which part has impressed you most over the years?

Ooh bugger, I forgot to mention the cranks!

@mkaavin,
odd, I've had my 737 cranks for over 10 years and I'm a clumsy 18 stone bat fasterd.

Ooh, I want to add another....flat handlebars; especially ti ones! I know it's down to personal taste and they're all so very well made but me not a fan of risers. Every engineer I've spoken to winces at the idea of bending an aluminium bar and usually asks..." Why bend it? Wasn't the frame the right size? "
Ooh, and they look better...proper Old Skool.
 
Well, I used to work as a mechanic back in 94-96 and experienced the 737 crank problem on a few occations in addtion to my own experience. Maybe it was only a problem related to an early batch?

Regardless, I still don't trust them for myself. I do however have a complete M737 group for my Fervor and I have been looking for an M737 crank for it since my GF will be using it......but for my self it will be an M900 crank.

....and another thing; I was never that happy with the microdrive either. :)
 
More votes for early Z1s. I know of a 1998 set, used constantly, still work fine and only on third set of seals!

Magura HS brakes, and the early discs they made. The Gustav is still the most powerful brake I've ever used, and due to its design you never got any sticky piston problems or anything like that. The trade off was they weighed a ton!

I also have one of those SDG saddles (Ventura is it called?) from 99-00 sort of time. Affectionately known as the everlasting blue cock saddle.

Slightly more modern, but hope bulb/xc hubs are superb and last ages with little looking after.

Pip
 
From a usage standpoint, I really really like the m950 group with two caveats: the proprietary rings mentioned above, and only if I can ditch rapidfire and use m730-series thumbshifters :)

Pretty much the set up on my Phoenix.

Flite saddles also deserve a nod.
 
Mrs A's posterior!

Followed it down many a canal towpath and it always makes me ride faster and longer! (Could be the wishbone seatstay on her C16R though!)
 
The Tune MAG170 hub... Don't know what year it came out 1996 or 1998... but when I got it... pfffwaaah.... ceramic bearings, titanium tooth inside, carbon axle... Ultra high-end BITD... Luckily I got it straight from Uli Fahl himself.. so it 'only' set me back about 300 Deutch Mark... the price in store was about 1100DM... :oops:
 
My old LX M565 long cage rear mech. Ridden and abused for years, even painted the jockey wheels with humbrol paints in my youth, and never had shifting issues. Also in ultra cool black. :) Much good.

Hope front hubs (could never find/afford a rear). Mine been going strong for a long time now - still spins beautifully and looks like new. :)
 
I can only speak about parts I used, so here's my list:

Marzocchi Z1/Z2 - I have at least 4 of these and they are still running smooth as butter, as they should. Met Bryson Martin this summer at the Worlds, said thanks for the great product, became friends. What a great guy!

Chris King headset - Mine is a 1996. Need I say more?

Azonic Shorty / Kore B-52 / AC DH/ Syncros Cattlehead hinged stems - When there was an array of stems with personality out there, I lusted after these. Now I have them and they are pieces of art.

Answer Pro Taper / Race Face Air Alloy Riser bars - The Pro Taper is in a class of its own, but the Air Alloy Riser is overlooked and almost as good.

Any lock-on grips, really.

Flite - No need for argumentation, I hope. I have five of them.

Hope / Salsa / Mavic / Kore / Shimano alloy QRs - I broke a few Salsas and repaired them, but as a functional item that is able to be aesthetic, the Shimanos are hard to beat. Can't use them as tire levers, though.

Shimano XTR M900 cranks - I have quite a few cranks, but these are amazing. Also a honorable mention for my classy Profile tubulars!

Shimano XTR M900 / Deore XT M737 rear derailleurs - Still going and I cand hardly believe it.

Top shelf GripShift - Didn't have any choice and they proved to be killer. I also learned how to deal with my own silly prejudice.

Shimano Deore 2-way release STI levers - They are newschool, ugly and cheap, but they are ergonomic and do their job. Somehow I have 3 pairs of these. I love the idea of an underrated product that works a good as the more expensive one. I always had the feeling that STX-RC and Deore had stiffer springs in their levers than the soft Deore LX.

Shimano BR-M600 brakes - They brought power to the brake market and truly democratized this realm. The most copied brake ever and it can be set up with an allen key and a hand. Who needs a screwdriver to tension springs?

Hayes MX-2/MX-4 brakes - Not oldschool, but a classic because they are cheap and work well. BB7 is better, but also more expensive. Democracy to the brake market, part two! Pair them with cheap Avid FR5 levers and there you go. Honestly, nobody needs more brake lever than this.

Sapim spokes - Kick the Swiss in the nads. Polyax nipples a long time before there was Pro Lock on DTs and a slightly better quality at the same price. Nipples don't get twisted as easily as newer DTs. "They don't make 'em like they used to" is a quote to remember for the Swiss.

Michelin rubber - Maxxis only copied from here and then became big. I keep my Transalps with pride, because I know what they are and what they do.

And finally...

Mavic D521/EX721 rims - Still World Cup standard, still to be found on many new bikes, still a riders' choice. Back in the day, the Global team used to stack them painted yellow to replace the standard DeeMax rims (D321) that they had. Peat, Vouilloz, Minnaar and a lot of others rode them and swore by them. I honestly can't recall how many I have, but they are everywhere: on my newschool DH bike, on my dirtjumping hardtail, on an XC bike and who knows where else. Last week I rode my 2002 Jekyll two times on the edge and had to ride some kilometers on a rear flat. Do you think the rims were impressed? Hardly! I weigh 95+ kg and they still stood true, no problem. Amazing! The best rim in the world, period! It's no wonder Mavic kept it that way since 1998.

That's it from me.

Cheers guys!
Mx
 
impressed

The Flite TI for me stands out for me a more than just an excellent stylish component but a symbol of a great period of cycle manufacturing.
 
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