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What bike started it?

Which bike had the most impact on the racing world?

  • Intense M1

    Votes: 55 63.2%
  • Specialized FSR DH

    Votes: 13 14.9%
  • GT DHi

    Votes: 3 3.4%
  • Giant DH

    Votes: 2 2.3%
  • Other, if so which one?

    Votes: 14 16.1%

  • Total voters
    87

stiksandstones

Turbo Monkey
May 21, 2002
5,078
25
Orange, Ca
The M1 made the most impact, no question about it. Proof?
How about 1997 when over a dozen of teams chose to ride M1's when they were PAID and/or sponsored by other large companies. Tomac, Lopes and Donovan to name a few...all getting paid HUGE money to ride for their sponsor but chose and had their way to ride an INTENSE, that is what you call 'proof in the pudding'.
With the M1, Intense went from a small garage company, to one of the largest 'small' builders in the world. It really is a cinderella story.
 

ChrisRobin

Turbo Monkey
Jan 30, 2002
3,346
190
Vancouver
RhinofromWA said:
The Hanebrink/Zzyyxx(sp?) conventional fork was teh DH for k for the masses it seams.

I remember when the RST Mozo Hi-5 (the Double triple clamp 5" air damped spring/MCU fork) came out. :D My roomate in college picked one up and conqured every curb he could back in 96ish. LOL
I had one of those 5" forks...well it was for my 98 K2 Beast with the name Noleen on it. I bent the lowers in a crash! lol

edit. It seems to me that 'those days' were cheaper.
 

RhinofromWA

Brevity R Us
Aug 16, 2001
4,622
0
Lynnwood, WA
ChrisRobin said:
I had one of those 5" forks...well it was for my 98 K2 Beast with the name Noleen on it. I bent the lowers in a crash! lol

edit. It seems to me that 'those days' were cheaper.
I guess....it is 6 of one, a half a dozen of another.

If people would stop buying the new stuff just because it is new I think they would be just as happy with last years (ex: Zoke 888....is 06's that much better than 05's?) *shrug* or This years redesign of a chain guide is a huge improvement of the on they picked up mid season last year. :)

I went through plenty of derailers, rims, bars, grips, seat posts, seats, etc riding Snoqualmie Pass back in "The good old days" before my purpose built DH rig. There is a bigger initial expenditure for a Dh bike but they seem to last longer.
 

ChrisRobin

Turbo Monkey
Jan 30, 2002
3,346
190
Vancouver
RhinofromWA said:
If people would stop buying the new stuff just because it is new I think they would be just as happy with last years (ex: Zoke 888....is 06's that much better than 06's?) *shrug* or This years redesign of a chain guide is a huge improvement of the on they picked up mid season last year. :)
There's a rampant fever going around where people get bored of their equipment really fast or they want the latest and greatest, like you said. But yeah, in a lot of cases, it doesn't make a whole lot of difference if you buy something that's 6 months newer.
 

FCLinder

Turbo Monkey
Mar 6, 2002
4,402
0
Greenville, South Carolina
The GT Lobo and the LTS were one of the first bikes with 6" of travel. The funny thing is was the Rockshox upside down rear shock on the frame. Guys were blowing them left and right and no one made another shock that would work on the frame. Big down fall. You would hear on blow on the course because the top cap would blow off and sound like a shot gun.
 

stinsonblvd

Chimp
Feb 28, 2005
85
0
Seattle
Does anyone remember back when top pros were running the single crown Judy DH? I remember seeing pics in magazines of guys running that fork at the Kamikazee (sp). I still run that fork on my cross country bike. A lot of people said that that was one of the worst forks built by Rock Shox, but after product testing it now for 7 years, I can say that it has held up well!
 

stiksandstones

Turbo Monkey
May 21, 2002
5,078
25
Orange, Ca
stinsonblvd said:
Does anyone remember back when top pros were running the single crown Judy DH? I remember seeing pics in magazines of guys running that fork at the Kamikazee (sp). I still run that fork on my cross country bike. A lot of people said that that was one of the worst forks built by Rock Shox, but after product testing it now for 7 years, I can say that it has held up well!
It was the same fork my chick won the world championships on
 

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,647
1,116
NORCAL is the hizzle
ChrisRobin said:
There's a rampant fever going around where people get bored of their equipment really fast or they want the latest and greatest, like you said. But yeah, in a lot of cases, it doesn't make a whole lot of difference if you buy something that's 6 months newer.

Yeah it's true, but some people just like playing with new stuff (better or not) and have the cash to indulge. I think it's hilarious that some people make fun of people with new stuff every year - it's usually just thinly-veiled jealousy.
 

RhinofromWA

Brevity R Us
Aug 16, 2001
4,622
0
Lynnwood, WA
OGRipper said:
Yeah it's true, but some people just like playing with new stuff (better or not) and have the cash to indulge. I think it's hilarious that some people make fun of people with new stuff every year - it's usually just thinly-veiled jealousy.
Quite often they are the ones buying the latest and greatest are the people who CAN'T afford the new stuff.

Can I interest you in "New and Improved" Tide laundry detergent? :) It has a shiny new box.
 

drboudreaux

Chimp
Aug 2, 2005
16
0
mountains
The old Giant ATX 990 - I still have this bike. My sister actually uses this bike now, but it is still in pretty good shape. I need to post a pic later tonight.

I also had the GT LTS1000 - with the Judy XL. What a piece of crap that thing is now. But back then, WOW....

I eventually swapped the XL for a first year Marzocchi Jr.T - the orange. An orange fork on the chrome frame. It was quite a combo.

Maybe I should trade in the Turner DHR for the ATX 990. I will think about that one.
 

trailhacker

Turbo Monkey
Jan 6, 2003
1,233
0
In the hills around Seattle
Mountain Cycle San Andreas - first real suspension bike. Seemed like everyone wanted one but no one could afford it?

Foes LTS/Weasel - first "big" travel frame. Coupled with the F1 fork ('96?) and you were three quality inches ahead of anyone else.

Intense M1 - The first "must have to win". See Stik above.

Giant DH ('02?) - first real store bought DH bike that was affordable. I think C'dale were first production complete DH but they were pricey.
 

bikenweed

Turbo Monkey
Oct 21, 2004
2,432
0
Los Osos
Outland VPP! They were kinda rare, but this bike is STILL the bike to have! In fact, several of the top DH pilots in the world will be riding the same technology in all the world cups this season.

Karpiel- didn't Jan have some 5" prototypes as early as '95?

AMP Research B5, with the first disc brakes that actually worked.

Santa Cruz Hecklers came out in what, '96, '97? A Heckler with a Boxxer seemed like the ultimate DH bike for many of us Santa Cruz locals.

The World Force frames that Insane Wayne was on- what was up with that thing? Details?

Rocky Mountain had that hideous URT bike. A guy showed up at the local jumps on one of those a while back, and it was in immaculate shape. Noleen fork, Magura hydros, purple annodizing, and a quick release mount on the shock to change travel settings. All with an original red and blue Tioga DH saddle.

Remember that Mountain Bike Action article about how to DH out your bike? They had a Gary Fisher Joshua with a Boxxer, Maguras, Tioga seat, World Force riser bars, MRP, IRC Missle tires, and new shock as the example of a well done DH conversion. It was at the time, too.
 

stiksandstones

Turbo Monkey
May 21, 2002
5,078
25
Orange, Ca
bikenweed said:
Outland VPP! They were kinda rare, but this bike is STILL the bike to have! In fact, several of the top DH pilots in the world will be riding the same technology in all the world cups this season.
Yeah, my riders rode that bike before the M1...but had many downfalls to it, numerous broken frames, that particular bike did not pedal well with a coil shock in it and to top it off, the owner of outland was a dick.