All-time great bike designs – a top 10? – Page 4 – Bike Forum

jameso · 2011-12-30T19:01:10Z

The 'perfect bike' thread made me think about great bike designs. Not bikes that you like the most personally or enjoy from a riding perspective, but groundbreaking, influential or timeless designs that were genre-builders, significant or inventive steps forward in engineering, or changed the direction of future designs. So if there was to be a list, what would you put forward and why? A few that spring to mind - [b]The 1885 Rover and Swift safety bicycles[/b] - the first 'conventional' bikes. [b]The 'unknown Klunker'[/b] - since there were many, ie a Schwinn or similar with motorbike bars and coaster brake. The spiritual birth of MTB from the late 70s. [b]The Pace RC100[/b] - The first MTB of the 'second wave' to have so many ideas in pursuit of refining off-road riding. The headset / steerer / forks, the looks, the frame.. maybe not an all-time great but certainly a stand-out bike from a high point of MTBs boom-years. [b]The Cervelo Soloist[/b] - great design thinking based on real research and escaping the weight-weenieness of road bikes. From the frame shape to the geometry / fit theories, Cervelo showed real design aptitude with this bike. [b]The Colnago Master X lite[/b] - Brand heritage, design detail, different geometry to most road bikes (albeit only slightly, but enough) and stunning looks - 'the' classic road bike in my mind. [b]The Jones Ti Spaceframe[/b] - Design for purpose against all prior thinking and fashion / dogma. A bike that has more range than, and improved ergonomics and ride feel over most bikes. Not easy to do when a design has been evolving for 100yrs plus, especially when some of the ideas in the bike are almost that old, simply applied and adjusted for a different use. [b]The first Willits Nanoraptor-equipped '28"' bike[/b] - He was too far ahead of his time but he was open minded and eccentric enough to apply the big-wheel benefits to a particular type of bike before most. [b]Geoff Apps's experiments in the early 80s[/b] - Aesthetics and commercial success may have side-stepped most of his designs, but like the Jones, it's an example of unique thinking and single-minded design for purpose. Perhaps just a purpose that less people related to, but still a worthy inclusion. The Highpath Cleland looks more important now than it did then, but even back then it looked interesting. [b]The Honda RN-01[/b] - Simply for being the only motorsport-in-cycling project I can recall that worked. A stunning looking and inspiring bike. [b]The Planet X Compo[/b] - the first experiment in long travel hardtails that showed the way forward, an oddball that had a good idea behind it when many struggled with designing for sus forks of any kind. Whether you like long forks on a hardtail or not, they've added a lot of fun to a lot of rides. Maybe not an all-time great, but worth remembering. [b]The Moulton[/b] - A simply brilliant chassis design.. A space frame and small wheels for stiffness and efficiency, simple suspension to cope with the only real drawback of the small wheels. Different for good reason and a real design classic. [b]The DMR Trailstar[/b] - A steel jump / play bike for ragging round the woods that changed how many of us rode in the late 90s. BMX Trails came to meet MTB trails head-on. Simple, strong and cheap, and highly influential I think. Of all the bikes listed above, I think maybe only 2 or 3 would make a credible all-time greats list. Others are just examples of what counts as a great bike to me. Interested in what else gets posted up..

adeward

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I,m sorry wynne there is a counciling service , when you ride them you cant see how ugly they are,

Posted : 31/12/2011 6:27 pm

Mal-ec

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[img] [/img]

Posted : 31/12/2011 6:42 pm

epicyclo

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I like the Whyte Preston.

All the basic suspension geometry is there with a good front end. It then all comes down to the suspension units which are easily changed.

Posted : 31/12/2011 6:51 pm

lunge

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Just spent 30 mins typing my list and reasons but the PC has just died so you'll have to make do with just the list:
1. Intense M1
2. Boardman Lotus
3. DeKerf Generation
4. Martin B-17
5. Pro-Flex 956
6. GT Zaskar
7. MountainCycle San Andreas
8. Spooky Metalhead
9. Muddy Fox Courier

Posted : 31/12/2011 7:18 pm

tazzymtb

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Mal-ec that TRek is just wrong, It's like a bad mullet all business at one end and all party at the other. 69ers are just for the indecisive and lady boys

Posted : 31/12/2011 7:29 pm

colournoise

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jameso - Member
good times.. when a hardcore hardtail had a ~69 deg head angle and 100mm forks )

They still do don't they?

slainte 😉 rob

Posted : 31/12/2011 7:32 pm

walleater

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[img] [/img]

Posted : 31/12/2011 8:13 pm

kingkongsfinger

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GT Zaskar, this could still win races today.
[IMG] [/IMG]

Posted : 31/12/2011 8:29 pm

walleater

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Oh, and forget Spooky and the like. I was waaaaaaay before them in the hardcore hardtail evolution with my 'Team Moron' 😉 Trashed the downtube on my 1989 Team Marin so had a downtube from a tandem brazed in. Fitted a 'short' high rise stem when we were normally rocking the 150, and check the inboard mounting of the brake levers mimicking current trends. The thumbshifters are practically touching each other heh heh....This was upgraded to a Diamond Back Axis in the same set up but with Marzocchi Star Fork braaaah. Freeriding at Snailbeach Slagheaps, ridiculous coloured lycra jackets for goalposts...

[img] [/img]

Posted : 31/12/2011 8:30 pm

Elfinsafety

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ridiculous coloured lycra jackets for goalposts...

😯

Mummy I'm frightened... 😥

Posted : 31/12/2011 8:40 pm

stevehine

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martinxyz - Member
The whyte preston an all-time great bike design?

You have to be joking?
If you ride along on said bicycle approx 5mph.. and compress the suspension with body weight you can actually bring the bike to a hault.On the return.. it actually brings the bike back up to speed. Try it,then try it on any other suspension design! We found this out a few years ago and wondered what this would do on steep techy trails. I never want to find out.

Interesting I have 3 of them and have ridden 1000s of km on them and have never found this

I'm with Ade on this one; I'm had two over the last 9 years or so and have never experienced this phenomenon either.

I know the limit of travel was limited by bar clearance on the upper front linkage; I've often wondered if this could have been improved with an 'M' shaped bar (ish) to create a 'pocket' for it to swing into.

Posted : 31/12/2011 9:25 pm

compositepro

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I have to admit the pace rc100 should get in the list if only by default it did lead to several generations of quite raceworthy hardtails or maybe as with most bike related things from the retro period they were on the scene at the right time to capitalize on the fact that the technology (trends) weren't moving the goalposts every year.

The lotus I believe has only been bettered aerodynamically by two other bikes which means the concept was pretty much on the money however many years ago and in the time trial world (engine being boardman) aside is quite a feat to achieve.

I would also like to add the BCD gearbox bike to the list (one of the first) it was quite an inspiration shall we say when the design of the now defunct GT IT1 was penned (or should that be Proe'd)

The thermoplastic Gt's were also a bit ahead of their time considering that technology is now being looked at again and hasn't changed so much since then

One thing I do find interesting is that 2 bikes in the list which look completely different to the norm are by motorcycle designers
Maybe they just dont think differently but aren't defined by what the general consensus a bike should look like.

Posted : 31/12/2011 9:58 pm

mrmo

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Somethings missing from the list Vitus/Alan, yes they were crap and flexy and heavy etc, but they bonded and Aluminium, then there is the TVT carbon frames.

For mtbs try the Fisher cr7 trying to make the most of different materials.

The Bontrager with its use of gussets, and attention to detail.

Posted : 31/12/2011 10:22 pm

zaskarle78

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i agree with kingkongsfinger about the zaskar le. i have one in anodised blue, and it still looks the dogs nuts, even though its 14 years old.

Posted : 31/12/2011 10:25 pm

[Closed] All-time great bike designs - a top 10?