15 worst ever mtb inventions
- Thread starter magicmistertea
- Start date
They were crap. But at the time they were the cheapest option for a 6" travel fork, and you could swap the QR dropouts for a 20mm thru axle and disc mount. Neil has it about right.
I thought and still think gripshifts are/were great. Maybe not the transparent ones, I've never seen any. but the black ones are good. Threading a cable is a bugger, but on-the-go shifting is great and non-indexing the front mech is better too. And cos they don't have any central bar clampage, there is room to fit lights on your bars.
I thought and still think gripshifts are/were great. Maybe not the transparent ones, I've never seen any. but the black ones are good. Threading a cable is a bugger, but on-the-go shifting is great and non-indexing the front mech is better too. And cos they don't have any central bar clampage, there is room to fit lights on your bars.
I ride a bike with elastomer suspension, and Onza HO pedals. Maybe it's because of rose tinted glasses, it felt like a rigid last night, and I couldn't unclip 
I never got on with bar ends, but am considering them now, for a change in position, but might be to do with the length of my stem.
The long stem BITD was designed into the geometry, so wasn't as "crap" as it would be on a modern bike.
Flexstems and Gripshit were, and are crap.
Toe clips were great, and not dangerous if you set them up for you, and were used to them. Yes, they were superseded, but that happens.
I'm still wearing fingerless gloves at the moment, and defo wear them in the summer
I never got on with bar ends, but am considering them now, for a change in position, but might be to do with the length of my stem.
The long stem BITD was designed into the geometry, so wasn't as "crap" as it would be on a modern bike.
Flexstems and Gripshit were, and are crap.
Toe clips were great, and not dangerous if you set them up for you, and were used to them. Yes, they were superseded, but that happens.
I'm still wearing fingerless gloves at the moment, and defo wear them in the summer
pigman":3a6sbe46 said:
I use gripshift on my weightweenie bike, the newer versions work well. The x-ray ones were bad for many reasons. Trying to install a new cable was a nightmare, you had to wrap the cable around in a specific way, put the stupid spring in place, then quickly slide the two parts together only to find out the cable slipped out of place and had to start over.
- Feedback
- View
4,6,8,9,13,14. Don't have an opinion as never seen/used them.
1- Agree with the flappy paddles, they just don't work IMO. Rapid Rise on the other hand is ace and makes total sense. If you could buy it now I would use it. When I was out yesterday and changed gear up hill, under load I thought about RR and how great it was and wished I had it on the bike I was on.
2- Agree, Gripshift is rubbish.
3- Disagree. What he forgets is that at the time elastomers were as good as the oil forks on offer. RS Mags/ Pace RC35's/ Manitou 1/2/3 always came top of the tests and for good reason. The Marzocchi's he mentions were always also-rans. Too flexy, too fragile, not good enough. Elastomers were always going to have a shelf life and rightly vanished when oil/air tech improved but bitd they were as good as anything else.
5- Disagree with Flexstem as they were a cheap way to get a bit of suss and did the job ok. Agree on the Softride but so did everyone else even when they were brand new.
7- Disagree. Bar ends did and still do have a place. Less so with the trend for wide bars but still useful.
10- Disagree depending on what he classes as long. Huge stems with narrow bars were the fashion, just as 10mm stems and 1,000,000mm bars are now.
11- Disagree. What's he on about?
12- Disagree. SPD's are ace, I wouldn't ride any distance without them. Toe clips were pre-SPD SPD's so were also ace.
15- Agree, probably. Never had a URT but it seems the designs that work best have stuck about and been refined while these vanished.
As mentioned before, clearly written by someone who wishes he was a DH hero and someone who probably uses inferior parts and tech because it looks cool. :facepalm:
Done me a favour though as it means I'll never waste my money on Dirt just like I no longer do on MBUK.
1- Agree with the flappy paddles, they just don't work IMO. Rapid Rise on the other hand is ace and makes total sense. If you could buy it now I would use it. When I was out yesterday and changed gear up hill, under load I thought about RR and how great it was and wished I had it on the bike I was on.
2- Agree, Gripshift is rubbish.
3- Disagree. What he forgets is that at the time elastomers were as good as the oil forks on offer. RS Mags/ Pace RC35's/ Manitou 1/2/3 always came top of the tests and for good reason. The Marzocchi's he mentions were always also-rans. Too flexy, too fragile, not good enough. Elastomers were always going to have a shelf life and rightly vanished when oil/air tech improved but bitd they were as good as anything else.
5- Disagree with Flexstem as they were a cheap way to get a bit of suss and did the job ok. Agree on the Softride but so did everyone else even when they were brand new.
7- Disagree. Bar ends did and still do have a place. Less so with the trend for wide bars but still useful.
10- Disagree depending on what he classes as long. Huge stems with narrow bars were the fashion, just as 10mm stems and 1,000,000mm bars are now.
11- Disagree. What's he on about?
12- Disagree. SPD's are ace, I wouldn't ride any distance without them. Toe clips were pre-SPD SPD's so were also ace.
15- Agree, probably. Never had a URT but it seems the designs that work best have stuck about and been refined while these vanished.
As mentioned before, clearly written by someone who wishes he was a DH hero and someone who probably uses inferior parts and tech because it looks cool. :facepalm:
Done me a favour though as it means I'll never waste my money on Dirt just like I no longer do on MBUK.
citrixccea
Retro Guru
Long stems and bar ends ? I guess that's why I spend more time online here than 'there' 
superstar1
Retro Guru
citrixccea said:Long stems and bar ends ? I guess that's why I spend more time online here than 'there'
Yeah, I know what you mean, I occasionally have a flick through MBUK and MBR etc. and there they are test riding 6 grand bikes and the first thing they do is change the stock 50mm stem because it's too long :facepalm: and then rave about how changing to something that looks like a stub improves handling and changes their lives.
I'm sure back in the 90's they were moaning that the stems were too short and gushing over swapping to a 3 foot long stem.
- Feedback
- View
Nr. 10!!!!
That's my picture and my Scott build.... Can I sue him on violation of copyright??
That's my picture and my Scott build.... Can I sue him on violation of copyright??
- Feedback
- View
Are the 'they' mentioned the same 'they' as back in the day or are they a different they not as then but as now?
stumpjumper1990":789xbed6 said:
Yes you can but determining value of violation will be difficult unless you are a professional photographer. Most likely you would just force them to take the photo down. I would do it if I were in your shoes just because it is obnoxious to steal photos like that.
Similar threads
