Most influential bikes ever

[pinguwin]

I have to agree with Repack. It's not what I like or others like, it's "if this had never been how much would have changed" OTOH, might be that if Breeze/Ritchey didn't do it, X, Y, or Z would have done it two years later. Don't know.

Some mention Klein, a brand that is near & dear to my heart and it did influence things in that it really did show that Al could work and work well. And now lots of bikes have OS tubing, but to get to the most influential, you'd have to pre-date Kleins. Ultimately, it all goes back to the foot-paddled velocipedes.

'guin

 

[cce]

konas

in all aeriousness though, they brought the sharp ride of a few boutique makers to the general masses - now everyone has sloped top tubes.

 

[elite504]

I of course agree with the repacker- ritchey et al gave us a gift.

I agree with Kev too, if it wasn't for the muddy fox courier (and probably the press pack too), wed have never got started.

I agree with the slein. This moved us from bikes that we'd grow into, to proper small framed, long top-tube rigid, good clearance XC steeds. And of course helped bring aluminium to the masses.

I do not agree with the pace. Lashed up and rose tinted. Only square so the use of jigs could be avoided, and based on no sound enginering reason. In fact, if you're after an efficient criss section the round tube will always be lighter, and raise les stress at the junction. They do look cool/ odd though (no offence intended here, just my opinion. Bear in mind I think yellow cars are cool too :shock: )

And Full susser. It has to be the Boulder. Without that the San andreas never would have got started, and it is the purest of all designs.

To get us where we are today, compact, long, elegant and efficient, it has to be the boulder. I know it was plain gauge 4130, but I can't help this sewed the seeds of getting us where we are today, and helped us not all be on 21" swan necked bullmoosers. .

 

[Elev12k]

A while ago an article on this appeared in an US 'Bike' magazine =>

Schwinn
Breezer
Cunningham
Stumpjumper
Fat City & Merlin
Bontrager
MC San Andreas
AMP
SC Tazmon
Outland
Nog wat

 

[Pickle]

The RTS

Look at the hit it made when it was first released.

Furtado winning the DH worlds on it the first ever time she rode it.

 

[stevet1]

3) Whatever bike brand put the Horst link on the map for the masses

Mongoose amplifier? Got to be up there.

 

[richwoodham]

Agree with the Muddy Fox Courier and the Stumpjumper - they both got thousands of people into mountain biking. I'd also vote for the GT RTS, though. It was the first mass-market full-suspension bike that could handle, climb and sprint like a hardtail. Everyone else was playing catch-up as soon as it was released. Bikes like the Orange Clockwork and Pace were great, but they didn't force other manufacturers to redesign their existing bikes in the way the RTS did.

 

[Pickle]

I'd also vote for the GT RTS, though. It was the first mass-market full-suspension bike that could handle, climb and sprint like a hardtail. Everyone else was playing catch-up as soon as it was released. Bikes like the Orange Clockwork and Pace were great, but they didn't force other manufacturers to redesign their existing bikes in the way the RTS did.

Definately.

My thoughts entirely.

 

[Woodie]

Surely there can be only one?

 

[Huntso]

I know this will get me some flak, but how about the Mount Vision?
Did the job rather well and over here (UK) it got people riding full sus bikes for normal XC use