "Stout" hubs - on my 1997 Stumpy, my 2007 Stumpy and the 2008 Rockhopper - they just work without any complaining.
The Rigida rims on my 1994 British Eagle - taken SO much abuse yet still true as the day I got them - they are a raised "triangular" profile - they should still use this type.
My XT rear mech (1997 Stumpy) - just refuses to break.
My Fox 90RL forks - first intro to "proper" forks and work an absolute treat.0 -
The original Shimano M600 (?) V brakes.
I ran the same set from 1997 to 2006, on the same bike. They were cheap and powerful enough for the riding I was doing for most of that time.
And they were just soooo much better than the proceding cantilever brakes - the performance leap seemed greater than the jump from Vs to discs!0 -
Let's not forget the 1st big revolution in MTB brakes. V's were greeeaat when they came out. How many of us managed to launch ourselves over the bars when those super powerful radically improved little puppies appeared :roll:
edit: doh, took me so long to type this someone got in before me. ^^^^0 -
Imp - very true! My 1997 Stumpy has Avid V brakes and I was astonished at how good they were after years of cantilevers!
So easy to look after too - Disks are great but definitely more of a faff to keep in tune.0 -
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Just to show my age, I'm going to nominate rapidfire shifting pods too.
Thumbshifters may have looked better, but having to release most of your grip from the handlebar to change gear was a bit awkward and dangerous.
They haven't changed much since, so it must have been a good piece of design.0 -
Chaka - do you remember when thumbshifters went from "friction" to "indexed?"
Remember even that being pretty revolutionary!
I thought early "piano" (STI type) shifters were a bit iffy but they soon sorted them out.0 -
Raleigh Grifter!!! As close as us 80's kids could get to mountain bike
with 3-speed grip shift. 8)
Used to ride it off-road then just like a real mountain bike. Sort-of 0 -
actually how about the raleigh activator, brought suspension to the masses...0
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really good full sus for under a grand, why on earth would you buy a hardtail anymore?0
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I remember going from friction to SIS shifters. I always put it down to having cheap bikes whan I was tiny.
I think the quick release wheels were a fine idea as well.0 -
sheepsteeth wrote:really good full sus for under a grand, why on earth would you buy a hardtail anymore?
Don't even start... :roll:
HT are coming back anyway... 0 -
Surf-Matt wrote:sheepsteeth wrote:really good full sus for under a grand, why on earth would you buy a hardtail anymore?
Don't even start... :roll:
HT are coming back anyway...
i'll admit my post is a bit tongue in cheek and HT will always have a massive following, especially with the quality available for the money but i hope the days of "if you have a grand you should buy a hardtail cause FS is crap..." are long gone.0 -
Someone beat me to it!!!
RapidFire Shifters...
I only just replaced some XT Thumbies on my mates old P7.
Also going to also nominate the Crud Catcher, before those were about I was getting loads of $hit all over my face. I can't remember a decent mud guard before these.0 -
Milkie wrote:Also going to also nominate the Crud Catcher, before those were about I was getting loads of $hit all over my face. I can't remember a decent mud guard before these.
I've got a couple of them that came free with mags and I've been meaning to try them out for years.
One has "Mountain Biker International" on it I think, I've had it that long.
Matt - My first MTB (Raleigh Montage) had a friction shifter I think. The jump to indexed Deore on my second bike was brilliant.0 -
I have some 98 bomber Z1 bams still going strong on my azonic DS1 - would definately put these forward like the OP.
Other things are DMR V8s and V12s - these are awesome pedals and personally I dont think any other pedals have come close. I know they are based on the original shimano bmx pedals but I think the DMR pedals really are the best ones.0 -
Hydro disc brakes for me are by far the best innovation, my mono minis have saved me more times than i can count.
We just just dint have the same control or power with cantis of old which i spose is why we all now ride harder and get ourselves in trouble cause we know we can rely on vastly superior brakes.0 -
I think the proce point over the last few years has dropped now to about £800 below thats its hard tail land above that you will still get more for your cash with a HT but 1k Full sus are good. ( HT are just better :P )sheepsteeth wrote:Surf-Matt wrote:sheepsteeth wrote:really good full sus for under a grand, why on earth would you buy a hardtail anymore?
Don't even start... :roll:
HT are coming back anyway...
i'll admit my post is a bit tongue in cheek and HT will always have a massive following, especially with the quality available for the money but i hope the days of "if you have a grand you should buy a hardtail cause FS is crap..." are long gone.
back on topic
best thing in the last 20 years
co2 pumps. as you no longer have to kill your self to sort out a flat.Nothing in life can not be improved with either monkeys, pirates or ninjas
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really? I never thought so.Chaka Ping wrote:Thumbshifters may have looked better,
I remember when i first got rapidfire shifters, with TWO buttons! One of the local kids asked me what the two buttons did, so I told him the big one was the clutch, and the little one was the gear-change!
Hmm, now I think about it, has anyone else noticed that the new shimano dual-release shifters (I know SRAM have had this for a while) echo the first rapidfire pods, with a push-push action, where you'd use your thumb for up and downshifts?0
