Mountain bikes might look fairly similar these days – but in the earlier years when things were developing ultra fast, there were some wild and freaky designs out there!
In this video Doddy checks out the 72lb BMW Rubber Ducky; a Slingshot that had a cable instead of a downtube – and even a bike with a weird leaf spring and no damping!
There’s also some incredible tech in here from Mondraker bikes; Balfa and UK brand Tora cycles; and a few more obscure things too! Get involved!
31 Comments
I love Klein Matras to look, never had chance to ride one. The green one from video have stunning paint.
GT Xizang one of the most beautiful bikes and hoping they will bring it out again.
My top 3 bikes from any era:
1. Mountain Cycle San Andreas. I lusted after this thing when I was a kid and would still love to own one!
2. DMR Trailstar. The original hardcore hardtail? I had one of these and got into all sorts of mischief with it. Have you seen the anniversary Ti version?
3. 2018 Specialized Demo 8. Just a beautiful DH bike.
checkered pig seems like something thats about to comeback as a new gravel tech
I (still) have a Klein Mantra. I bought it intending to fit a Rohloff, because obviously with the URT the chain length doesn't change under suspension movement, and it wouldn't have needed an idler. But although I found it went uphill better than any other full suspension bike I've ever ridden, it had absolutely terrifying brake dive, definitely needed an anti-dive front fork. Adding both a Rohloff and a Use SUB put it out of my budget, to I never got it into what I'd consider a usable configuration and I never raced it. But I do still have it, and I do still think it's a classic (and interesting) design.
How did you miss out on the Allsop Softride bike Doddy? That thing was horrendous looking! 🤣
I have a 2001 Gary Fisher beer bike after some upgrades it's the most beautiful bike to ride outstanding
2015 Voodoo 2×10 Bizango (lime green). 2018 GT Sensor Alloy Comp 29er 1×11. Two of the most brilliant bikes ever produced – relatively cheap, reliable, brilliant rides, infinitely upgradeable, easy to maintain, underrated. Regularly performs as well as the competition on the trails and at the bike park. You should see what I've managed to do to mine.
Ps. Finn helped me with my GT upgrades – sound bloke.
My buddy had an original San Andreas that looked like aircraft quality.
Those Brooklyn Machine Works bikes were and still are my dream bike. I was lucky enough to see one with an Marzocchi Monster fork and Avalanche rear shock waiting at the chairlift at Highland Bike park. It even had the old shin burger pedals and Gazzaloddi tires.
Love Klein, that slingshot bike is great, would love one.
I always liked the compexity of Brookling bicycle, dual chains etc etc. Very weird stuff. 😃
My Mantis framed, 91 Nishiki FS-2 is pretty bizarre!
i've a Pro Team
I have a 1996 Foes Weasel that I upgraded to disk brakes in 2003. It has a Brake Therapy kit which is similar to the kit on the Balfa.
Mountain cycle san andreas
Hot chilly warp something by peter denk
Dynamics hardcore
Extra:votec forks
I remember a weird one from the early 90's a hard tail Alpine star, I loved mine thought I was the coolest kid ever on it.
Schwinn Straight Six…. not freaky… just awesome.
Definitely don't want a,slingshot don't even want to ride it
I have a Trek Y 5 and a Gary Fisher Joshua
We had a set of the original Bomber Z1s in the bike shop where I worked ca 1997. I remember that model featured disc brake mounts on both legs in anticipation that dual front discs were about to take off. Of course they never did and that feature was quickly dropped.
Pro-Flex had some real horrors I thinking cannodale had a few too but to be fair most of the big bike brands have few scary skeletons to look back on
So the "freakiest" bikes are only old ones ?
No Saint Luzifer Scandium in Black with fork and 7,7kg, love it and greetings from Salzburg
Can’t beat yellow Dee max wheels 😮
Missing the Lahar dh bike.
I just picked up a bicycle that I’ve always wanted it’s a 1996 Klein Pulse 2 in black it was just a frame so I went all out with period correct XTR group set I also put a Girvin vector smart fork on it.
12:08 That thing is far from ugly. In fact, it looks sleek, minimalistic, and elegant. I'd ride that Mantra, even with those V-brakes.
I have an old Montague Hummer , very freaky !!
I had a URT bike as my first full suspension, a 1999 Gary Fisher Joshua and you described the feeling of riding it very well. It was almost a hardtail when standing up, but not in a good way, I didn't like that I had to sit down to really take advantage of the extra weight of the full suspension bike. And speaking of weight, it was a pretty significant thing, my modern aluminum Trek Slash with 170/160mm of travel and 29×2.5 tires probably weighs less than that 26" bike with 100/100mm of travel.
i am from a time where elevated chainstay were a thing
my dreambike was a Rock Mountain Experience. in my teens i never could afford such a thing, but it was just looking awesome
sad also that modern bikes mostly looking stealth and nobody use colours anymore like Klein did.
not only was Klein's paintjobs awesome, they also at time welded the biggest alu tubes together. for today standards they may seem thin, but at the time their diameter were almost twice the size of every other bike tube