What are your favourite brands of bike components?

synchronicity

What are your favourite brands of components?

Please list anything from components accessories to bike frames, etc...

By the way, yes there is an ulterior motive for this thread: I'm trying to improve my Bike Node website. I've personally added 350+ links & just want to see what's missing... chances are, if it's not listed there & it's a respected brand, it'll get added.

whyamihere

Campag gears
Ritchey bits
SKS pumps/inflators/mudguards
Park tools

You'll already have all of these though...

synchronicity

Not sks, I didn't know it existed.

DavidBelcher

A few personal favourites, in no real order;

Vredestein tyres/tubes
Stronglight headsets/BBs/rings/cranksets
Selcof seat pillars (they also make stems and headsets)
TA chainrings/BBs/cranksets
Wippermann Connex chains
Clark's brake/gear cables
ITM bars/stems
Aztec brake blocks
ACI stainless steel spokes

David

Nuggs

Assos bibs
Spesh frames, shoes, mitts and gloves
Gore socks
Pedro's tools and chain oils
GT85 PTFE spray
Swissstop pads
Finishline grease and degreaser
Tacx Carbon-Fibre Assembly Paste
Delta storage hooks
Look pedals
Mavic rims

synchronicity

Vredestein, SKS, swissstop added - Thanks very much.
All the rest are already on the directory...

My favourites are:
Knog - from a design point of view (although I've never owned any of their stuff :oops:)
Vetta - still remember some of their cool magazine ads from the 90's.
Mrazek - for just being so different.
Goodridge - because if the brake lines happen to rub on the tyre, you can still use your brakes.
Marzocchi - because they work.
Truvativ - cause it's cheap but still works
Bontrager - mostly nice stuff
Sun Ringlé - because they have a cool name?
Vertebrae - because it's mine.
Token/Trigon - bringing CF composites to the masses.

And practically anything made in Italy. 8)

Please keep them coming!

idaviesmoore

Clothing-Rapha/Assos/Solo-Just because you get wet all the time doesn't mean you can't look stylish 8)
Frame-Scott-Just feel SOOOO right for me
Groupsets-Campag (but I use Dura-Ace cos I can't afford Record )The cycling equivelant of Partik Philippe
Handlebars-Most-Like something from a Swiss art gallery
Wheels- Hed-Make a cool sound when they're spinning at the right speed
Pedals-Look-As reliable as a Sherman tank
Tyres-Continental-More miles/year
Shoes-Scott-Jimmy Choo's ain't got nothing on these

Ash_

I Really like Easton products, though can't really say why - I particularly like EC90 forks.
Schwalbe tyres too - I previously thought they were just good for city bikes and tourists, but their high-end stuff seems to work for me better than anything else.

Errr... I'm sure there's much, much more, but I'm lacking inspiration. These are probably on your list already too.

Jez mon

Wheels Zipp/CarbonSports (don't own them but would like to!)
Frame Isaac

il_principe

Bars/Stems - Deda
Clothing - Castelli
Wheels - Fulcrum#
Wheels - FFWD
Pedals - Speedplay
Frames - Pinarello
Tires - Continental
Shoes and Saddles - Specialized
Chains - KMC
Assorted clothing - Prendas
Freewheels - ENO
Bag - ReLoad
Glasses - Oakley
Jockey Wheels - KCNC

APIII

synchronicity wrote:

My favourites are:
Knog - from a design point of view (although I've never owned any of their stuff :oops:)

You're lucky, I had a very poor experience with their lights

Veloflex tyres on the other hand are great

Anna Robic

Time pedals. Been using them for 20 years.

alfablue

Shimano - because no one else will be brave enough to say that! (But to be fair they have been fairly successful at this cycle component lark!)
Selle An-Atomica - for an unbelievably good saddle!
Fenix - for the best bike lights for your £
Topeak - for their road morph pump
Tubus - the dog's of pannier racks
Schwalbe - for their Marathon's
Ortlieb - the best panniers (or maybe that's Carradice)
DHB - because I can afford their clothing
VDO - because they replaced my computer for free (and upgraded it) after 8 years use!

synchronicity

Thanks very much for your replies...

Can't find the website for ACI spokes + VDO computers , therefore can't link to them.

Fenix / DHB - not cycling-specific enough to add to Bike Node.
ReLoad Bags - very trendy... see I reckon that modern society generally kills off creativity while you're growing up... V. difficult to get it back again as an adult (or as a company).
Knog - why do the lights suck? I'd really like to know because I was thinking about getting a set and/or trying to become a local dealer.

alfablue

VDO is here: http://www.cycleparts.de/en/startseite/?flash=0

alfablue

Asian Cycle Industries (ACI Spokes) http://www.asianbikes.com/prod-4.html

EDIT sorry WRONG

ACI spokes are made by Alpina http://www.alpinaraggi.it/eng/raggi.html

APIII

The Knog lights do look pretty cool I have to admit. I ended up buying the Gator 305 front light and a bullfrog rear led. The problem was I ordered them mail order and I received and sent back 3 of the Gator front lights because none of them would function properly. I think the cable connector on the head unit is a weak point as on two of the sets, I could sometimes get the light to come on if I wiggled the cable - clearly not too convenient when you're out on the road! The third set refused to work at all, so I eventually gave up and changed them for some Lupines. The Bullfrog LED was working fine until it rained heavily one evening. The next time I came to use it it wouldn't work. When I took the unit out of the silicone case to replace what I thought was dead batteries, a load of rusty brown water seeped out. The whole thing had seized.

alfablue

Synchronicity, I am not sure about DHB not cycling-specific enough, look at this lot http://www.wiggle.co.uk/m/Cycle/7/dhb/ - they just do running and cycling gear, and after all, Shimano do fishing gear!

I also want to add Progold Prolink chain lube, the best a chain can get! http://www.progoldmfr.com/products/prolink.html

Jez mon

About Knog.

Haven't got their lights, but have got their gloves, and the dye ran all over my hands. Which was disappointing and messy.

synchronicity

That's a shame about Knog. I suppose with all those amphibious names & silicon rubber, you can get a bit complacent with having them come into contact with H²O... I has a pair of Pearl Izumi gloves that leaked dye... my Decathlon gloves cost around 8€ and have been better in that respect.

I'm guessing this isn't the true DHB site then? :oops:
http://www.dhb.de/
(don't have much time to look)

All the rest of the links have been added, but I'd rather not start with adding too many frame manufacturers... yet...

alfablue

No I don't think that is the DHB web site. I think DHB is exclusive to Wiggle, so they may not have an independent web site. I think they are an Italian company, items are designed in Italy and manufactured in Eastern Europe, I think this http://www.wiggle.co.uk/m/Cycle/7/dhb/ may be the most accurate link.

McBain_v1

Shimano Dura-Ace - it has never gone wrong for me yet
USE stems - lovely looking things
Enigma frame - mine's brilliant
Thompson Elite seat post - good stuff
Zipp wheels and skewers - I haven't got any wheels, but the QR skewers are nice
Nokon cables - they look funky
Rapha Fixed T-shirt - it's ace
Rapha Epic Cap - so good I've got two
DeFeet Kneekers & Arm skins - lovely and toasty
Gore shorts, shirts & jerseys - can't have enough of them
Savlon - the best botty treatment ever!
GT85 PTFE - so good they should make a cologne that smells the same
TACX Assembly compound - stops things slipping a treat
Cateye Strada & Astrale computers - excellent gizmo's, but the Garmin 705 does look good as well
Optilabs specs - good for boss-eyed people like me :oops:
Blackburn AirTower 5 - it's a good 'un as well.

wiffachip

Aldi/Lidl - tops, wedge bags

Falcon - frames

Sakae Ringo - bars

Freewheel - panniers

Wrights - saddles

Raleigh - the brand

Reynolds - pipes

Wilkinson's - odds and ends

synchronicity

This has got to be the wrong link: http://www.wrightssaddlery.com/

Sakae Ringo, can't find the website.
Re DHB: If it doesn't have its own site, it doesn't count. I doubt I'd accept it even if it were using a subdomain. EG: their completely separate wiggle blog would be accepted... Wiggle main site has just been added.
Aldi, it's a supermarket.
Nokon, they're my competiton! :twisted:

enigma/optilabs/progold have been added.

alfablue

synchronicity wrote:

Nokon, they're my competiton! :twisted:

I thought as much

But what about Selle An-atomica http://www.mcmwin.com/saddle%20shop%20new.htm

They really are sensational saddles (like Brooks, but better - though they do upgrade Brooks saddles), first one in all my years that is truly comfortable. The company is great, you get excellent email support from the owner, and they shipped from US to me in UK in 6 days with no customs to pay.

Massimo

What about Tiso? Damn sexy stuff from the Italians....

www.tisobike.com

Jez mon

Oakley...simply the best riding glasses. Unfortunately simply the most expensive too.

alfablue

Jez mon wrote:

Oakley...simply the best riding glasses. Unfortunately simply the most expensive too.

worth the money though!

synchronicity

OK, at your double request + personal recommendation I've added selle anatomica... looking at their site, I guess they're the sort of people who NEED the extra exposure. I've never heard of them before.

Don't you worry, tiso stuff was one of the first to be added. From what I hear, they're Just like Alfa Romeo - sexy but they don't work too good. :P

Thomson has been added.
Rapha? I think they can afford to pay me the €3 for a featured link!

alfablue

synchronicity wrote:

OK, at your double request + personal recommendation I've added selle anatomica... looking at their site, I guess they're the sort of people who NEED the extra exposure. I've never heard of them before.

Don't you worry, tiso stuff was one of the first to be added. From what I hear, they're Just like Alfa Romeo - sexy but they don't work too good. :P

Thomson has been added.
Rapha? I think they can afford to pay me the €3 for a featured link!

Cheers, they are great saddles and yes, a small company that will benefit from the exposure as you say.

By the way my Alfa is sexy and also works brilliantly - 50k miles in Alfa Romeo's with only one breakdown.

Jez mon

You could add Mercian to the touring bike frame section, lots of CTC poeple rate them highly.

http://www.merciancycles.com/frames.asp

I would also add Liz Hatch's Blog