# What cycling product was a waste of $$?



## Cory (Jan 29, 2004)

To go with the post below about what cycling product you wondered how you managed without, what product has been a disappointment? You wanted it, you splurged, and then you didn't go any faster or get any smarter when you had it.
I have a LOOONG list of them, but I think the all-time loser was the Hite Rite, an early mountain bike gimmick. It was a big spring that went between the saddle and the seat tube. The idea was that you could loosen the quick release and push the saddle down in technical spots, then loosen it again and let the spring push the saddle back to normal height for cruising. Weighed a lot, didn't work very well and it required reaching down to operate the seat QR just as you were heading into the boulders, then doing it again while everybody accelerated away.
Warning: If anybody tops that, I can bring in BioPace chainrings....


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## Bocephus Jones (Feb 3, 2004)

Cory said:


> To go with the post below about what cycling product you wondered how you managed without, what product has been a disappointment? You wanted it, you splurged, and then you didn't go any faster or get any smarter when you had it.
> I have a LOOONG list of them, but I think the all-time loser was the Hite Rite, an early mountain bike gimmick. It was a big spring that went between the saddle and the seat tube. The idea was that you could loosen the quick release and push the saddle down in technical spots, then loosen it again and let the spring push the saddle back to normal height for cruising. Weighed a lot, didn't work very well and it required reaching down to operate the seat QR just as you were heading into the boulders, then doing it again while everybody accelerated away.
> Warning: If anybody tops that, I can bring in BioPace chainrings....


Hey...lots of people loved the hite rite! ANyway my list:

1) Pearl Izumi windproof shoe covers--bought to take the chill off feet when cold but not cold enough to wear booties--tore apart after wearing for a week. out $40.

2) Performance Spin Doctor Pro bike stand--crap clamp. too cheap to buy another decent stand though.

3) Co2 inflator--because I was using standard valve (instead of long valve) tubes with my CXP33s I blew through both my Co2 carts and was without a pump. Carried my full size frame pump since. I don't trust it anymore. Waste of $.

4) Record Profit pedals--not a waste per se, but not worth the extra $ over my current Chorus pedals. 

5) Assos F1-13 bib shorts. Great shorts. Got as a gift. Would never spend the $ they cost though. Not THAT much better than the Performance Ultra/Elites that I usually use.

6) Polar S720i HRM--My old HRM died and I went top of the line. Actually works well, but I don't really need all the features. Bought it on Ebay at a good price. It's basically a gadget to me though. Fun to use, but defiately not essential. A lower range HRM would have sufficed.


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## lonefrontranger (Feb 5, 2004)

*USE(less) carbon seatpin*

Expensive, difficult to adjust and only intended for one season's use according to the warranty. Mine broke twice. Once 3 months after I got it when the clamp let go in the midst of a ride (and no it was not tightened beyond spec). Warranty replacement of clamp.

The next and final time, the head collar came loose from the post itself and my saddle began to rotate freely. I got less than a year's use out of it. This one goes in the category of "stupid light".

Anyone remember titanium spokes? They looked pretty ("ti-dyed"), cost a ton, rode like crap and broke like angel hair pasta.

I'm not going to even try to top the Biopace thing...


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## Frith (Oct 3, 2002)

lonefrontranger said:


> Anyone remember titanium spokes? They looked pretty ("ti-dyed"), cost a ton, rode like crap and broke like angel hair pasta.


On that note how about ti cassettes. I've never owned one but I've heard nothing but bad things about them.


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## terry b (Jan 29, 2004)

SpinSkins

supposed to prevent flats, actually flatted two tubes due to abrasion.


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## Rogue (Mar 20, 2004)

Frith said:


> On that note how about ti cassettes. I've never owned one but I've heard nothing but bad things about them.


I've used the same full Ti Campy Record cassette for 7,000 miles without a problem. I clean the cassette and change the chain on a regular basis. 

3TTT Zepp stem - the worst cycling product I've ever used. Mine broke while I was riding causing me to crash. Later I found out that it was a common problem and they were actually recalled. I saw where Excel was selling them on clearance for $20 or so, I wouldn't use one again if you paid me $200!! 

Oh yeah, I don't want to forget those damn ultra light latex tubes. What complete garbage.


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## PMC (Jan 29, 2004)

Skinz brand bicycle bra

I went through a number of them before I gave up and got my money back. They'd probably work just fine for tooling around town at 30mph on the top of my car but that's not why I wanted them. At highway speeds they basically came apart after a couple of hours. The company told me I was misusing their product as they were not made for speeds in excess of 55mph. I asked what I was suppose to do if I was driving into a headwind, slow down? They didn't find any humor in that or the fact that I trashed a half dozen of their covers before giving up.

Total junk and at close to 40 bucks each


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## Henry Chinaski (Feb 3, 2004)

In twenty years of riding there are only three I can think of (though of course there is a ton of junk out there I never bought). 

1. Latex tubes. 
2. Syncros seatpost (one of the only posts availible at the time in 28.6 for my Ibis mtb--it's not a good sign when a 140 pound rider can break a seatpost). 
3. Santini shorts from bikejerseys.com. By far the worst shorts I have ever worn and the only piece of cycling clothing to make me turn around early on a ride. Yow. The chamois is made out of sandpaper or something. And bikejerseys.com refused to take them back, even for credit--so much for standing behind the products you sell.  

I wish Speedplay Frog cleats lasted longer and were cheaper, but I love the pedals, so...


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## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

Frith said:


> On that note how about ti cassettes. I've never owned one but I've heard nothing but bad things about them.


Hmmm that's funny. I only use Shimano partialy Ti cassettes on both road and mtb and have never had a problem.


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## Nat (Feb 22, 2004)

Headwind! Slow down! Dammit that's funny!




PMC said:


> The company told me I was misusing their product as they were not made for speeds in excess of 55mph. I asked what I was suppose to do if I was driving into a headwind, slow down?


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## Nat (Feb 22, 2004)

Cory said:


> To go with the post below about what cycling product you wondered how you managed without, what product has been a disappointment? You wanted it, you splurged, and then you didn't go any faster or get any smarter when you had it.
> I have a LOOONG list of them, but I think the all-time loser was the Hite Rite, an early mountain bike gimmick. It was a big spring that went between the saddle and the seat tube. The idea was that you could loosen the quick release and push the saddle down in technical spots, then loosen it again and let the spring push the saddle back to normal height for cruising. Weighed a lot, didn't work very well and it required reaching down to operate the seat QR just as you were heading into the boulders, then doing it again while everybody accelerated away.
> Warning: If anybody tops that, I can bring in BioPace chainrings....


For me it was a hardtail mtb. Only used it 4 weeks before selling it and taking a $100 loss. I'll have either a full-suspension or road bike please.

Shimano Shark Fin chainstay protector thing was another item. It had a fin on it that allegedly prevented chain suck. Yeah, okay.


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## FTMD (Sep 20, 2002)

*bike bra*

Ditto, except it was the CC house branded one I used. Total garbage and shredded in no time. I'm sure others here use it every day with wonderful results but mine was junk.


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## siguradam (Aug 28, 2003)

Bocephus Jones said:


> 6) Polar S720i HRM--My old HRM died and I went top of the line. Actually works well, but I don't really need all the features. Bought it on Ebay at a good price. It's basically a gadget to me though. Fun to use, but defiately not essential. A lower range HRM would have sufficed.



I second this one. Granted, I didn't pay anything for it, it was just an expensive Christmas gift, but I could definitely do without it. It's a fun toy, it works well, but it's bulky. I'm also afraid to put it on my mountain bike for fear of breaking it.


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## Thorn Bait (Feb 3, 2004)

*A gel seat cover?*

Back when I did not have a road riding butt, I whimped out and bought one of those gel covers for my saddle - well, I gave it a few seconds because it had a grain to it, and it went against the grain of my shorts - every peddle stroke resulted in this loud whooshing sound (I think the dratted thing costed 20 or so bucks) - I think I still have it somewhere if anyone is interested...mm


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## bill61 (Dec 5, 2002)

*carbon fiber bottle cages*

and at only 50 or 60 bucks each. what a bargain!


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## seeborough (Feb 3, 2004)

Henry Chinaski said:


> In twenty years of riding there are only three I can think of (though of course there is a ton of junk out there I never bought).
> 
> 1. Latex tubes.
> 2. Syncros seatpost (one of the only posts availible at the time in 28.6 for my Ibis mtb--it's not a good sign when a 140 pound rider can break a seatpost).
> ...



Ain't that funny!! I was just going to answer the original post by voting for any pair of shorts other than Santinis from bikejerseys.com. All I ever wear. Hmmm, just goes to show you...
As for my personal choices for money spent most unwisely:
Continental Supersonics - superb tires for 300 miles 
Stella Azzurra bartape - and that comes from an SA fan
Cinelli Alter stems - broke two of them
Bontrager tubes - unbelievably easy to tear at the valve


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## Straightblock (Jan 30, 2004)

*Off-brand chain*

Back in the '70s I always rode Regina chains, or maybe an occasional Everest. One day I went to the LBS, and the owner had just received some new Brand X chains and wanted some feedback, so he gave me one for next to nothing. I put in on and went to a criterium that weekend after only a spin around the block to be sure it didn't skip on my freewheel. The chain broke twice during warmups, and again on the second lap of the race. I consider myself lucky not to have crashed or taken anyone else down. Lesson learned: don't change anything right before a race.

BTW, I still have a Bio-Pace chainring on my winter bike.


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## Spoiler (Jul 6, 2002)

*Marry me.*



PMC said:


> Skinz brand bicycle bra
> 
> I went through a number of them before I gave up and got my money back. They'd probably work just fine for tooling around town at 30mph on the top of my car but that's not why I wanted them. At highway speeds they basically came apart after a couple of hours. The company told me I was misusing their product as they were not made for speeds in excess of 55mph. I asked what I was suppose to do if I was driving into a headwind, slow down? They didn't find any humor in that or the fact that I trashed a half dozen of their covers before giving up.
> 
> Total junk and at close to 40 bucks each


When I first read this, I actually thought the bicycle bra was a piece of clothing, a sports bra. As I kept reading, "At highway speeds they basically came apart..I was misusing their product, what was I was supposed to do if I was driivng into a headwind..."

For a few precious seconds, I was in love, and I must admit, FULLY aroused.


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## Dinosaur (Jan 29, 2004)

*This might draw hate mail, but....*

I gotta say my Brooks Team Pro saddle. It did nothing for me. It weighs as much as a small boat anchor and I don't like the way it looks. I paid $53.00 for it 5 years ago and they want $135.00 for them now. 

Performance Gel shorts- lasted about eight weeks and the gel started to ooze out in small gobs. Very hot also, I always had a salt stain in my crotch area. Peformance made good and exchanged two pair with no questions asked. People bad mouth Performance but they are very good about returns or exchanges.

Any ultra light tube-save your money.

I'm still mulling over co2. I've had problems with the stuff, ran out of it twice. I went back to my old full length Blackburn FP-1 frame pump. I bought a new co2 applicator and pack it with 2 spare cartridges to see how it works. But since I started carrying a pump-no "f's".

Torelli Aria mini pump- good for getting air into your tire for mounting, but forget it otherwise. The bigger the better (see above).

Any small combination bike tool. Too small and no leverage. I do better packing a couple of hex wrenches and a spoke wrench.

Cheap cycling jerseys- best to buy the good stuff. I wait for sales and buy discontinued team jerseys.

Wireless computers- I've never had a wired computer fail on me yet. Big price just to eliminate a wire strung up your fork. Batteries for the wireless transmitters don't last long either.

Any bar tape that is not black- but I have Cinelli stars and stripes on my beater Klein to match my opposing colored wheels (red and blue) and it looks nice.


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## fasteddie (Jun 20, 2003)

*bangin' my head against the wall...*



Rogue said:


> 3TTT Zepp stem - the worst cycling product I've ever used. Mine broke while I was riding causing me to crash. Later I found out that it was a common problem and they were actually recalled. I saw where Excel was selling them on clearance for $20 or so, I wouldn't use one again if you paid me $200!!


Boy, don't I feel like a complete rube! I just bought 2 of those suckers on eBay. I looked at the face plate bolts (apparently the source of the problem) and one had a different type and longer bolts than the other. Makes me wonder if it the longer (and looked like steel) bolts wasn't the fix for this problem? I emailed a service guy at 3T so we'll see how customer and safety oriented this company is.


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## bikewriter (Sep 2, 2002)

This is a good post, and there are some great replies.

In no particular order, my least favorite purchases.

#1: Park tire levers. Although just $4, they cost more than other levers, and they break like an old woman's hips. I have one in the bottom of my gear bag just to remind me to never buy Park tire levers.

#2: But I do like Park glueless patches. My other waste was this glueless patch from a company I forget. The patches came off in any temperature, any tire, any psi....

#3: Zoic clothing. Wow, that stuff is horrible. Cost is medium of the road but it's not even worth getting undressed for.

#4: Canary clothing. Everything droops after the first wash. Looks like I'm shoplifting bowling balls when I put a single tube in the jersey pocket.

#5: Like the poster who said a Brooks saddle (perennial favorite), I'm going put on my flamesuit and say Silca pumps. Nothing but trouble. Very inaccurate gauge. Rubber washers bored themselves out like an ugly prom queen with a cucumber fetish.

I'm sure there are more, but I've been lucky with most of my purchases.


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## Rogue (Mar 20, 2004)

fasteddie said:


> Boy, don't I feel like a complete rube! I just bought 2 of those suckers on eBay. I looked at the face plate bolts (apparently the source of the problem) and one had a different type and longer bolts than the other. Makes me wonder if it the longer (and looked like steel) bolts wasn't the fix for this problem? I emailed a service guy at 3T so we'll see how customer and safety oriented this company is.


I think the longer steel bolts were the solution to the problem. I wasn't willing to try again after taking a spill when mine broke.


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## Cory (Jan 29, 2004)

*No way! I have a 10-year-old hardtail I still ride.*

Maybe it's because I learned on a full-rigid bike, and front suspension was such an improvement that I still appreciate it. I still have the rigid, too. About once a month I take it out and use some of the skills I worked so hard to learn. I had an FS bike, but sold it when I bought my roadie. 
I agree about the shark fin, though. I still have one out in the garage, and I blush when I see it.


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## rwbadley (Apr 13, 2002)

I once accidentally bought a pair of female bike shorts. I wondered why they fit funny.

Does that count?


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## divve (May 3, 2002)

I'll have to side with LFR on this one. The USEless seat post definitely takes the cake. It took me literally hours to set it up properly. Had to bring a plastic mallet with me on a ride (can you imagine that), you need it to release the bolts for adjustment. The angle changes as you tighten the clamp.....I could go on and on about what's wrong with this thing... I've only ridden it once and took it off my bike. 

I plan to use it now for new frame seat clamp and potential post slippage testing. Remember, it's always better to crush something USEless than your actual seat post.


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## My Dog Wally (Mar 29, 2003)

I must have bought at least half a dozen of those plastic chain-cleaning machines from various manufacturers. The one from Pedro's leaks like home made rowboat. The one from Park doesn't seem to want to let the chain pass through when I rotate the cranks. And the others just exploded.

Again, I've got to put in a vote from USE. I bought one of their suspension seat posts for my Klein road bike and found the clamp maddening to work with. After I finally got the thing all set up and rode it for a couple of weeks, I wante to readjust the seat, but decided I'd rather ride a misaligned seat than tangle with the USE seatpost clamp. Worst piece of drek on the planet.

My third nomination goes to the old Bell V1-Pro helmet. While the rest of humanity was enjoying the new lightweight Giro helmets, I found the Bell on sale and discovered it was about as heavy as the helmet I wore in Marine Corps boot camp and had a buckle you had to insert into a tiny slit that you could never find when you were wearing the helmet.


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## Bluechip (Feb 19, 2004)

*Disk-like wheel cover*

About ten years ago I bought one of those fabric wheel covers that attatch to the spokes to make a regular wheel into a disc wheel. What a piece of junk. There was a pretty big gap between the cover and the rim that never fit quite right. It attatched with what seemed like a million little clips on each side of the wheel. What a waste of money but especially of time. If that's the only thing I can think of then that's not really too bad.


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## fasteddie (Jun 20, 2003)

*I've always been one for cycling gadgets, but..*

My dumbest purchase was for my mtn bikes....TI bolts. Not necessarily a waste of huge money, probably spend $100-150 on various TI stuff bolts - stem, cranks, rings, RD, brake mountings, etc. Started breaking those things within a couple of weeks.


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## ramboorider (Sep 25, 2003)

*Revue Helmet*

The one with the little periscope like system that runs through the top of the helmet with a mirror built into the visor so you can see stuff behind you without a more typical glasses or helmet mount mirror. Hmmm, I was gonna point you to the website, but I can't find it anymore - maybe they went belly-up. Well, they should have. This helmet does have a mirror built into the visor, but after the path the light has to go through to get there, the image is really weak, is somewhat distorted, and is waaaaay smaller than it looked on the website (what a shock!). Cars that are a block away somehow look like they're about to run you down. And if you wear glasses and the top part of them gets any skin oil on them at all (always happens with my glasses), you can't see the image at all. It's also heavy as a rock - my neck hurt after the only longer ride I ever took it on.

Now I just use it as my commute helmet, but I have a Take A Look mirror mounted on the helmet also and end up using that mirror 95% of the time - the built in mirror sucks.

-Ray


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## supercrank (Feb 20, 2004)

*cheap rollers*

I bought a cheap pair of cycleops rollers for indoor training. The annoying thing about them is that they develop a low frequency vibration which gets progressively more powerful the faster you go (at any speed greater than 20 mph). Once I got over 25 mph the rollers would start skating across my floor like a cheap washing machine on the spin cycle, and any ride over 20 minutes lead to severe numbness in my hands and groin. Then, I tried my friend's Kreitlers and never rode mine again. You get what you pay for, I guess.


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## Matno (Jan 19, 2002)

*Agree/Disagree*

Some votes here have been for good stuff! Others I fully agree with.

What I like: 
Biopace chainrings (never really noticed a difference, in all honesty, but I used them with great results for 10+ years). 
CO2 inflator - cool, fast, light. Only "safe" for relatively short rides though. Only downside is when you get more than 1 flat in a ride, which sucks no matter how you look at it.
Gel seat cover. Had one of those back in the day (after the neighbors dog chewed the heck out of my regular saddle!) I thought it was heaven. Granted, that was before I developed any weight weenie tendencies...
MTB hardtail. Not much fun for offroading, but for minor excursions and putting around town, it can be fun. Big tires at low pressure are a must.
Performance Gel shorts. Those of us who don't sweat a lot and don't put a lot of weight on our saddles can make them last a little longer. However, for really long rides, they can start to rub.
Cheap cycling jerseys. This could go in either category. I've had both good and bad luck.
Wireless computers - I love my flightdeck. No problems whatsoever.
Park tire levers - dude, tire levers are tire levers. Never had one break. Changed a lot of really tight tires.
Finish Line chain scrubber. Love that gadget. I once made the mistake of using acetone in it and Finish Line sent me a brand new one AND an extra set of brushes for free!


What I hate: 
ANY lightweight tubes. They all suck. Like an idiot, I keep trying them every couple of years. Usually don't even last one ride, and I almost never get flats with regular tubes.
Bike Bra - I just use plastic garbage/shopping bags. If I'm going on a long ride, it's worth a little effort to tape them on. If I'm not going on a long ride, I don't need to cover my bike.
Any tire whose sidewalls disintegrate before the treads wear down. 
Used bike shorts on eBay. Don't ask.

And for the worst purchase ever: Revue Helmet. Got it for Christmas. Haven't used it once. The mirror had a small bubble under one corner, which cut out the most important part of my view. Got it out again after a couple of months to show my brother, and the bubble had expanded to include half of the mirror!!! Grrr. Returns to France are too much of a hassle to bother with, but you won't catch me wearing this storm trooper helmet around. At least it came with a PowerGel in a flavor I've never seen in the USA...


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## divve (May 3, 2002)

Just wondering what you consider lightweight tubes? I've been using 62g Schwalbe and 72g Michelin inner tubes for a long time time now without any trouble. I'm hesitant to try out the Continental SuperSonic 50g tubes however.


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## funknuggets (Feb 4, 2004)

*I love this topic...*

By far, the number one stupidest product design is the sampson "death cleat" clipless pedal. They basically were between the size of the speedplay and the std spd mtn pedal. However, the latch was on the back, so the cleats clipped in the front on back and then over the back of the pedal and were shaped like an "L". Anytime you put your foot down, the back edge of the cleat would snap off. They tried to remedy it by putting metal reinforcements... didnt work. I actually saw a pair for sale online "without cleats" a while back... crazy.

The number two silliest invention was the Scott Drop In handlebars. Come on... you know who you are that had them. Where the handlebars were normal, but yet they curved around and continuted in towards the stem, parallel to the top of the handlebars. Supposedly to offer "5 different hand positions". Whatever. They were expensive and weighed a ton. I still chuckle when I see guys roll up with them, and laugh even more when I see them trying to effectively utilize the lower bars.

The number three in my mind is electronic shifting. I even knew a guy that was a world champion masters triathelete that got to test it out. I cant even remember who made it, but I heard a LOT of cursing on that training ride. Needless to say it was not on his bike the next day.

The number four, in my mind... is this helmet... I think it was made by bell, but it had one vent in the back, it was black, rounded, and had this drop down brown-tinted visor that made the rider look like some kind of Star Wars character. Im serious, like this curved, wrap around visor so he "didnt have to wear sunglasses". Secondly it was huge and you could hardly see his face. Too funny.


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## *rt* (Feb 3, 2004)

*i'd have to say the disk brakes i put on my mtb win the prize*



Cory said:


> To go with the post below about what cycling product you wondered how you managed without, what product has been a disappointment? You wanted it, you splurged, and then you didn't go any faster or get any smarter when you had it.
> I have a LOOONG list of them, but I think the all-time loser was the Hite Rite, an early mountain bike gimmick. It was a big spring that went between the saddle and the seat tube. The idea was that you could loosen the quick release and push the saddle down in technical spots, then loosen it again and let the spring push the saddle back to normal height for cruising. Weighed a lot, didn't work very well and it required reaching down to operate the seat QR just as you were heading into the boulders, then doing it again while everybody accelerated away.
> Warning: If anybody tops that, I can bring in BioPace chainrings....


the only good thing about them was i didn't pay full retail.

1. they were heavy
2. the levers were squishy
3. the hydrolic system seemed to allow air bubbles to seep in through inpermeable surfaces
AND
4. the caliper for the back break required that i realign it every time after removing and replacing the rear wheel (i.e., for tube changes, tire changes, to clean the wheel, etc). as such the rotor constantly rubbed and dragged against the brake pads (even after i'd returned the caliper for warranty and it was"fixed" and after i shimmed it to pull it away from the rotor.)

i finally ditched the disks after 6 months of use and went back to my xtr v-brakes last week after having to DNF a race after a flat because not only did my CO2 fail but even if it had worked i wouldn't have been able to get the caliper re-aligned after putting the rear wheel back on.

first runner up:
any company that makes a chamois with seams for women's shorts. what kind of dumb idea is that?!

rt


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## Bocephus Jones (Feb 3, 2004)

Matno said:


> Performance Gel shorts. Those of us who don't sweat a lot and don't put a lot of weight on our saddles can make them last a little longer. However, for really long rides, they can start to rub.


Boy do these things suck...The gel starts to disintegrate almost immediately and you constantly feel like you have taken a big dump in your shorts because the pad is so thick. Bought one pair a long time ago--returned it and since then never buy anything but the Elite/Ultra series from Performance.


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## 53x12 (Apr 9, 2004)

the scott drop in bars have found another use. I got on to mount on my tandem with a kid crank to allow my daugther to ride. I rotated it up and this allowed her to reach the bars...they work great!


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## Spoiler (Jul 6, 2002)

Bought a Tacx roller unit at a swap meet. The swap meet was located about 1/2 mile from my house. I didn't have a car, and the 1/2 mile included a large hill. I had to lug these things home in 90 degree heat. When I got home and tried to use them, I was bouncing all over the place. I discovered the axle of one roller was bent so the drum had a "hop" in it. Using these was like riding a bike on railroad ties. 

Assos gloves. They had an industrial-strength padded material on the palm, forefinger, and thumb. It was **** trying to ride a bike wearing boxing gloves. It as a shame because they had one fantastic feature; pull-loops on the middle two fingers. It made taking the gloves off very easy. Good thing cause the best thing about these gloves was taking them off.


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## Bike Fool (Feb 4, 2004)

My vote is for the Look ergonomic stem. Came with the bike, so I can't *****, but had to get the bolts tightened at the LBS (and the mechanic used a huge hex wrench with an extender on it) to prevent it from slipping every time I got out of the saddle. I think the things retailed for about $180 in 2000.


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## GeoCyclist (Oct 31, 2002)

*Excellent reply!!!*



PMC said:


> Skinz brand bicycle bra
> 
> asked what I was suppose to do if I was driving into a headwind, slow down? They didn't find any humor in that or the fact that I trashed a half dozen of their covers before giving up.


It will keep me laughing all day!!!!

Thanks


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## colker1 (Jan 2, 2003)

hutchinson excell tires... slow and disintegrated fast.
some michelin mtb fat heavy tire thta stayed in my bike for 3hrs. ever since i always buy light tires..
cheapo glasses. cheapo clothes are a waste of money..
mavic cpx 33(?)- wanted to save some on the wheels. yup.
a trek 8700 carbon aluminum mtb- it looked really good but... i was so happy when i sold it! 

now the good:
sidi shoes- bliss.
my steel ibis mojo- bliss
my steel pinarello- bliss
open pros
continental ultra 2000


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## Fredrico (Jun 15, 2002)

*The worst invention ever.*

I never actually bought or used this item, but have had to deal with it on several ocassions at the shop. It's a dense foam tube that fits in place of the inner tube, and supposedly rides like about 65 psi inflated tire, but neve goes flat! How about that.

Not only does it ride like a solid rubber tricycle wheel, but is near impossible to work onto the rim, even harder to work the tire over it, and just tonight I found out it's impossible to get off without cutting the tire off first.


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## Kaboom (Jul 18, 2003)

*Gore Bikewear Gloves...*

These fall into the "cheap clothing" category.
They were winter gloves, but made in such a way that it was colder to ride with them than without. They were made of some kind of polyester which made ur hands sweat, and when they were wet, they let the air through, so your hands froze. I'm still wondering how they did it.
On the plus side, clipless pedals (ANY system is better than toeclips), Ksyrium Elites and a damn expensive adidas top that fits like a glove.


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## Cervelo-er (Apr 10, 2004)

*"Freeride" Mountain Bike Rant*

I know this is a mostly Road thread, but the comments about hardtails are ridiculous. Mountain Bikes reached the height of perfection in 1991-1993. After that point any gains in weight, shifting, suspension, brakes, etc. came at the huge expense of reliability, useability, lack of interchangeability, availability of replacement parts, and huge amounts of cash. Bold statement? Let me elaborate...

Mountain Bike technology post lightweight steel rigid bikes with standard rings, thumb shifters, and canti brakes has trended towards becoming more complex and less reliable for more money while not upping the "fun" factor to make it worthwhile. 

Suspension adds weight and need for replacement constantly of shocks, oil, bearings, etc. while adding fun by what...making it less challenging to ride good trails? allowing you to jump off 6 foot walls with suspension that makes it feel you are jumping off a 1 foot wall on a rigid bike? adding 4-20 lbs. of extra bike to lug around? costing an extra $2000? 

Compact drive cranks...wear out more quickly, cause chainsuck, don't produce that many more useable gears...and led us down the road towards 9 spd drivetrains, which are great on the road with no mud, but not so good offroad. And how many of us are spinning at 90rpm off road and need that many gears to maintain a correct cadence over varied terrain? Little bit of cable stretch? Slightly bent der. hanger? Have a fun walk home.

Shifters...oi, an offshoot of the 9 spd problems. 7 spd. thumbies work great, never wear out, can be set to friction, are the lightest available, can be used from barends, and are so intuitive they are still standard issue on kids bikes. Why use 200 parts when 2-3 will work? Why twist your hand back and forth, wear out your gloves, chew up your thumbs, and require special der's?

And canti brakes, same issue. These work great, have few parts, and are lightweight. I think these were fazed out because mechanics were too stupid to set them up properly and/or bike manufacturers wanted to cut down on set-up out of the box time. Of course there were many bad canti incarnations, Control Tech, Machine Tech, Alivio, but those were all messing with a standard design. Disk brakes are ridiculous for anyone riding offroad who wants to be able to complete a ride. Bent rotors, worn pads, or anything worng with the overly complex system and your walking home.

Of course all of this happened as Mountain Bikes went from being another way to enjoy communing with nature, simply carrying you further than hiking could into the backcountry on a day to day basis, into being an "Extreme" sport for people too out of shape, clumsy, mechanically inept, or independent enough to ride something that could easily be fixed, required skill, and was more about where you rode then what or how fast.

I don't have any problem with downhillers, they need special bikes just like TT's or triathletes. What irks me is the way that heavy complicated bikes have become the only ones available.

It's all about marketing and money of course...gotta make a product fit for consumption and endless replacement.

I can say all of this and still love hi-tech road bikes. Why? Because road bikes are generally ridden in controlled environments. 10 spds work on a road bike because you generally don't have mud thrown in there. Likewise with complex shifting, lightweight frames, etc. The environment of use makes it feasible.

And I would be fine with all those hi-tech rides if...

I could still walk into my LBS and find a 22 lb. rigid steel bike, with 21 spds, thumbshifters, canti's, fender eyelets, and three water bottle mounts.

Till then I'll keep making my franken-bikes with jacked up price vintage parts from E-Bay.

Whew...that's a lot of ranting for Easter Sunday.


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## TREKY (Jan 1, 1970)

*Here's my gripe...*

...any saddle with a cutout.That center cutout causes MORE pressure in the groin than it relieves.I had two, a Specialized BG and the Serfas Rx.Both were pieces of poo poo .I ride a Flite now with no problems.If you set your saddle correctly you won't have a problem.Don't fall for those stupid cutouts!


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## colker1 (Jan 2, 2003)

Cervelo-er said:


> I know this is a mostly Road thread, but the comments about hardtails are ridiculous. Mountain Bikes reached the height of perfection in 1991-1993. After that point any gains in weight, shifting, suspension, brakes, etc. came at the huge expense of reliability, useability, lack of interchangeability, availability of replacement parts, and huge amounts of cash. Bold statement? Let me elaborate...
> 
> Mountain Bike technology post lightweight steel rigid bikes with standard rings, thumb shifters, and canti brakes has trended towards becoming more complex and less reliable for more money while not upping the "fun" factor to make it worthwhile.
> 
> ...


clap clap clap!!
that's it!! no wonder there is a singlespeed movemnet going on...
manufacturers and designers killed the beautifull mountain bike and exchange it for 10 different bikes that are expensive and outdated the minute they leave the shop... let's see.. you have the downhill buke, the freeride bike, the trail bike(now that's ridiculous) the xc bike, the race bike, the 4in fs, the 5in fs, the 6in fs. 
and you have to replace them every 2yrs cause the susp parts are replaced with more travel and stupi names like "linear path drive" or whatever.
so instead of keeping the rigid mtn bike with gears, riders now hate derrailleurs! riding a singlespeed is fun but making a jihad against derrailleurs just clouds teh issue! it's not shimano's fault but the designers, magazines and the "i have a better, faster bike than you attitude" that's so american. 
i remember looking for a rigid steel mtn bike to buy in 1995 and there was none. all of them had rs mag 21's. now, we have susp corrected frames that can't be ridden because susp travel changes every 2yrs. not only that but all frames must be designed with the same rake so we all can buy the same fork. not to mention susp forks raise the front end... so now we have top tube clearance paranoia. and top tubes drop. so we have rear brake clearance. then comes the vee brake. next is disc brake. a pair of brakes could cost me 30 bucks but disks? try 200...
i love top mount shifters.. there's none to buy. i love 8 sps. there's none. i love standard gearing.. nada. it's a stupid decadent industry this one.
my next bike will be something like an atlantis and i'll probably forget the others.


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## Cool Roadie nom de Plume (Apr 8, 2004)

*Syncros MTB rims*

Paid premo $ for new to market Syncros MTB rims for my Santa Cruz Heckler.

First one blew out a sidewall at 400km. Second one at 600km.

Plenty of people had similar problems (check MTBR.com) but Syncros admitted nothing, did not exchange and kept selling them with the message to the effect of rims are a wear item that do wear out. Except they are supposed to laste longer than the tires mounted on them.

I was happy the day Syncros went bust.

Peace


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## Dave_Stohler (Jan 22, 2004)

*Terry Fly saddle*

I bought one of these things about 4 years ago (before I got turned on to Brooks saddles). I know Georgina, and I like her intelligent method of design, but this thing has to be the biggest pile of hyped-up [email protected] that's ever hit the cycling community. On top of that, it's ****ing unconfortable as h3ll!

I got the thing, and my first reaction was "wow, this thing really bites in to my nether-regions"! Either side of the cutout, it was like sitting on the corner of a cabinet. Ouch! As if that wasn't bad enough, there were seams right there too, making an already painful product even more excuciating. Worst [email protected] saddle I've ever used. Thankfully, somebody clued me in on how good Brooks saddles are, and now I own 5 of them.

Let's face it, women love these things because they look.....ummm...._feminine_. Men buy them because they're afraid they'll become impotent. Really, now! There are 1 billion Chinese, half of them men, and most of them ride a bike every day to work, and I'll bet you not many have cut-out saddles. Do you see the birthrate going down over there??


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## Andy C (Jan 22, 2004)

My Dog Wally said:


> The one from Pedro's leaks like home made rowboat.


Just got that Pedro's chain cleaner and its a piece of crap. I used a Finish Line for years. Should've gone back to what works.

I think C'dale makes decent clothing, but I bought a pair of Cannondale long finger gloves three years ago that started falling apart after three rides. Junk.

And why do chain breakers always fall apart on me? They're like the most delicate tool ever.


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## Bocephus Jones (Feb 3, 2004)

TREKY said:


> ...any saddle with a cutout.That center cutout causes MORE pressure in the groin than it relieves.I had two, a Specialized BG and the Serfas Rx.Both were pieces of poo poo .I ride a Flite now with no problems.If you set your saddle correctly you won't have a problem.Don't fall for those stupid cutouts!


Ha! You're totally correct. Just gave my Terry cutout saddle to my brother-in-law who thought it was the best saddle he'd ever tried. Wait until he goes for a 50+ mile ride on that torture machine and he'll realize why I gave it away.


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## *rt* (Feb 3, 2004)

*speaking from the female perspective...*



Dave_Stohler said:


> Let's face it, women love these things because they look.....ummm...._feminine_. Men buy them because they're afraid they'll become impotent. Really, now! There are 1 billion Chinese, half of them men, and most of them ride a bike every day to work, and I'll bet you not many have cut-out saddles. Do you see the birthrate going down over there??


i can't imagine why women love the terry saddles. they're too wide and brutally uncomfortable for all the reasons you listed. the edges of the cut out feel like knives and then they put a seam on top of that so it will really slice in. no female needs to have her female parts hang down through a hole in a saddle.....well, i don't anyway.  

oh, and speaking of seams in saddles, at one point Serfas took a fabulously comfortable saddle (the women's DD Pro) and put raised seams at ALL of the pressure points! i made the mistake of buying one of these saddles sight unseen (i have 3 of the older, seamless version & i love them). i rode it for maybe 3 months before i called Serfas to complain. while talking to the customer service rep (Greg), i asked him who in the world thought those seams would be a good idea. he looked at one of the saddles & promptly agreed. kudos to him for exchanging the saddle for a newer unseamed version.  

rt


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## Spinfinity (Feb 3, 2004)

Suspension steam. Creaked constantly and felt scary under hard braking.

Polyurethane tubes - puncture resistant, but split and blew out for no reason other than being a more than a few months old. Curiously I found latex tubes were as good as any other light weight tube so long as I put a little air in them b4 mounting.

Clip on front fenders. 

Computers - work fine until they drown, but I'm a happier rider without one. 

Another vote for toe warmers.


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## joe friday (Jun 15, 2003)

*rt* said:


> no female needs to have her female parts hang down through a hole in a saddle.....
> rt


i think Suze Randall would disagree..


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## djg (Nov 27, 2001)

*Let's see*

A year or two I bought a "Bell" floor pump while on vacation (forgot to put mine in the car) and it was seriously bad. I just left it in the trash--didn't even feel good about bringing it back to give it to somebody.

Performance Spin Doctor work stand--like the poster above, I had all sorts of hassles with the clamp (and the pads on the clamp). Gotta love that performance return policy though--I suffered through more than a year of poor service out of that stand before taking it back to see what they could do. No hassles--full refund which I put towards a Park stand.

Bought a bunch of vredestein tubes once--must have been a bad batch because, although I like their tires just fine, every one of these tore at the valve.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

My beef is with any saddle that is not smooth. Cut outs feel like knife edges. Gel saddles have a seam between the gel and the leather that deletes all the advantages of the gel. Manufacturers put stitched logos and designs right on my sit bones.....

Give me a nice smooth leather saddle...... Perforated works too...


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## TypeOne (Dec 28, 2001)

*Cannondale clothing*



Andy C said:


> I think C'dale makes decent clothing, but I bought a pair of Cannondale long finger gloves three years ago that started falling apart after three rides. Junk.



I have had bad luck with Cannondale clothing, first a pair of shorts that disintegrated along the stitching, then a pair of knickers that are the scratchiest, most uncomfortable piece of cycling clothing I have ever put on. At least they didn't fall apart. I picked up a vest really cheap somewhere and I have been happy with that, though.


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## Dave_Stohler (Jan 22, 2004)

*Bell products*



djg said:


> A year or two I bought a "Bell" floor pump while on vacation (forgot to put mine in the car) and it was seriously bad. I just left it in the trash--didn't even feel good about bringing it back to give it to somebody.


Anything with the *Bell* brand _other than_ helmets is [email protected] And, by "[email protected], I mean cheap, junky, chinese-made wal-mart grade junk. These things are just made to be cheap-nobody designs them to even work right. 

*Brand Pimping* at it's worst....


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## Dave_Stohler (Jan 22, 2004)

*Bell products*



djg said:


> A year or two I bought a "Bell" floor pump while on vacation (forgot to put mine in the car) and it was seriously bad. I just left it in the trash--didn't even feel good about bringing it back to give it to somebody.


Anything with the *Bell* brand _other than_ helmets is [email protected] And, by "[email protected], I mean cheap, junky, chinese-made wal-mart grade junk. These things are just made to be cheap-nobody designs them to even work right. 

*Brand Pimping* at it's worst....


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## Dave_Stohler (Jan 22, 2004)

*Bell products*



djg said:


> A year or two I bought a "Bell" floor pump while on vacation (forgot to put mine in the car) and it was seriously bad. I just left it in the trash--didn't even feel good about bringing it back to give it to somebody.


Anything with the *Bell* brand _other than_ helmets is [email protected] And, by "[email protected], I mean cheap, junky, chinese-made wal-mart grade junk. These things are just made to be cheap-nobody designs them to even work right. 

*Brand Pimping* at it's worst....


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## biketillyapuke (Oct 9, 2003)

*Soft shell helmet and aero bikes*

Bust a move!!! Back in the 80s who would be a true racer without their Scott handlebars, Biopace, and a soft helmet. I had a Giro. Consumer Reports ranked them as "unacceptable" because they had no puncture protection and would damage easily,. Mine was sold to me by my LBS. Mind you the same place I had grown up buying bikes. I chose it because I wanted the right fit and would do whatever he said. He never did like me.
Can I add aero helmets on age group racers?
Perhaps the greatest waste of money are aero-bikes. I say that because you will see the pros (triatheletes) only have aero bars at many hilly and technical races. I was once at a race where all the pros has simple frames with aero bars. It was the age groupers that had the whole nine yards.
Go figure.


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## 10kman (Nov 20, 2002)

*Disc Brakes for the MTB.....*

I'll second the disc brakes for the mtb thing. Heavy, are way overkill for XC speeds, too much work, hard to set up, DOT 3-4 brake fluid is a disaster to be around, etc.

For the road bike, I'll go with the San Marco USPS saddle, with the darn USPS logo right where your choad sits on the seat. Come on, who wants to sit on stitching for hours on end? Even with decent shorts, I still get irritated.

Ritchey Comp Lite stem for the MTB too, cracked it and I'm 145-150 pounds. No more ritchey stuff for me.......


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## Armchair Spaceman (Jun 21, 2003)

Bike Fool said:


> My vote is for the Look ergonomic stem. Came with the bike, so I can't *****, but had to get the bolts tightened at the LBS (and the mechanic used a huge hex wrench with an extender on it) to prevent it from slipping every time I got out of the saddle. I think the things retailed for about $180 in 2000.


Ditto on the look ergo stem - I tried one a year or so ago and took it back to the LBS next day - no surprise at all to the LBS guy. That said, I went to the UCI track cycling worlds here in Melbourne a couple of weeks back - amazed at how many competitors had those look ergo stems installed. 
Next on my list is the MTB suspension stem from Giant - a cantilevered spring loaded handling nightmare.


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## sodade (Feb 21, 2004)

10kman said:


> I'll second the disc brakes for the mtb thing. Heavy, are way overkill for XC speeds, too much work, hard to set up, DOT 3-4 brake fluid is a disaster to be around, etc.
> 
> For the road bike, I'll go with the San Marco USPS saddle, with the darn USPS logo right where your choad sits on the seat. Come on, who wants to sit on stitching for hours on end? Even with decent shorts, I still get irritated.
> 
> Ritchey Comp Lite stem for the MTB too, cracked it and I'm 145-150 pounds. No more ritchey stuff for me.......


Disc brakes rule for MTB! My Maguras are lighter than v brakes and don't use that toxic brake fluid. It is not just about the stopping power - sure v brakes provide plenty o' stop in dry conditions, but when it gets sloppy, I'll take discs anyday...


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## CFBlue (Jun 28, 1999)

*lots*

*Spinskins
*Continental Supersonics
*Brooks saddle (except for retro look)
*Mavic cassettes
*those itty bitty pumps
*glueless patches
*NiteRider Digital LCD Pro lights (horrible products, and BIG waste of $)
*Campy chain tool (the last one, like vice-grips)
*White ENO eccentric fixed hub (hate it)
*Third Hand brake cable puller
*Cytomax (makes me want to puke)

I'm sure there are lots more; that's all I can think of right now.


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## Nat (Feb 22, 2004)

Cory said:


> To go with the post below about what cycling product you wondered how you managed without, what product has been a disappointment? You wanted it, you splurged, and then you didn't go any faster or get any smarter when you had it.
> I have a LOOONG list of them, but I think the all-time loser was the Hite Rite, an early mountain bike gimmick. It was a big spring that went between the saddle and the seat tube. The idea was that you could loosen the quick release and push the saddle down in technical spots, then loosen it again and let the spring push the saddle back to normal height for cruising. Weighed a lot, didn't work very well and it required reaching down to operate the seat QR just as you were heading into the boulders, then doing it again while everybody accelerated away.
> Warning: If anybody tops that, I can bring in BioPace chainrings....


Ritchey CPR mini-tools. They were too damn small to actually use, especially the crank bolt wrench. You may as well have just pinched the bolt in between your fingers to turn it.


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## haiku d'etat (Apr 28, 2001)

*Campy (nm)*

let the flames begin


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## mikewest (Jun 1, 2004)

*Trashing the trails with new equipment...*

'When it gets sloppy', I stay off the trail. Where I live (near Baltimore), folks seem to view 'free-ride' as a license to roto-till the trails. If conditions (excluding snow/ice) are such that v-brakes can't do their job, they're likely bad enough to promote excessive erosion. Not an accusation...just a thought...


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## bayou06 (Oct 12, 2003)

*I had a Pair of those things !!! UGH !*

Got them second hand on my first road bike. Rode them for years, *****ing and cursing everytime I clipped in and out. Pulled a couple Artes when I first got them. Cleats were IMPOSSIBLE to walk in. Only broke one though. Thought all pedals were similar... Finally broke down and bought some Speed Plays...am in heaven!




funknuggets said:


> By far, the number one stupidest product design is the sampson "death cleat" clipless pedal. They basically were between the size of the speedplay and the std spd mtn pedal. However, the latch was on the back, so the cleats clipped in the front on back and then over the back of the pedal and were shaped like an "L". Anytime you put your foot down, the back edge of the cleat would snap off. They tried to remedy it by putting metal reinforcements... didnt work. I actually saw a pair for sale online "without cleats" a while back... crazy.
> 
> The number two silliest invention was the Scott Drop In handlebars. Come on... you know who you are that had them. Where the handlebars were normal, but yet they curved around and continuted in towards the stem, parallel to the top of the handlebars. Supposedly to offer "5 different hand positions". Whatever. They were expensive and weighed a ton. I still chuckle when I see guys roll up with them, and laugh even more when I see them trying to effectively utilize the lower bars.
> 
> ...


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## RUSA2392 (Feb 5, 2004)

*Ditto the Park Chain Cleaner...*



My Dog Wally said:


> I must have bought at least half a dozen of those plastic chain-cleaning machines from various manufacturers. The one from Pedro's leaks like home made rowboat. The one from Park doesn't seem to want to let the chain pass through when I rotate the cranks. And the others just exploded.
> 
> Again, I've got to put in a vote from USE. I bought one of their suspension seat posts for my Klein road bike and found the clamp maddening to work with. After I finally got the thing all set up and rode it for a couple of weeks, I wante to readjust the seat, but decided I'd rather ride a misaligned seat than tangle with the USE seatpost clamp. Worst piece of drek on the planet.
> 
> My third nomination goes to the old Bell V1-Pro helmet. While the rest of humanity was enjoying the new lightweight Giro helmets, I found the Bell on sale and discovered it was about as heavy as the helmet I wore in Marine Corps boot camp and had a buckle you had to insert into a tiny slit that you could never find when you were wearing the helmet.


It derailed the chain or got sucked into the ring and made a bigger mess than I thought possible. I'm sticking with the little gold link.


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## MShaw (Jun 7, 2003)

Henry Chinaski said:


> In twenty years of riding there are only three I can think of (though of course there is a ton of junk out there I never bought).
> 
> 1. Latex tubes.
> 2. Syncros seatpost (one of the only posts availible at the time in 28.6 for my Ibis mtb--it's not a good sign when a 140 pound rider can break a seatpost).
> ...


In all my years of riding Syncros posts, I've never done anything worse to them than strip out one of the brass inserts in the head. I'm guessing that you got a "bad" one.

My personal list of worst:
Onza HO pedals
Vittoria CXs in 20c (under my fat arse I kept flatting, and flatting, and...)
Farmer John tires. (never could hold an edge)
Concor Light saddles.
Biopace rings.
Neoprene gloves. (you sweat, your hands get wet, then COOOLLLLDDDD!)
175mm crankarms on ALL mtn bikes regardless of size!

I'm having an "old-timers moment" I'll get back to y'all with more.

M


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## JohnL (Feb 4, 2004)

Henry Chinaski said:


> 3. Santini shorts from bikejerseys.com. By far the worst shorts I have ever worn and the only piece of cycling clothing to make me turn around early on a ride. Yow. The chamois is made out of sandpaper or something. And bikejerseys.com refused to take them back, even for credit--so much for standing behind the products you sell.


Funny, I like the Santini shorts. Just bought 2 new pair with the "TOP" level pad. Same shorts as bikejersey.com but cheaper at bicyclinghub.com. Admittedly, they need a wash before using them or they can be a little rough.

Too each his own, I guess.


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## cdmc (Feb 3, 2004)

fasteddie said:


> Boy, don't I feel like a complete rube! I just bought 2 of those suckers on eBay. I looked at the face plate bolts (apparently the source of the problem) and one had a different type and longer bolts than the other. Makes me wonder if it the longer (and looked like steel) bolts wasn't the fix for this problem? I emailed a service guy at 3T so we'll see how customer and safety oriented this company is.


The longer bolts don't fix the problem. Ask the guy who I gave a ride home to last year who had just had his stem break with the longer bolts. He was happy to be alive, it happened to him pulling away from a stop, rather than 5 minutes earlier when he was going 30+ mph down a hill.


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## filtersweep (Feb 4, 2004)

Latex tubes- ultra-fragile! Bleed air... (do they really make condoms from latex?!)

Look ErgoPost (one bolt design- automatically unloosens itself and the seat starts to migrate ~OR~ if you really tighten it, the seat starts pointing skyward)... patented by Rube Goldberg

Look adjustable dropouts- come on? Does ANYONE actually adjust them- if you touch them they will never stay in place again!

Older bike that had painted dropouts in the rear and on the fork... what were they thinking?

Glueless patches.

SPD-R pedals/cleats- no wonder they don't make them anymore. These were Shimano's top of the line? Setting them up was like building a ship in a bottle- and there was nothing standard about their bolt pattern.

Problem Solvers valve extenders- the one with the fragile rubber O-ring and the "knob" that ostenibly opens and closes the Presta valve... they even cost a small fortune. I'll take a low tech standard one-hitter and plumbing tape any day.

For the love of god, why do long-stemmed tubes cost twice what standard tubes cost anyway?


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## Guest (Jun 7, 2004)

Dave_Stohler said:


> Anything with the *Bell* brand _other than_ helmets is [email protected] And, by "[email protected], I mean cheap, junky, chinese-made wal-mart grade junk. These things are just made to be cheap-nobody designs them to even work right.
> 
> *Brand Pimping* at it's worst....


geez - you posted that three times - you must really hate Bell products!!


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## weather (Feb 6, 2004)

reflectors--what else?

edit--i don't think anyone buys those, but they come with all new bikes.


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## czardonic (Jan 11, 2002)

*Discs are a huge improvement, regardless of conditions.*

I second the defense of discs in the name of Magura! I ride almost exclusively in dry, dusty conditions. Whereas with Vs I had to wonder if I would slow down or get a handful of dust when I grabbed the lever, the discs are always solid. You can go much faster when you know that you will be able to stop when you need to. Even cheapy Deore mechanicals are far superior to (more expensive) Vs, in my experience.

Also, if anything I find them easier to deal with when removing/installing wheels. No cables to release, no time wasted trying to wedge large volume tires in and out without screwing up the pad alignment.


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## Fredrico (Jun 15, 2002)

*That helmet....*



funknuggets said:


> The number four, in my mind... is this helmet... I think it was made by bell, but it had one vent in the back, it was black, rounded, and had this drop down brown-tinted visor that made the rider look like some kind of Star Wars character. Im serious, like this curved, wrap around visor so he "didnt have to wear sunglasses". Secondly it was huge and you could hardly see his face. Too funny.


I remember that helmet. An Asian guy wore it down at the park south of the Jefferson Memorial, where the cherry blossoms were. There was a nice flat 3 mile loop on this piece of land dredged out of the Potomac River. We called this the guy "The Ninja cyclist" because he was all black, helmet, jersey, tights, shoes, and a black Cannondale road bike with black components highlighted in gold. The vents on the helmet gave him a shark-like look. He rode like Bruce Lee, and nobody ever found out who he was.


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## sidi45 (Feb 24, 2004)

Toe warmers are definitely a waste. Just get full booties for winter riding.

Cannondale shorts that wore out after 1 year- now I only wear them under tights in the winter.

Canari makes some decent looking jerseys for a low price- my long sleeves are great, but my short sleeves have the same drooping problem in the back mentioned above.

Bellwether shorts are horrible.


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## gregski (Mar 13, 2003)

bill61 said:


> and at only 50 or 60 bucks each. what a bargain!


I have never really heard any flames regarding these carbon water bottle cages, but the first time I saw one I thought it was a joke. $60.00 for a friggin' bottle cage!! I think that's more expensive per gram than most drugs! Those guys over a WeightWeenies must love that crap. What a waste of money. I could save that much weight just by hitting the head before riding.


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

rwbadley said:


> I once accidentally bought a pair of female bike shorts. I wondered why they fit funny.
> 
> Does that count?


Only if you still wear them.

My worst purchase? $2.59/gallon at the Chevron up the street when I'd rather be riding.


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## brad nicholson (Feb 11, 2004)

*my wife's bike shoes helmet, etc.....*

my wife's gear is all for naught!


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## xocsida (May 29, 2004)

Cervelo-er said:


> I know this is a mostly Road thread, but the comments about hardtails are ridiculous. Mountain Bikes reached the height of perfection in 1991-1993. After that point any gains in weight, shifting, suspension, brakes, etc. came at the huge expense of reliability, useability, lack of interchangeability, availability of replacement parts, and huge amounts of cash. Bold statement? Let me elaborate...
> 
> Mountain Bike technology post lightweight steel rigid bikes with standard rings, thumb shifters, and canti brakes has trended towards becoming more complex and less reliable for more money while not upping the "fun" factor to make it worthwhile.
> 
> ...


The only reason to buy or ride any non fully suspended MTB these days is if you are a racer and need the weight-savings. New suspension bikes are just too good. I've ridden MTB since the early days of the sport, had a fully rigid hardtail that beat me to death. I've had a number of bikes since then, and my current MTB is a Trek Fuel. I wouldn't trade it for the world. It is easily the most comfortable, highest performing mountain bike I've ridden. I'd also say that although the bike is much more complicated tech-wise than an old school thumbshifter bike (lol retro-grouch alert) , it's much easier for me to work on because I'm a much better wrench now then I was back then. I don't have any problems keeping my 9spd-v-braked-suspended bike working just fine, regardless of conditions.


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## MoBiker (Jun 13, 2004)

*Misogynist?*

_#1: Park tire levers. Although just $4,...they break like an *old woman's hips.*

#5: ...Rubber washers bored themselves out like an *ugly prom queen* with a cucumber fetish._

This rider is clearly very concerned with his appearance, and has some women issues... Hmmmm


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## weiwentg (Feb 3, 2004)

*my entire MTB...*



*rt* said:


> the only good thing about them was i didn't pay full retail.
> 
> 1. they were heavy
> 2. the levers were squishy
> ...


buying my entire MTB was a waste. a) I suck at technical trails. b) _brand new_ Mars Super, and the air spring's seals die. luckily, Manitou does it for free. but still... c) too much damn maintenance; front suspension, rear suspension (which I didn't get), cables, cables and more cables, drivetrain dies faster... lucky I got mechanical discs instead of hydraulic.
I've got an ad for a 14" Giant SE1 (disc only) in MTBR's classifieds. if anyone is interested, please find her a good home and save her from ebay.


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## Acenturian (Feb 18, 2004)

Cheap Kenda tires on my mountain bike. The side walls desegregated which caused a very long walk home. Never will I buy cheap garbage tires again.


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## Ricky2 (Apr 7, 2004)

*Top 3*

1- Zipp Wheels (actually crap bearings in the hub)
2 - latex tubes
3 - Park Glueless Patches - doesn't work well at all for high pressure road tires


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## Kaboom (Jul 18, 2003)

yeah lets see how long it takes for them campyphiles to start yelling us shimanoers deaf with their unfounded claims about their suposedly superior system...


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## Kaboom (Jul 18, 2003)

actually i think one of the latest pinarellos has painted dropouts... check the post about the guy who got his bike trashed while shipping it.


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## mickey-mac (Sep 2, 2000)

*We're OK*



Kaboom said:


> yeah lets see how long it takes for them campyphiles to start yelling us shimanoers deaf with their unfounded claims about their suposedly superior system...


You, on the other hand, are backing a guy who actually thinks PBR is good beer.

P.S. What does "inmortal" mean? ;-)


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## GirchyGirchy (Feb 12, 2004)

lonefrontranger said:


> Anyone remember titanium spokes? They looked pretty ("ti-dyed"), cost a ton, rode like crap and broke like angel hair pasta.


I know a guy with those on his mt. bike. He spent $3500 on it...it has the Giant XTC frame with a carbon rear triangle, LX drivetrain, Fox TALAS fork, carbon post & bars, Hayes discs, and XTR hubs w/ the aforementioned spokes. Doesn't seem worth the money, if you ask me.

My worst purchase would be the carbon seatpost on my mt. bike, an Easton CT-2. It works okay, but slips some, and there's something about having carbon under my @ss that frightens me. At least it was cheap.


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## Greyhound (Nov 8, 2001)

bill61 said:


> and at only 50 or 60 bucks each. what a bargain!


 Wow, I paid ten bucks for the pair of mine 
My worst purchase for mtb would have to be a couple of mountain bikes ago, when I had a purple trek y bike (good to begin with, right?) and got a lime green Manitou Shawn Palmer limited edition fork. What a joke.
My worst purchase for road would have to be the leg oil crap, you know, the warm up oil, the protect oil, and the toning oil. Best way to get every bit of debree from the road to stick to your leg, with wierd red rash-like bumps to boot. Impossible to wash off, not effective, whats not to like? Oh yeah, and it STUNK!


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## GirchyGirchy (Feb 12, 2004)

I would have to agree with the pro-disk brake posters. I put an Avid mechanical disk on my mt. bike about two years ago, and feel that it was some of the best money I've spent on that bike. I never have to worry about having the rims clean when I need to stop NOW, especially in muddy and icy conditions.

Cantilevers are better? Puh-leeze. I have side pulls, cantis, v-brakes, and disks on various bikes, and the cantis are BY FAR the hardest to set up. They're good Dia-Compes from 1984, too. I'm not denying they work great, because I have them set up well...but it was a pain to get them that way.

I will agree that cantis - and v-brakes, too - are easier to maintain. I haven't adjusted my pads on either of those braking systems since I put my pads on...two years on the cantis, and one on the v's. On the disk, although I don't have to worry about fluid, it seems like I have to adjust the pads too often. Oh well, small price to pay for excellent stopping ability in all conditions.

And for those who say hardtails are for racers only...they're also for college students on a limited budget. Both of my bikes are hardtails (one's fully rigid, too), and I never find myself needing suspension.


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## weiwentg (Feb 3, 2004)

*Campy wears in. ShimaNO wears out.*



Kaboom said:


> yeah lets see how long it takes for them campyphiles to start yelling us shimanoers deaf with their unfounded claims about their suposedly superior system...




you will note, though, that there are a pair of Dura Ace cranks on my otherwise Campy bike.


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## 97 Teran (Feb 17, 2004)

Spoiler said:


> Assos gloves. They had an industrial-strength padded material on the palm, forefinger, and thumb. It was **** trying to ride a bike wearing boxing gloves. It as a shame because they had one fantastic feature; pull-loops on the middle two fingers. It made taking the gloves off very easy. Good thing cause the best thing about these gloves was taking them off.


I just got a new pair (in exchange for my first pair which were pretty obviously seconds, the pull loops were too short to be useful and one finger seam started to separate after literally 2 hours of use) and they're pretty impressive. They do take a lot of getting used to, in fact not having a velcro closure at the wrist is still a bit weird for me. I think the 'industrial' material is now limited to just one side of the palm, but overall the padding seems to be just about right. For anyone considering buying these, the pull loops are somewhat useful but don't buy the gloves just for that reason- the effect is not revolutionary.


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## MikeG (Jan 28, 2004)

Spoiler said:


> When I first read this, I actually thought the bicycle bra was a piece of clothing, a sports bra. As I kept reading, "At highway speeds they basically came apart..I was misusing their product, what was I was supposed to do if I was driivng into a headwind..."
> 
> For a few precious seconds, I was in love, and I must admit, FULLY aroused.


  LOL  

I knew exactly what the first poster was talking about ... but your reply gave me the greatest laugh tonight.


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## phil. (Aug 3, 2004)

I've got the cheapest hydraulic (non-DOT) shimano available that were stock on my mtn bike. I've never had them squeal or be misaligned or drag. 

Worst buy: Fox base shorts. They aren't horrible, but I really never want to wear them after I got a pair from Voler.





czardonic said:


> I second the defense of discs in the name of Magura! I ride almost exclusively in dry, dusty conditions. Whereas with Vs I had to wonder if I would slow down or get a handful of dust when I grabbed the lever, the discs are always solid. You can go much faster when you know that you will be able to stop when you need to. Even cheapy Deore mechanicals are far superior to (more expensive) Vs, in my experience.
> 
> Also, if anything I find them easier to deal with when removing/installing wheels. No cables to release, no time wasted trying to wedge large volume tires in and out without screwing up the pad alignment.


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## elviento (Mar 24, 2002)

*Biopace*

Granted, it probably didn't make anybody faster, but I can't seem to see a huge waste of money here. Did they cost extra compared to round cranks? Did they actually slow you down? Any evidence?



Frith said:


> On that note how about ti cassettes. I've never owned one but I've heard nothing but bad things about them.


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## elviento (Mar 24, 2002)

*mmm... you mean Dura Ace and Record cassettes?*

Not so sure about that. I think Titanium Chain might be a more fitting candidate.



Frith said:


> On that note how about ti cassettes. I've never owned one but I've heard nothing but bad things about them.


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## Crane (Oct 18, 2004)

*My most useless buy!*

The most useless buy this season was my Selle San Marco ASPide Composite! Just for the looks but way to expensive.


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## rendus (Jul 1, 2004)

I agree with the previous complaints against the Performance Gel Shorts.
After the first wash the gel insert stuck to itself making a biscuit shaped ball of gel in the crouch. 

I read so much about how great Brooks saddles were, I bought a Brooks Team Pro. While a great looking saddle it must have been made for those with a more upright riding position. Within a month it rubbed the inside of my thighs raw. I gave up on and bought a plain Flite.


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## aliensporebomb (Jul 2, 2002)

*Heh*

Crappy "Vigor" brand bike shorts. The seam in the rear kept splitting. My wife
sewed them up and they split again. I can use them under tights but they just
aren't trustworthy enough to use sans tights.

I also got a crappy LED taillight that was a "Cateye Clone". Where a real Cateye
would be bright and work for a long time, this thing was dimmer than dim (4 AAA
batteries produced a light level suitable for romantic moods instead of cycling)
and the mounting hardware just didn't work. It was really, really cheap so I thought
it might augment my already existing Cateye taillights. Oh well.

Before I got real tights:
I also had these things that were supposed to let you ride with wind pants or
some sort of workout pants and they were reflective straps that tightened 
around the bottom of pants legs to keep them from getting into the chain. 
The velcro was so powerful that I accidentally ripped the fabric on the first 
use and they were ruined then. Idiotic that the velcro was more strong than
the sewed portion.

The first chain on my Specialized Epic dual boinger broke after about 165 miles.
I've never, ever, ever, broken a chain before. Amazing. I know stuff like that
is commodity parts but the replacement is still going strong a 850-something miles.


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## Andy M-S (Feb 3, 2004)

*The worst?*

I had a mirror that fit on the top tube (cheap, from Performance). Totally useless. Plastic "on the bike" chain cleaners? Forget it. Most "rain jackets"? Saunas.

Integrated brake/shifters? OK, I guess, not the worst, but unless you race, really no point to 'em.

*The best?*

Brooks saddles. I have a Swift on my nice bike and just put a Champion Flyer on my bad-weather ride. Wonderful!

Clipless pedals...I'm fond of SPD, but take your pick. Wonderful.

Carradice saddlebags...I can carry stuff off my back without a rack!

Fenders, especially stainless steel fenders.


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## Mg1 (Aug 18, 2003)

*More of the same + semi-slicks*

Neoprene gloves
semi-slick mtb tires
co2
Pedros chain cleaner
Any of the "special purpose" bike cleaners - none as good as Simple Green
Anything with Gel


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## 633 (Feb 10, 2004)

Cory said:


> To go with the post below about what cycling product you wondered how you managed without, what product has been a disappointment? You wanted it, you splurged, and then you didn't go any faster or get any smarter when you had it.
> I have a LOOONG list of them, but I think the all-time loser was the Hite Rite, an early mountain bike gimmick. It was a big spring that went between the saddle and the seat tube. The idea was that you could loosen the quick release and push the saddle down in technical spots, then loosen it again and let the spring push the saddle back to normal height for cruising. Weighed a lot, didn't work very well and it required reaching down to operate the seat QR just as you were heading into the boulders, then doing it again while everybody accelerated away.
> Warning: If anybody tops that, I can bring in BioPace chainrings....


ZOIC baggy shorts. Uncomfortable pad, the integrated belt (like a drawstring) disappears into the waistband, they tend to slip down, and the velcro pockets aren't as secure as zippers. Other than that, they're great.


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## joe mudd (Aug 27, 2002)

*i agree...suspension or not..it's a matter of preference..*

I have 3 road bikes, and just sold my santa cruz superlight(full suspension mtb)... but I still cannot give up my '82 ritchey mtb(rigid fork.) Long bombin wheelbase, and twitchy enough to tackle serious technicals. always makes for good conversation as i fly by $3 (+/-) rigs.btw... the only items left stock are the frame/fork and canti brakes.


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## jdbethge (Jul 1, 2003)

I would say the carbon mini pump for the my bike. WORTHLESS.


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## ValveFloat (Aug 14, 2004)

DrRoebuck said:


> Only if you still wear them.
> 
> My worst purchase? $2.59/gallon at the Chevron up the street when I'd rather be riding.



Holy crap. AAAAAAA-men. Every time I fill up I think about riding. Stupid gas.


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## ARP (Mar 7, 2002)

*As I look to my right...*

There is a box of worthless cycling crap that I will first try to yardsale and when that fails it goes to the curb. In that box:

1) A pair of aerobars that have huge elbow pads. I think they are supposed to be a knockoff of some type, the pads are huge like something you would find in a chiropractors office. They don't stay in place and rotate around. The bar itself does not stay in place on the bar either and it has a riser kit on it. Kinda takes the aero out of the equasion. Bought these because my hands were going numb.

2) Old Nike cycling shoes. Absolute most uncomfortable shoes I have ever worn.

3) A tire pressure gauge. This little gem was used because my pump did not have a gauge. Granted when it worked (early on) it was very accurate, but then the rubber wore out quickly and you let more air out than in just trying to use it. And it was expensive too for what it was.

4) Any saddle or short that has gel or cutouts associated with it.


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## bkeith (May 30, 2006)

*White Trash Solution = Saran Wrap*

I had the same problem with bike bras...now I use Saran Wrap (around the handlebars and front fork...OCD's can do the entire bike). Hey, I'm white trash; I don't care how it looks. IT WORKS WELL AND IT'S CHEAP!

Note: Don't confuse saran wrap w/reynolds wrap...or do confuse them, you'd probably get great radio reception!

For the bourgeoise riders, I recommend www.pygmypack.com, click on the "products" link, then scroll down to the "pygmy cover".


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

Latex tubes
CO2 inflators
Pearl Izumi clothing
any Cateye computer. I've owned 4 of them, different models, and have yet to have one last past 2000 miles.


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## Kuma601 (Jan 22, 2004)

This is an old thread. 

My worst...being talked into a MTB bike by my MTB riding buddies. They were relentless about a group of us doing an off-road ride. So I bought a Fisher HKII wanting to give it a shot but from day one, hated it. The guys never did do that ride and the bike has been hanging since the week after I bought it. Has less than 30 miles on it. It was my fault for being a sucker. ut:


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## KWillets (Feb 28, 2006)

Used STI Levers :mad2:


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## Stogaguy (Feb 11, 2006)

*Flame*




bikewriter said:


> #5: I'm going put on my flamesuit and say Silca pumps. Nothing but trouble. Very inaccurate gauge. Rubber washers bored themselves out like an ugly prom queen with a cucumber fetish.


Consider yourself duly flamed. The misogyny not withstanding, I assume that you are talking about Silca floor pumps. This is a classic piece of equipment and virtually indestructible. I have one that has worked flawlessly since the mid 80’s. Absolutely bulletproof, and the gauge has always read true.


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

Any bike specific polish, e.g. Pedros, Finish Line & so forth.

Save your $$ & use Pledge, or any car wax.


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## jmoryl (Sep 5, 2004)

Latex tubes
Carbon Fiber cranks and seatposts
Non-steel chains and casettes
Saddles with stiching/emblems in stupid places


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## pixelgrunt (Apr 23, 2006)

Wow. Great thread. Perfect illustration of how you can find two people that will have completely opposite reactions to the same products. You know what they say about opinions and, ummm, sphincters- everyone has one and they all stink.

I read cervelo-er's post and agreed with almost everything. I worked in a LBS in the mid 90's so I think his MTB assessment was off by just a few years, but otherwise spot-on. I guess I _AM_ a retro-grouch that way. Fortunately, many of my bike friends are too! I'm a thumbshifter guy. I have used them as friction shifters for an 8 speed drivetrain for quite a while now. I also like canti's, but I prefer a nice set of V-brakes. I'm also a RS JUDY rider still. No maintenance in about 10 years and still rides acceptably. I have ridden with other friends with more recent rigs and waited patiently for them to adjust their disc brakes or suspension setups. I know that I can ride deep into the forest and not worry too much about breaking something that can't be fixed- friends with newer bikes usualy can't.

And I can also reconcile my techno-lust for road bikes the same way.

On to wasting $$$ and my sphincter, I mean, stinky opinions. I hated the Onza pedals, but not until I had a nice pair of SPD's on my MTB. I know, I know, a lot of MTB references here. I have been a MTB kinda guy until this year when I just got into a nice road bike. I'm still using SPD's on my road bike, but I will go LOOK or SPD-SL soon. I also haven't found an acceptable rain jacket- they are all comparable to plastic bags when riding. And bio-pace chainrings, I never owned a pair, though my brother did and I rode plenty at the LBS job.


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## collectorvelo (Oct 30, 2003)

*Anything at MSRP*

any time you buy at or close to list price; you are wasting money
there is plenty of room to get cycling products at way below list
and there are so many options today on where and how to buy that all riders can benefit


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## Timmons (Jul 6, 2005)

*Rido Saddle*

Total trash. The good news is that is was only a waste fo $32.

the actually spent money for patents on this trash.

I will grant them that I didn't go numb, but after 12 miles it cuts into your hamstrings and you cannot pedal. The rubber surface to the saddle didn't help either.

http://www.rido-cyclesaddles.com/content.php?categoryId=119


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## MShaw (Jun 7, 2003)

Stogaguy said:


> Consider yourself duly flamed. The misogyny not withstanding, I assume that you are talking about Silca floor pumps. This is a classic piece of equipment and virtually indestructible. I have one that has worked flawlessly since the mid 80’s. Absolutely bulletproof, and the gauge has always read true.


My Silca's been bulletproof since I bought it. I've regreased the leather plunger a few times, and have changed out the rubber grommet twice-ish. Use it frequently... Only floor pump I've ever had!

Regardless of whether the guage reads true or not, you've got air in your tires. Right? Who gives a rat's behind if its 111# or 108#? (or even 105# its all hard enough to get you down the road!)

I know I answered this question somewhere up above, but Avocet O2Air40 saddles and Concor lite saddles were a waste of $$ for me. Neither fit.

M


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## MShaw (Jun 7, 2003)

pixelgrunt said:


> Wow. Great thread. Perfect illustration of how you can find two people that will have completely opposite reactions to the same products. You know what they say about opinions and, ummm, sphincters- everyone has one and they all stink.
> 
> I read cervelo-er's post and agreed with almost everything. I worked in a LBS in the mid 90's so I think his MTB assessment was off by just a few years, but otherwise spot-on. I guess I _AM_ a retro-grouch that way. Fortunately, many of my bike friends are too! I'm a thumbshifter guy. I have used them as friction shifters for an 8 speed drivetrain for quite a while now. I also like canti's, but I prefer a nice set of V-brakes. I'm also a RS JUDY rider still. No maintenance in about 10 years and still rides acceptably. I have ridden with other friends with more recent rigs and waited patiently for them to adjust their disc brakes or suspension setups. I know that I can ride deep into the forest and not worry too much about breaking something that can't be fixed- friends with newer bikes usualy can't.
> 
> ...


I was hoping the OnZas were gonna be the shiznit. No moving parts, light, etc. Then I rode them on a day that was spitting snow. Mud everywhere.

I can't tell you how many times I fell 'cause I couldn't get out of those darn things! Seems no one bothered to tell me that the bumpers got rock hard when it was cold out! (course, I had one of the first pairs in Ffx, VA so...)

I still have thumb shifters on my mtb. Use Paul's Thumbies to run D/A 9s barcons on my Dean HT. 

Still haven't ridden a FS bike that I liked. Last one was a Schwinn Rocket 88 I borrowed. Pogo-d horribly! 

I DO like discs tho. As long as its muddy/wet/nasty they work fantastic! Dry? There's lighter options.

M


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## crossracer (Jun 21, 2004)

By far the worst had to be the Mavic Electronic shifting system. This boondogle never worked for anyone and cost an arm and a leg. 

Let us not forget Tri SPokes and the other kind (spinergy) with 4 blades per side. Rode harsh and dead, and couldn't be trued. In fact many of the trispokes came slighlty out of true. 

And let us not forget the Joy of tublar tires. They road nice compared to the competing clinchers of the time, but the hastle and mess was out of this world. 
And in that vein the worst product ever had to be the "tape" adheisive for clinchers. Kinda like a double sided sticky tape. That lasted 5 minutes. 

ANd i remember reading one time in a USCF newsletter about thermoplastic ballbearings that would make youso much faster. 

Bill


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## SuperB (Jul 1, 2004)

*Thomson Elite post...*

for my mountain bike. No noticeable difference from the stock post. Not that I expected any. I guess I got caught up in the bling factor on that one.


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## Ken (Feb 7, 2004)

I'd say my Topeak digital pressure gauge because my Topeak floor pump has a pressure gauge built in.


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## innergel (Jun 14, 2002)

Fizik Pave' saddle - ass hatchet extrodinaire

Cinelli gel bar tape - comfortable but th color bleached out in about 1 month

SRAM chain - rattled like a mo-fo when I was riding on my bottom 4 cogs

Cheap rollers - vibration at speed and LOUD

Cannondale shorts - I got these for Christmas and they are awful. They are cut way too high in the front and the chamois is not great. 

Any cheap shorts or jerseys - bad fabric & cut = bad ride every time


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## dumpy (Apr 30, 2006)

*been there*



rwbadley said:


> I once accidentally bought a pair of female bike shorts. I wondered why they fit funny.
> 
> Does that count?


ha ha been there... I was going to school in the middle of nowhere vermont... had a loved one pass... my friends took me on a shopping trip to get my mind off of sh*t in a town filled with outlet stores(north conway NH)... found a nice pair of shorts in a funky color in my size for a really cheap price... being in kind of a funk, i didn't really think about it... just bought the shorts without looking.... when we got back, being a slob, i left them out at my house... everyone thought they belonged to my roomies gf, i couldn't understand this being that i was the only semi serious cyclist in the house, i assumed they would ahve thought they were mine... i didn't realize why until after graduation when I was home and getting ready to ride and realized that the frank and beans didn't quite fit right... i have since given them to my gf


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## dumpy (Apr 30, 2006)

*Reebok pump helmet*

Not really a "bad" product, actually it fit quite well, but talk about overkill. (This was in my MTB only days, I've only been a roadie for about 2 months, so many of you may not remember this, not sure if there was a shaved... i mean roadie version....) About 10-12 years ago Bell made a helmet that had an actuall Reebok pump, logo and all in it... It also advertised a piece of Titanium (as a small joiner piece where straps crossed). I still have that helmet... it cost me like $130.... a pretty good chunk in 1992.. it was the culmination of the overblown trends from both the bike (Ti) and secular world (reebok pump) coming together... I still have that helmet cause the absurdity of it makes me laugh.. then again it protected me well and kept cool, but no more than my $40 Giro does today....


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## slowdave (Nov 29, 2005)

I also had a set of sampson pedals apart from the snapping cleats they were a real pain in the but to clip into. I also bought a suspention stem for my old rigid mtbn and how many different seats have i tryed with no success.


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## Lucky (Feb 9, 2004)

Dave_Stohler said:


> I bought one of these things about 4 years ago (before I got turned on to Brooks saddles). I know Georgina, and I like her intelligent method of design, but this thing has to be the biggest pile of hyped-up [email protected] that's ever hit the cycling community. On top of that, it's ****ing unconfortable as h3ll!
> 
> I got the thing, and my first reaction was "wow, this thing really bites in to my nether-regions"! Either side of the cutout, it was like sitting on the corner of a cabinet. Ouch! As if that wasn't bad enough, there were seams right there too, making an already painful product even more excuciating. Worst [email protected] saddle I've ever used. Thankfully, somebody clued me in on how good Brooks saddles are, and now I own 5 of them.
> 
> Let's face it, women love these things because they look.....ummm...._feminine_. Men buy them because they're afraid they'll become impotent. Really, now! There are 1 billion Chinese, half of them men, and most of them ride a bike every day to work, and I'll bet you not many have cut-out saddles. Do you see the birthrate going down over there??


Every tushy is different. I have 4 Terry Flys. It's the only saddle I've found in recent years that doesn't have me wanting to ride standing up for the last 20 miles of a Century.

I don't think they look feminine, with the exception of the pink Butterfly one.

Now there was a Ferarri-designed saddle out a few years ago that I tried on my mtbike. After one long ride, I ripped it off the bike and walked around gingerly for a few days with bruises on my inner thighs. Fortunately, I had bought it used and passed it on for a similar price.

Kathy


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