What highly rated products did the bike media convince you to buy, only to not live up to the review?

[FluffyChicken]

Once I had dumped my push push RF, and move to RF+ with m900 and they blew within a year I moved to GripShift and never looked back, love them, reliable and easy to use. (SRT onwards, can't really say the same for the CX series I inherited on my Altitude BiTD, too bulky, grips just deteriorated quickly)

Later the half pipes are great for commuting and thick gloves.

Only much later on did RapidFire get any good, by then the damage was done.


But this is 98+ and I don't have any bikes that new, parts. Then the Marzocchi Superfly are great but honestly not as good as a top of the range should be, look the part and do an OK job, the later? (few years) standard bomber air fork later are better.

Hope. Mono hubs.. Nope they just worked and still so.
Mavic XC717 rims, really nice but they buggered them up with the wedge thing that comes loose and goes click click clcik every revolution.
That should happen in an expensive rim.

Shimano LX/XT/STX circa 2009, damn it theat just worked and would fit on old bikes.

Nope sorry hard to find much.

Back to early 90s and M900 cassette, bag of shite, fell apart regularly, still bought more, still fell apart, moved to M737 quickly when they came out and another m900 fell apart and worked wonders.

 

[7Speed]

Tubeless setup..
“60% of the time works everytime”

The rest of the time.. tyre impossible to mount tyre impossible to seat, tyre now needs air compressor, tyres porous, tyres leaking, valves leaking, tapes leaking.

It's not just me that finds tubes easier then? I have tubeless on my posh road bike as its supersmooth and very grippy in the corners. I know the cycling fairies will make me pay for saying this - but never really had a lot of punctures as a light rider, watching my lines and not running tyre pressures too low (expecting a run of winter punctures now). I know off-road you can get super-grippy with tubeless set-up and low pressure...just not certain its worth the hassle...?

 

[minor_LEGEND]

I don't have any examples of stuff I bought that was naff, but I used to read MBUK as a teen & noticed how everything from Caratti used to get automatic good reviews, plus some others I'm sure.

 

[Ren Rawbor]

It may have been said.... mainly by my wife
I maintain my opinion though

Likewise, on both counts...

Got to stick up for gripshift here, I loved it. Admittedly I used to always fit gore-tex cables then they were silky smooth, Also used to trim the barrel down so it was super short.

So what you're saying here is, gripshift worked for you but only once you adapted the bike to suit...

 

[Aech]

Hope C2 brakes - these barely had enough power to lock up a wheel, pulling an endo was almost impossible, and if not used regularly they would stick on needing a blead to fix. I considered switching back to rim brakes.

That's completely the opposite experience from me, originally I had V-brakes on my Zaskar but the only way I could get decent wet weather performance was by running super soft/grippy blocks that only lasted a couple of rides before being totally worn thru.

I installed Hope C2 brakes and loved them to bits, perfect modulation, could lock up the rear if needed even if hanging off the back of the bike and could lock the front on the loose stuff or pull an endo if on tarmac.

The only issue I had was the friction material came unbonded from the metal backing plate, I contacted Hope and they apologised profusely as they'd had a bad batch of pads made with a glue that couldn't cope with the heat generated.They sent me a nice letter apologising again and several sets of free pads that I've only now just used all of them

The only other problem was of my own making, I managed to burn the patten of the rear disc into my right calf putting my bike down after climbing over a stile at the end of a long downhill section.

 

[Titiritero]

Considering the products media currently promote are mostly way out of my budget, I haven't bought many things I regret.

Some blue anodised bits in the mid 90s that quickly lost colour and fell apart.

I'm always wary of getting a full suspension when every year the newer models are 10% stiffer and 17% more efficient while 4.5% lighter...

 

[Aech]

I'm always wary of getting a full suspension when every year the newer models are 10% stiffer and 17% more efficient while 4.5% lighter...

Sooner or later they will hit the limits of what's possible, it'll be impossible to make it any stiffer, efficient or lighter.... either that or they'll continue lying about how much better this one is verses last years model

Don't forget your getting older, leave it too long and you'll be too old and decrepit to enjoy it.