these were state of the art, winning DH world cups

Can anyone explain to someone who wasn't there at the time what that rear wheel was all about? I can sort of see it on a track bike, used indoors where there is no such thing as wind but…

Needs a pair of these on the front end.

my old ride back in the day…

Neil, seems you're missing a few bits on the old ride there… 😉

My current DH bike is something very similar to this

except that mine has 8" Hope C2s on old-style 5-bolt hubs, Middleburn cranks and old XTR M952 bits. Might try to find a pic of it. Still ride it frequently, had a fortnight in Scotland on it last month, absolutely fine for the DH courses at Inners.
Bought it new in 1999, only frame and seatpost are original now but it is mostly period parts on it (anyone remember World Force risers?)

Ooh, had a pair of Marzocchi DH3's with the full 77mm travel and I had a pair of Zzyzx on the front of my Hot Chili X-rage, ahh happy days.

Turn up on the bike in the top picture and your fellow riders would all now be going " whoaah!, dig the full on Xc trailcat!" 😐

andrewh – saw a guy snap one of those (doing some very undramatic riding) at fort bill last year. Looked sore!

mmmmm zzyzx forks seals good at keeping water in and the oil out !

and mx6s with the brake mount design that lead to the snapping off – got to love the old school 😀

had an lts and a marin b17 my self back in the day – forks that didnt work and some that snapped – hi5s im thinking !

velocity deep v rims for downhill :S – talk about dent tastic – they looked the bollocks though !

rock shox cable activated hydralic disks with 3 bolt rotors anyone ?

Had some Stratos MX6 forks, as plush as same period Boxxers but twisted sideways if given a harsh look let alone catching a root or rock…

Yep, they are Hi5s (mines actually an Attack Trail, same frame as B17 but with a different shock, I've got 5" rather than 6", but I do have a set of Hi5s on it now) Seals equally rubbish as the zzyzx, but dead simple to service, elastomers, coil springs and a big plastic spacer!

…Peaty was in an MBUK photoshoot on a rigid kona? JMC was on the moon? Dear gods, I'm an old fart.

I had a b17 bloody loved till some tw*t stole it 🙁

any excuse to post this pic..!

and zzyzyx forks.. squeeky squeeky squeek…!

I remember getting a scoot on my pals B17 and loving it. First full bouncer I saw any merit in……mind you I would have stuck to my Clockwork.

I remember drooling over the Zzyzyx forks too, I think they still look good.

spacehopper … that's a cool pic with or wothout the RTSness 😀

who actually was responsible for hte ZZYXZ (Zih-Zih?) fork BITD then?

Always remembered them as Hinebrinks (sp?) mate at uni had some on a later version of the Sintesi, they look like they'd snap the headtube off most modern frames given a bit of speed a good twang.

ZZYZZZxX (Zi-Zix.) were made by Bullet Bros. terrible seals, worked ok in California but over here they were woefully bad. Haenebrink were a different kettle of fish sure they were UD design and IIRC were a good but expensive fork.

I Used to have a San An with gold Stratos MX5s on it, was lovely to look at but the forks kept twisting in their braces and the bb was soooo high!

A play bike I built up a year ago.

more oldie worldie sintesi action!

This thread is bringing a Sepia coloured tear to my eye, it's surprising more riders didn't die back then, how lucky are we today with the bikes now available?

I seem to remember it wasnt just Sintesi using those frames – did Cullinan win the worlds on one badged as a Diamondback? They were made by Verlicci or something like that. Iron Horse used them too.