Best and worst piece of kit you've ever owned?

hoodlum-z

Best: my hand-built wheels from 1993 - Campag rims, Nuke Proof hubs with carbon centres from a time when carbon was rarer than titanium. Even on a hard-tail Cannondale that was ridden like a BMX and jumped countless times they stayed true. (And would still be rolling today if they weren't stuck in my mates shed gathering dust.)

* I was tempted to say the handmade carbon 120g bars, made by a bloke who lives in my street and still does, and bought from my LBS. These were from a time - 1992 - when Schmolke and Storck were still dreaming about super-light carbon parts.

Worst: second-hand set of original Rockshox forks with a blemish on one stanchion that wouldn't hold air. It leaked every time it passed the seal. The 80mm or so of supposed suspension travel was more like 10mm in the real world, which made them even worse, pound-for-pound, than my Girvin Flexstem. Though they did look good painted canary yellow and matched to my resprayed frame.

bluechair84

Tioga Factory DH tyres - worst tyre ever used.
As for favourite... too many to name. I'm very happy with the kit on my current bike, though nothing has an interesting tale like your carbon bars.

lawman

best would have to be my Mojo HD, simply put, its just brilliant, worst would have to be deore hubs, just hopeless if you ask me, utterly shocking

getonyourbike

Best: Too many things ot mention all of them
Worst: Deore rear hub as there's no sealing at all and Avid Juicy 3s

pastey_boy

best ever bit
saint 4 pot brakes + goodridge hoses
worst ever
any disc brake by either avid or hayes.

Eranu

Formula R1 Brakes, if they can stop me they must be good.

XT Hubs..gash.

Ryan Jones

Too many good things to list with my bike, however the bad points come from the Sram stable with the X9 9 speed rear mech being what I reckon as defective, and the Juicy 3's which really need to go asap !

Mccraque

XT rims - superb!

XT Hubs - as mentioned above.....total GASH.

legin

reverb seat post hands down the best bit of kit ever.dont know how i ever managed without one.

Anonymous

Not owned a great deal but,

Best: Nomad
Worst: Juicy 3s

(Nomad without Juicy 3s of course).

nicklouse

worst - toe straps
best - hydraulic disc brakes.

HebdenBiker

Best: My Marin Bear Valley frame, back in 1994. A masterpiece in steel.

Worst: Smart Lunar rear lights. The slightest bit of rain and they're fried.

bigpee

Best: Love my Cambelbak and the bladder inside it. So nice having plenty of water that doesn't taste of plastic.

Worst: To be honest I've been pretty happy with most things. If I had to pick I'd say my Superstar Zenith stem as it kept needing tightening, and my Avid Juicy 3s as they got holes in the reservoir caps after only 9 months.

joshtp

Worst - Avid Juicy 3 for a cert. Truly, utterly, phenomenally awful!

Best - It's tough to call... But I right now at least my 2006 Shimano Deore LX Hydro disk's are my top choice. Bit random I know, but I have honestly never used a brake that feels quite like these. Truly amazing. Love everything about the way they feel and work. Other than that, Mavic tubeless rim's are pretty awesome. Tubeless ready tyres go up with just a Minipump...

Other fave' parts are my XT shifter, (RH) and my Shimano DX MP66 SPD shoes. Love 'em! Also Love my Marzocchi 55 RC3's...


Is it a coincidence that most of my fave stuff is Shimano?

d00m

Best - Osprey viper; loads of room, well organised, nice rigid bladder with a handle, good valve etc.

Worst - Deore hubs, water gets right in and rusts the bearings and cones. Also, endura mt500 overshoes, ripped to shreds after a couple of rides, utter waste of £25.

joshtp

OOh, Osprey Viper is a good call, love mine!

Northwind

Best, my Cotic Hemlock. Makes me look like I can ride a bike, and didn't cost me a lot to start with. Proper bike.

Worst... Gore Bikewear waterproof socks. Clearly designed by someone with no feet. Both far too tight to get on easily, and far too loose to be comfortable. All the seams seem intentionally placed exactly where they'll provide atomic rub. They might very well be waterproof, I can't wear them for long enough to find out.

The Northern Monkey

Best: Goggles. I've only just started wearing them on the DH and they make SUCH a difference!

Worst: Bike with a BB30. They suck.

ride_whenever

Best: Reverb or the chameleon I sold to a mate (bought as frameset) then rode it and instantly regretted selling it on.

Worst: Clarks skeletal hydraulic brakes.

d3matt

Best:
Endura Singletrack full length trousers - just brilliant
KCNC ceramic jockey wheels - expensive, but just keep spinning no mater how much muck in them. 1000% better than the original SRAM wheels.

Generally, I'd say anything made by Endura or Ergon is best. Just so much more thought goes into their products.

allen.coulson

W = Trouser clips
B = Wife

joshtp

allen.coulson wrote:

Wife

I'd like a go on that

Markmjh

Best would be either my Hope M4's or my pack and bladder
Worst would be Crank Bros 50/50's!!! Bent 3 axels on them and the bearings are shite!

MountainMonster

Best piece of kit has to be my hope shorts, their so nice and look proper good as well. Worst piece of kit i've had was definitely my first spd shoes I bought, can't remember which ones they were, but they were terrible.

diy

Best has got to be my stans flows - they never need any tuning.
worse has to be the Clarks hose kit for avid brakes - shockingly bad quality. I should have bought avid or goodridge.

lochussie

Loads of greats inc Royal 247 shorts and my Camelbak.
Not much bad but the expensive pair of Fox shorts that ripped on my saddle on the first ride spring to mind.

mrmonkfinger

worst - shimano hubs. open bearings, poor seals, say no more.

best - GT85, magical secret emergency all purpose magic squirty stuff. cover the entire bike in it, and nothing rusts. I know - its a solvent. blah blah blah blah blah.

bennett_346

mrmonkfinger wrote:

best - GT85, magical secret emergency all purpose magic squirty stuff. cover the entire bike in it, and nothing rusts. I know - its a solvent. blah blah blah blah blah.

Really? So all those bearings benefit from having the grease dissolved out of them, preventing them from rusting? And those brake discs?

bobpzero

worst - shimano hubs
best - hope sh1t shifter

cooldad

Can't say best, but I have some Shimano hubs about 25 years old, still going strong. Used weekly.
Maybe it's because I never spray them with GT85?

Northwind

Aye, the Exage hubs on my retro/commuter are into their 3rd decade, I think they've had one change of bearings in that time but still going strong. And my XTs were better sealed than my Hopes- the only difference is, when you neglect Hopes or similiar you can just wang out the old bearings and replace.