would be interested in your views on this.
which bike company do you think has bought the most to mountain biking/road biking over the years and why?
cannot choose myself,but have a shortlist of about 4-5 atm.
Forestry Commission Scotland & Wales
That's two questions. Who is the best, and who has brought the most to mountain biking. The first question is personal but the second would depend on what you want from mountain biking.
agreed,titled it wrong apologies 😳
mainly wondering which bike company do you think has advanced the evolution of bikes the most in your view?
it's a tricky one to answer i'll admit 🙂
Brompton
it's rider 😉
Specialized, they refuse to get sidetracked by petty politics and instead concentrate on making great bikes.
Girvin Proflex 🙂
Lee Valley Park regional authority. Very impressed that you can get 8km of trails in Stratford, very close to the centre of London. (I have not ridden these, so would be interested to hear from anyone who has - will post seperate thread). Although there are other types of cycling available, it is great that kids can try out mountain biking at all, instead of just going shopping/checking their iphone:
[url= http://www.visitleevalley.org.uk/en/content/cms/london2012/velo-park/#mountain-biking ]Lee Valley MTB booking link[/url]
All in all it is great that we are encouraging the new generations to do something positive and if it involves cycling, that is even better.
Mountain Cycle.
If Shimano count as a bike company then everyone else can form an orderly queue behind them.
+1 Forestry commission and Mr Farthing
Mother Nature.
Renthal Bike Dept
Shimano Cycling Dept
Fray Bentos
What Garry said
Ditto Shimano
But just bike manufacturers - Specialized. They have been at the forefront of bike design for as long as I can remember.
Specialized, but only because they will sue me if I dont say that.
Raleigh, didn't everyone have one at some point in life?
My best performing bikes have been specialized so they have a lot going for them.
Bar their questionable legal practices, I would have to agree with johnnystorm on the fact that Spesh produce consistently fantastic bikes.
It is Specialized though. First mass produced mountain bike (admittedly starting as they meant to continue by stealing the idea) and a history of making brilliant bikes pretty much nonstop since then, and providing excellent support too with warranties etc.
Yeah, Specialized for the fact they were there "at the beginning" and have pushed things on for decades. Great company and great products, none of which I have ever owner other than a few of their tyres ...
Renthal Cycling Dept
Shimano Cycling Dept
I think Cannondale's level of innovation often get forgotten. They may not always get it right but they're consistently inventive, always have been.
I think Cannondale has pushed the boundaries of innovation considerably more over the years than Spesh.
Edit - too slow^^
I'd have to agree with Shimano. No-one else has ben so consistently at the forefront of excellent across such a broad range of stuff for as long as them.
Bloody hell, I was taking the piss with Specialized. 🙄
I'd actually say whoever was responsible for decent mainstream alloy, then carbon frames (as steel is generally at opposite ends of the market now)and then Rockshox.
On-one/planet X. Good bikes, cheap.
Outland (points to those who know why) 🙂
Halfords... Most of started on an Apollo, right?
superstar!!!
Gary fisher, I know in bed with trek now but his 29ers and erm 69ers great bikes and even though the brand has dropped with just trek designed by gf they are still great bikes. Plus he comes across as a likeable guy.
which bike company do you think has bought the most to mountain biking/road biking over the years and why?
I'm going to treat "Brought the most" in terms of having a big impact and IMO SRAM over the last 15 - 20 years have changed road and MTBing massively, not because I think they are the "best", in many instances I think they turn out some utter toss.
But I feel they are important because they have precipitated development and competition in the cycle industry, without SRAM Shimano and Campagnolo would have retired to their respective corners And largely just left each other alone, SRAM as the third big player have tended to push all the market segments and technical changes while the other two deliver quality but seldom move with the same pace, SRAM apply the sort of pressure needed to keep the competition moving.
SRAM have acquired their way into making just about everything you would need to build a bike except the frame. Yes they are a global evil mega-corp now but probably the most innovative and diverse one in the cycling world, and of course they are a cycle company not properly evil like Gasprom, Starbucks or Nestle...
All that from making twisty gear changers that half the world disliked twenty five odd years ago, Shimano are coming up on 93 years old campag are over 80, both unquestionably important to cycling but SRAM have done more to change cycling equipment in the last two decades than either of the old boys...
Outland (points to those who know why)
VPP?
Boardman
Where would we be without the pedal-kicking feedback of VPP 😆
Currently not specialized if only for their great ideas...
Bespoke shock mounts that mean you can't swap the shock
142+ for not a really good reason
Roval wheels that took 4 months to get spokes for
Press shit BB's
Not being able to make chain stays strong enough for quite a while
Having a bigger legal team than a common sense team
Giant? Too much 650b Kool aid to commiserate from missing out on early 29r's
Shimano?
With the exception of shadow mechs to catch up with SRAM not that much recently
My vote sits with SRAM
11sp and Narrow Wide Chain Rings - probably the best new product in 5 years
Hitting the market with new Mechs back in the 05/06 ish which highlighted how bad Shimano ones were at the time
The Reverb
Making RockShox forks something people wanted - if the hype over the new Pike is anything to go by.
Renthal? Really? I would put Thomson ahead of them.
My choice is a tie between between SRAM & Fox with a medal for Giant for value for money, if not particularly exciting.
Which needed the clutch mech to work - Shimano had that first. SRAM reacted pretty quick there. tbh 1x11 isn't for everyone but it's a great option.11sp and Narrow Wide Chain Rings - probably the best new product in 5 years
I'm not pro one over the other, SRAM have impressed me in recent years and that's from a lifetime on Shimano, but SRAMs recent innovations don't overshadow Shimano's 30 years of work in cycling quite yet. But they're getting good, very creative, it has to be said.
Turner. Great bikes and when you need advise you get help and emails from the Man himself.
Yeti. Over the long term they have innovated and inspired loyalty (racers and buyers).
Shimano?
With the exception of shadow mechs to catch up with SRAM not that much recently
The freewheel
indexed shifting
rapidfire shifters
clipless mtb pedals
clutch mechs
Plus a load of other things...
For me it's Shimano
Shimano as above for their innovation.
Sram/Rockshox group are good but their innovations just don't hit the masses like shimano have.
Specialized no one will come close in terms of building influential main stream bikes. Rockhopper, Stumpjumper, Enduro etc
Sam - Member
The freewheel
indexed shifting
clipless mtb pedals
clutch mechs
The freewheel was invented in the 1800s (according to the internet, bicyclists at the time were against the idea because it made things too complicated, who needs freewheels? Nothing ever changes eh...)
Indexing existed on hub gears long before Shimano brought it to mechs
Look had the first clipless
Clutchy mechs are an interesting one, SRAM released pictures of production-ready parts almost as soon as Shimano did, they'd both had the idea, SRAM were just sitting on it til Shimano launched it. No idea why, maybe they were trying to milk the initial launch of clutchless 10-speed further.
Cannondale or Yeti
Hope
Excellent design
Exceptional build quality
Great looking
Product range just right
Prices are about right
Excellent compatibility (I'm thinking about hubs and headsets)
Customer service - unbelievable
SRAM have done more to change cycling equipment in the last two decades
b*****ks, what have they actually brought that has done anything? 1x11 is nothing more than an evolution of what already exists. Off road, Gripshift, which as can be seen by its widespread adoption has really had a lasting impact! and doubletap on road, they had to come up with something that didn't break Shimano or Campagnolo patents, after all Campagnolo weren't going to keep letting Sachs make ergo shifters for ever.
Specialized licensed the Horst link, so nothing new there, just good marketing. Even the Stumpjumper was a rip off of others designs, just marketed better.
If you want revolutionary, SIS, virtually every bike in every genre, from every manufacturer, made since Shimano introduced SIS has come with derailleur based indexed gears. I think that says how important a change that was. The only other change in bike design as anywhere near as fundamental was the Campagnolo QR, that is has taken almost 90 years to come up with a viable alternative says something.
Specialized for bikes as a whole, they've consistently produced good bikes, often class leading or simply out on their own and their geometry has always been way ahead of the industry as a whole. Look at all the fuss over the geometry of the new Kona Process. Have a look at the geometry of a 2011 Enduro. Look similar?
This even despite the irritation of things like the propitiatory shock mounts, headset fits and so on. It's a double edged sword, and some of it I disagree with, but it takes some nerve to move away from existing standards in order to get a substantial advantage, and they have done that a few times.
Other than that Shimano. Indexed shifting was a big change but freehubs may have changed MTBing more. Nobody made a hub that could stand up to hard use before that, bent rear hub axles were very common. Then Shimano produced the first freehubs and bingo, near enough indestructible rear hubs and much easier changing of cassettes.
mrmo - MemberThe only other change in bike design as anywhere near as fundamental was the Campagnolo QR, that is has taken almost 90 years to come up with a viable alternative says something.
A viable alternative to the QR is the nut and bolt. Not ideal for road racers needing to do quick wheel swaps but for everyone else it's probably better. Never really understood the obsession with QR.
Shimano's idea was to provide a cassette that could be easily changed and move the bearing close to the dropouts. Not revolutionary, but definitely progress.The freewheel was invented in the 1800s
no Cinelli had the m71 in 1970???Look had the first clipless
A viable alternative to the QR is the nut and bolt. Not ideal for road racers needing to do quick wheel swaps but for everyone else it's probably better. Never really understood the obsession with QR.
a nut is a pain in the arse, having to carry round an annoying spanner, another tool.
Shimano
Consistent, dependable, always been there and always will.
No fuss kit.
Thing is if someone else hadn't said Shimano ^ it'd never have occurred to me to answer Shimano in this. Its kit that keeps us going, well designed and minimal in the right areas.
Shimano because it is high quality, well priced and it works!
mrmo - Membera nut is a pain in the arse, having to carry round an annoying spanner, another tool.
Nah, no need, captive nut means just using an allen key. Halo hex skewer's the perfect example, a wee tab in the dropout hols the nut in place.
Nah, no need, captive nut means just using an allen key. Halo hex skewer's the perfect example, a wee tab in the dropout hols the nut in place.
but if I understand what you are describing, you still need a hollow axle, you still need to be carrying another tool, your not a long way from the QR all you have lost is the cam actuated lever.
From experience, tools are bad, you will always, when you most need them, discover you left them at home... much prefer as few tools as possible. Why do we need so many!!!! yes I know they keep on trying to rationalise, but that only lasts until someone has a bright idea!
mrmo - Memberbut if I understand what you are describing, you still need a hollow axle, you still need to be carrying another tool, your not a long way from the QR all you have lost is the cam actuated lever.
That's basically right- it does the exact same job as a QR for most people, just lighter and cheaper. It's not an extra tool though, it's just a 5mm allen key, so as a mountainbiker you'll likely be carrying one anyway (and there are options like the combined allen key/tyre levers topeak do, for roadies,though I'm talking here of mtb mainly- and if the QR hadn't weirdly become the default option there'd be tons of alternatives- pumps with a 5mm allen key head, etc). So it's certainly a viable alternative and in many cases the better option.
Tools are bad, sure, but you'll never want to take a wheel out unless you're using tools anyway. Or putting a bike in a car in which case it's no bother.
mrmo - Memberno Cinelli had the m71 in 1970???
So they did, I never knew that.
Geoff Apps
For frames I'd say Cannondale. At the forefront of Aluminium design and innovation for absolutely ages. As a result lighter, stiffer, cheaper, stronger frames for the masses. This applies to both roadbikes and mountainbikes.
From a component point of view I'd have to agree with Shimano.
As an outside thought, whatabout Schwinn? After all they were responsible for the original Klunkers that evolved into today's mountain bikes...
For frames I'd say Cannondale. At the forefront of Aluminium design and innovation for absolutely ages. As a result lighter, stiffer, cheaper, stronger frames for the masses. This applies to both roadbikes and mountainbikes.
who just ripped Klein off....
for me - it's got to be Spooky Cycles with their Metalhead. Changed the basic early mtb into bikes like we ride today ( i recon anyway )
Yeti. Over the long term they have innovated and inspired loyalty (racers and buyers).
This... and Chris the CEO is a thoroughly nice guy - dropped into the factory in Golden and joined him for a 2 hour lunch mtb ride on a factory 575 a few years ago.