things that sucked/were cool back in the day

[Vancouverdave]

I remember a small amount of truly bad cycling equipment-- UK Raleighs for instance.
I do remember hundreds of good rides and wonderful people--like anyone in three or four different So. Cal. clubs who could tolerate me when I was 15 to 22 years old!

[coloclimber]

Sucked- Shimano Sante (aptly ryhmes with gay) and Campagnolo Croce d'Aune (WTF was that bar for?), those huge first generation clipless pedals by Look also sucked

Rocked- Time classique TBT pedals, Cobalto calipers (now those were pimp)

[Saab2000]

those huge first generation clipless pedals by Look also sucked
)

They sold well. And everyone who had them was the envy of every cat 2 who didn't have them.

And the mechanism hasn't really changed much to this day. Just more compact. Today's cleats would still work on those pedals, no?

[72gmc]

Time Criterium pedals were also pretty sweet on the bike. Sucked when you had to walk, though.

[oopfoo]

Time Equipe pedals were the tits--float, special shoes, and everything Look wasn't.

I have to disagree with the above sentiment; I like my Shimano Sante group. I liked it even more a couple of years ago when I sold it to a collector in Australia. (It WAS hard to keep pretty, though.)

Mavic groups were--and still are--among the coolest things ever. Give me a starfish crank anyday.

In general, beer cooler helmets with lycra covers sucked, although the Specialized version of it (worn by 7 Eleven) was way-cool. I raced with a Specialized helmet with our team sponsor's cover (Zephyr). The sponsor's helmet was simply unwearable.

Speaking of lycra covers, lycra saddle covers sucked, and the triathletes couldn't buy enough of them at my shop.

Anything with serviceable/replaceable bearings was awesome. "Sealed" headsets sucked.

Two-pin Suntour freewheel tools sucked.

Neon triathlon equipment sucked. Again, we couldn't KEEP the stuff in stock, it flew out the door so quickly.

Plastic toe-clips sucked. Metal is the only way.

Ray-Ban sunglasses sucked to ride in, and still do. Thank you, Oakley, for making sport-specific sunglasses, even if the Factory Pilot made you look like a downhill skier. (Hell, I wore mine out.)

Shifters that would do index AND friction were awesome, even if indexed shifting usually sucked. I miss using wheels from EVERYONE.

18mm skinwall tires sucked.

Friction-fit water bottle lids STILL suck. They should only be twist-on.

Early "aero" spokes sucked. I had a set of Araya/Record TT wheels that are just dangerous, imho.

Crap...this is getting long....I could just go on and on...

[agilismerlin]

these were nice.

[hampco]

these were nice.

what they lacked in grace they made up for in weight

[Steevo]

Cool:
Schwinn Lemon, Orange & Apple Krates (Pea Pickers too)
'70 Sun Tour ratcheting Shifters & Slant Parallelogram Derailleurs
metal toe clips & leather straps

Sucked:
Tire Savers (those wire loops attached to the brake bolt to knock stuff off the tire)
cottered cranks
thermos water bottles
air horns

Still Not Sure:
Stem shifters
Gumwall tires
Pletscher Racks

[Jason Musgrave]

cool:

Any green Michelin tire--from the Wildgripper Comps, to Muds version 1.0, and even the jets.


not cool:

Power Pedals
Biopace

[junior2189]

do not for get these things

JUNIOR

[doofus]

cool...shoulda never tossed away my ol blue hardback copy from '86


any book with chris carmichael's pudgy face on it sucks.

[EnginCycles]

Well i am very late to the list but i have some additions for both lists:

-Front Freewheels totally kick ASS.
-Scott-Mathauser brake pads were good and bad all in one.
-Onza Rip and Rail were terrible tires.
-Tioga Psyco II in grey were the worst tire EVER for mtb.
-Campy Delta brakes SUCKED no matter how cool they were.
-First generation Ti bikes SUCKED.
-Dura-Ace stems are cool but what a PITA to adjust.
-25th anniversary Dura-Ace is cool if you got it when they put it on sale like me ($900) and sold the worst pedals ever, headset and seatpost for almost the cost of the group!
-the Flite was cool as was the Turbomatic (was that listed?)
-Positron solid shift cables SUCKED.

if i repeated things i am sorry because i tried to read but got distracted.

Cheers,
Drew

[acotts]

Time Equipe pedals were the tits--float, special shoes, and everything Look wasn't.

I have to disagree with the above sentiment; I like my Shimano Sante group. I liked it even more a couple of years ago when I sold it to a collector in Australia. (It WAS hard to keep pretty, though.)

Mavic groups were--and still are--among the coolest things ever. Give me a starfish crank anyday.

In general, beer cooler helmets with lycra covers sucked, although the Specialized version of it (worn by 7 Eleven) was way-cool. I raced with a Specialized helmet with our team sponsor's cover (Zephyr). The sponsor's helmet was simply unwearable.

Speaking of lycra covers, lycra saddle covers sucked, and the triathletes couldn't buy enough of them at my shop.

Anything with serviceable/replaceable bearings was awesome. "Sealed" headsets sucked.

Two-pin Suntour freewheel tools sucked.

Neon triathlon equipment sucked. Again, we couldn't KEEP the stuff in stock, it flew out the door so quickly.

Plastic toe-clips sucked. Metal is the only way.

Ray-Ban sunglasses sucked to ride in, and still do. Thank you, Oakley, for making sport-specific sunglasses, even if the Factory Pilot made you look like a downhill skier. (Hell, I wore mine out.)

Shifters that would do index AND friction were awesome, even if indexed shifting usually sucked. I miss using wheels from EVERYONE.

18mm skinwall tires sucked.

Friction-fit water bottle lids STILL suck. They should only be twist-on.

Early "aero" spokes sucked. I had a set of Araya/Record TT wheels that are just dangerous, imho.

Crap...this is getting long....I could just go on and on...

Next time this thread comes around in 2030, you will see this.

First gen E-Dura Ace on Triathlon bikes. We couldn't KEEP the stuff in stock, it flew out the door so quickly.

[swoop]

with all deference to the good folks that make them... Hudz (if today counts as the day).

[Saab2000]

first gen wireless computers. I don't know if today's are better, but when they were new they were bad. At least in Switzerland. Many of my rides were near railway lines which in Europe are electric and the interference was big trouble for those computers.

I don't know if today's wireless computers are better. I love the clean lines of the wireless, but had too many that were irregular and unreliable.

[acotts]

first gen wireless computers. I don't know if today's are better, but when they were new they were bad. At least in Switzerland. Many of my rides were near railway lines which in Europe are electric and the interference was big trouble for those computers.

I don't know if today's wireless computers are better. I love the clean lines of the wireless, but had too many that were irregular and unreliable.

I liked it when you pick up your workout buddies heart-rate on your wrist watch. That doesn't happen anymore.

[randy]

$5. didn't suck.

[Dekonick]

Cool - Bridgestone MTB's

Cool - first generation SPD's -
Sucked - first generation SPD's

Sucked - first generation MTB shoes

extra cool - my first bike - blue, with coaster brake. I was 5. Best of times.

[maunahaole]

Sucked: Regina SL chain with hollow pins.

Didn't suck: Old school conventional campy bottom brackets

[old_school]

fond memories