# 15 worst MTB Products: how many can you score?



## Northern Jack (7 Aug 2017)

Riding out on my old Marin Nail Trail, managed to get a definite 4 out of 15 on yesterday's ride: long stem, bar ends, finger-less gloves and toe clips. Plus I think the old Rock Shox are probably equipped with elastomers, and my seat is fairly large (but comfy). Plus this list is already 3 years old! 

https://dirtmountainbike.com/bike-r...the-15-worst-mountain-bike-products-ever.html


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## Heltor Chasca (7 Aug 2017)

Hah! I had an old Nail Trail (orange and silver) Sadly it was 'lost' in London


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## dan_bo (7 Aug 2017)

Massive DH saddles.


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## classic33 (7 Aug 2017)

Heltor Chasca said:


> Hah! I had an old Nail Trail (orange and silver) Sadly it was 'lost' in London


Still got one. Replacement for a write-off.


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## Crackle (7 Aug 2017)

Bar ends are good, great for climbing.


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## Jody (7 Aug 2017)

I scored 6 and some of those I still have


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## Heltor Chasca (7 Aug 2017)

classic33 said:


> Still got one. Replacement for a write-off.



Hah! Even better. Mine was a replacement for a bike I totalled on Wrynose Pass. Still haven't got my replacement ribs x 2.

While we are chatting about our Nail Trails: What are both of your serial numbers? 

With all the coincidences going on, the numbers might be similar to my 'lost' bike.


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## classic33 (7 Aug 2017)

Heltor Chasca said:


> Hah! Even better. Mine was a replacement for a bike I totalled on Wrynose Pass. Still haven't got my replacement ribs x 2.
> 
> While we are chatting about our Nail Trails: What are both of your serial numbers?
> 
> With all the coincidences going on, the numbers might be similar to my 'lost' bike.



Don't have the first one. I'd only had it five months when it was written off. Hit by a car, Bought in October, written off 25th March 2005
Second, FA 55 HGD 107

Rocky Ridge, as well.


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## Heltor Chasca (7 Aug 2017)

classic33 said:


> Don't have the first one. I'd only had it five months when it was written off. Hit by a car, Bought in October, written off 25th March 2005
> Second, FA 55 HGD 107
> 
> Rocky Ridge, as well.



Sorry! My inappropriately dark humour. I have accepted my bike has gone for good. I wasn't pointing fingers. Poor joke on my part.


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## Threevok (7 Aug 2017)

Elastomer forks. That's the only one I got


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## Nigel-YZ1 (7 Aug 2017)

I've got fingerless gloves. They were consigned for weight training use soon after I realised how useless they were on an MTB.


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## Threevok (7 Aug 2017)

Sorry - I also have finger less gloves - although I never wear them for off road purposes - only commute on warmer days


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## Crackle (7 Aug 2017)

OK, I'll bite. What's wrong with fingerless gloves on a mtn bike?


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## MontyVeda (7 Aug 2017)

Dunno why they hate bar-ends so much. They make the bike very stable when it's upside down for maintenance.


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## classic33 (7 Aug 2017)

Heltor Chasca said:


> Sorry! My inappropriately dark humour. I have accepted my bike has gone for good. I wasn't pointing fingers. Poor joke on my part.


Nowt to apologise for. Part of mine was still in use in the shop after they'd cut it up. 
They cut the tubes lengthways to show the internal shape.


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## Hugh Manatee (7 Aug 2017)

There's a website I won't be bothering with again. Yesterday's must have is tomorrow's worst product.


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## Threevok (7 Aug 2017)

Crackle said:


> OK, I'll bite. What's wrong with fingerless gloves on a mtn bike?



They don't offer as much (if any) protection.

However, if (like me) most of your offs involve landing on your head or arse - who give a crap about looking like Sly Stallone in Cobra

Oh, and that Klein is very nice


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## Ian H (7 Aug 2017)

Bar-ends give me the only comfortable grip on straight bars. 

The handlebar-crank drive is an old idea. There was one ridden to an end-to-end record in (I think) the 1920s, though in that case the bars drove the front wheel.


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## Crackle (7 Aug 2017)

Threevok said:


> They don't offer as much (if any) protection.


I'm not sure. They'll still protect your hands from abrasion in a crash and as I was reminded recently, stop you developing blisters on your palms on rough tracks which doesn't happen if you forget to pack them!


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## fossyant (7 Aug 2017)

I've just ordered new MTB bars for my old skool bike as they were cut down many years ago. They take a bit of getting used to when switching between a modern bike, so I'm going wider again (and I can fit the lights on better with the Garmin)


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## Threevok (8 Aug 2017)

Crackle said:


> I'm not sure. They'll still protect your hands from abrasion in a crash and as I was reminded recently, stop you developing blisters on your palms on rough tracks which doesn't happen if you forget to pack them!



True, although they don't protect your fingers at all. 

Of course, if there are no trees or bushes along your intended route - a rap on the knuckles from a stray branch or bramble is of no concern.

As I mentioned, I wear mine all the time on my commute (in fine weather) - but I wouldn't dream of using them off road, at least around here


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## KnackeredBike (8 Aug 2017)

Love my fingerless gloves. Whenever I have had an off I have landed on my palms. If you land on your fingers I suspect you are buggered in ways that a full glove will not protect you against.


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## guitarpete247 (8 Aug 2017)

My old Saracen Tufftrax ('87) is fitted with bar ends. I fitted them to give me different hand positions. I use fingerless gloves in summer.
One that isn't on the list is U brakes fitted beneath the chainstays. They collect plenty of mud.


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## Drago (8 Aug 2017)

User3094 said:


> I had bar ends, toe clips and fingerless gloves all at the same time. In fact everyone did back in the day. And that Klein is beautiful
> 
> Perhaps Im just old.



I had all the same gear too. I must respectfully disagree about the Klein though - it looks a mess to my eye, full of engineering mistakes. Eye of the beholder and all that though, no one is forcing me to ride one.


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## Northern Jack (11 Aug 2017)

guitarpete247 said:


> One that isn't on the list is U brakes fitted beneath the chainstays. They collect plenty of mud.


Good call. I had them on my old Specialized Hardrock. Probably too long ago for these young journalists to remember. Always caked in crud. That location didn't do any favours for the cables either.


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## Threevok (11 Aug 2017)

You'd be surprised how many MTB bike manufacturers still have cables running in places where the ingress of water and mud would cause a problem.

There are some frames I avoid for this very reason


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## Labradorofperception (11 Aug 2017)

My first MTB, a 1990 Diamondback Response had those weird brahma bars. It was like trying to ride a spinning bike.

It also had toe clips but I changed to the Onza clipless pedals. They used elastomers instead of a spring, so in cold weather, when the elastomer effectively froze, you were doomed to follow the bike into whatever bramble patch or precipice it had decided to head for.

I still wear fingerless gloves, as do most of the lads I ride with. Even the ones on Yetis wear them and they're posing fannies.


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## Alan O (13 Aug 2017)

Bar ends? I have them (though pointing largely forward rather than up in the air like that picture) and I love them. Perhaps its the cycle-tourist in me, but they give me a more relaxing hand position on long-ish straight-ish sections (and also on the road/cyclepath sections that I use to travel between mudbaths).

And I use fingerless gloves during the summer - though not when icy winter water and mud is splashing over my dainty little pinkies.

I do agree about toe clips, though only as a no-no for MTBs (on touring bikes, with old-fashioned smooth-soled shoes and no cleats, they're still great). My first old clunker MTB years ago had plastic half-clips, cos I needed some way to keep my feet on the pedals. And I bought a pair last year intending to use them with my new (2nd hand) MTB, but it has DMR flat pedals with those grippy little pegs and they're brilliant.


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## Motozulu (13 Aug 2017)

My fingerless MTB gloves are ace - they have protection on the knuckles - they are great on hot days - winner.


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## MontyVeda (13 Aug 2017)

How come these aren't on the list?


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## User482 (21 Aug 2017)

I had most of that list at one time or another. I think I still have a set of Onza HO pedals in the spares box... dunno why because they're never going back on my bike.


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## Nigeyy (23 Aug 2017)

I was ahead of my time. I never liked fingerless gloves and plumped for full fingered gloves from the get go, even in blazing hot weather I didn't find them uncomfortable.

However, I am a retrogrouch as I still have stubby bar ends, even (gasp!) on my riser bars, which really must make the fashion police gasp. Don't care; they work for me, and are great for another hand position going uphill. Too old now to care about what people think who have been overly influenced by marketing drives and what other people think is cool.


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