The early days of mountain biking were hit-and-miss when it came to tech innovation. Everything was new, and there was no rulebook or standard to follow when it came to bike and component design. Naturally, this led to a whole heap of leftfield developments, some of which were simply bonkers, while others had an impact on how we ride to this day. Here are eight retro products that made waves when they were launched - some of which proved to be long-lasting wins for mountain biking, while others were swiftly ditched.
TIOGA DISC WHEEL
Aero looks, scare-o performance
Back in the early 1990s there was a rumble in the jungle (or rather, the woods), and that was the unmistakable drumroll like echo of the ultimate mountain bike component of the era the Tioga Disc Drive rear wheel. Introduced in 1992, this wasn't simply a standard spoked wheel with an 'aero' cover, like modern road disc wheels. Instead, the disc was structural, made from an aluminium mesh with Kevlar tensioning cords. For around £400 (at the time) you could get yourself the innards of the wheel, on top of which you had to buy a rim and hub. Later, a lighter and more fragile Pro version was launched. These wheels offered a little extra rear 'suspension, which aided grip, but were prone to breaking, and let's not even mention what they were like to ride with in a crosswind... Stars-of-theday John Tomac and Greg 'H-Ball' Herbold made the Disc Drive famous, and it did look the dog's bollocks. But it soon went the way of its namesake, the floppy disk, while its spoked rivals evolved into the tough, lightweight wheelsets of today. Some 30 years on, though, these wheels remain highly sought-after by retro collectors.
HITE RITE 'QUICK-ADJUST SEAT LOCATOR'
Saddle-height adjuster that had the drop on its rivals
This story is from the April 2023 edition of Mountain Biking UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 2023 edition of Mountain Biking UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
BIKETEST BACKCOUNTRY HARDTAILS
We see whether carbon fibre or steel, big-name value or boutique attention to detail comes out on top on the trails
NUKEPROOF MEGAWATT CARBON 297 RS
The original Megawatt proved itself almost instantly, winning our inaugural E-Bike of the Year award in 2022.
CALIBRE LINE T3 29
£1,100 (with £5 GO Outdoors card) Cost-effective proper' mountain bike
FIRST RIDES
STRAIGHT OUT OF THE BOX & ONTO THE TRAILS
ROUTES QUICK BLASTS
Facing shorter days and inclement weather, Max finds three satisfying routes that show it doesn't have to be an all-day ride or nothing
GRIME TIME
EXPERT WORKSHOP ADVICE
TRAILCREW HAVOK BIKEPARK
A hand-cut, rider-built bike park, Havok reopened earlier this year at a new site in West Yorkshire and is still expanding
From dust it did rise
Steve Thomas traces the birth of British mountain biking, from 'tracker bikes' to Muddy Fox
THROW DOWN THE CAUNTLET
In our final challenge of the series, we see if e-bikes really are as good at climbing as they're cracked up to be, as we tackle Antur Stiniog back to front
THE RIDER OFF YEAR' 23
THE BIG REVEAL! You voted in your thousands - now meet our winners...