Innovations that weren't...

[novocaine]

Would buy either the Girvin or the Amp if the right opportunity came along, I can't really imagine ever finding a Lawwill. I am an oddball, I'd love to use those

Right there with ya. I'm planning a dawn raid on benji.

 

[greencat]

Damn...I liked self-energising brakes. They worked well expect the threads were made of cheese. The Porcs weren't bad either, and kind of trailed the trend for soft tyres to improve grip.

 

[bikeworkshop]

Look through the threads here there's (mostly) guys loving all sorts of useless crap

I like cup'n'cone hubs, inner tubes, leather topped saddles, square taper,
Sturmey 3 speed, shimano hg8, bar ends.

"For in every adult there dwells the child that was"

 

[Frankenorange]

I'm thinking about putting a bike together with components we have recalled in this thread...
Hang it all on a Kirk magnesium frame...
Girvins, spinergys, biopace, rapidrise, self- energising brakes...

I always thought Onza Porcs were rubbish, so i might throw a pair of those on there

For wheels you could use Hope hubs that crack if you use them, Matrix Mt.Aero rims that crack if you use them and definitely those original carbon spokes that will completely fail, if you use them.

 

[bikeworkshop]

I was thinking "usable but shit", rather than just rubbish,
but then maybe the kirk has to go

Those Softrides aren't cheap mind.

One of those hope tiglide hubs broke while I was standing right underneath it - I couldn't work out wtf that noise was... until I got the bike down to go riding

 

[greencat]

The Kirk certainly isn't shit. Just a wrong direction.

If you were going to put together something like this - it has to be iconic dead ends and noticeably odd so that it's a talking piece. Kirk frame works. Flex stem works. Biopace works. clips/straps for pedals. Super long seatpost for arse in air positioning. The brifter mtb stuff works. Disc rear wheel works (perhaps with a smiley acid face). Super short handlebars. Bar ends. Brake lever extenders so you could use them from the bar ends. Maybe an upside down suspension fork. Maybe one of the daft spoke patterns for a front wheel. Porcs or Farmer John's tyres. But also add crud claw and those rear mech protectors that used be on everything bitd.

 

[bikeworkshop]

(Id have to disagree on the kirk - a half dozen have passed through my hands, including a time trial set up road bike, but there are great elements to the design)

But ah the crud Claw.
it looks like it works!
(A common theme in the thread imo)
Mine is still in a little box somewhere. Red it was.

Mech protectors, like hub spoke guards, were found on "family cycling" market models, but did reach higher in the market for a year or 2.

Did anyone make a cnc/ purple anodised mech protector, or were they all 1/2 kilo of pig iron?

In the end they were killed by the alloy frame replaceable mech hanger

 

[greencat]

(Id have to disagree on the kirk - a half dozen have passed through my hands, including a time trial set up road bike, but there are great elements to the design)

But ah the crud Claw.
it looks like it works!
(A common theme in the thread imo)
Mine is still in a little box somewhere. Red it was.

Mech protectors, like hub spoke guards, were found on "family cycling" market models, but did reach higher in the market for a year or 2.

Did anyone make a cnc/ purple anodised mech protector, or were they all 1/2 kilo of pig iron?

In the end they were killed by the alloy frame replaceable mech hanger

Bend a coat hanger into shape and paint it with the missus' nail varnish.

 

[bikeworkshop]

I'm really looking "top-end" here rather than "bedside cabinet".
Those dead-ends are more interesting if they were stupidly expensive!

 

[clubby]

Kirk frame works. Flex stem works. Biopace works. clips/straps for pedals. Super long seatpost for arse in air positioning. The brifter mtb stuff works. Disc rear wheel works (perhaps with a smiley acid face). Super short handlebars. Bar ends. Brake lever extenders so you could use them from the bar ends. Maybe an upside down suspension fork. Maybe one of the daft spoke patterns for a front wheel. Porcs or Farmer John's tyres. But also add crud claw and those rear mech protectors that used be on everything bitd.

You just described my dream 1990 bike.

I'm going to throw in 150mm stems and 500mm bars. My STS is still in its original cockpit set up. The brake barrel adjusters almost touch in the middle. Also "NORBA" geometry.
My first MTB was an 80's Raleigh Maverick. Short stem, riser bars, slack head angle and long wheelbase and chain stays. Then the racers got involved and we adopted road influenced geometry. Great for Americans racing on wide fire roads, crap for technical riding. 35 years later, we are finally back where we started,