# Downhill back in the 90`s (video, no sus or discs)



## a1rports (May 17, 2009)

LiveLeak.com - Downhill back in the 90`s


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## mtbnozpikr (Sep 1, 2008)

That's awesome. Thanks for posting the video. It was Missy Giove's Cannondale Fulcrum (this one) that originally got me wanting to get into mountain biking.


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## lolz (Sep 13, 2011)

I'm not sure if I would get into mountain biking if I was born 15 years earlier.


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## a1rports (May 17, 2009)

mtbnozpikr said:


> That's awesome. Thanks for posting the video. It was Missy Giove's Cannondale Fulcrum (this one) that originally got me wanting to get into mountain biking.


Thanks...

Richmond upon Thames | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
First image upload on mtbr, tits up??

My frame wont take a wider rear than the 700x40 fitted........ I need a new frame!!!

Love the simplicity of my alloy 29er with a Karate Monkey front end (used to have very cheap front sus) any suggestions for a 29er frame based on my babe above city/urban/tow path/deer parks and love to get into Downhill on a shoestring... Tring is my local UK D/H any thoughts?

How do I display a photo without a link?


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## bitewerks (May 14, 2009)

When did dual crown forks & slacker geo start? Is there one bike/one company that sort of started it all & led to what DH bikes are today?

First mtb I saw was a Gary Fisher a friend bought sometime in the '90s. Full Sus with the oval tubing, ugly as hell. I thought he was nuts for paying $1200 for a bike. I use to hike the trails I ride now but all the bikes I saw were just xc & never interested me until March 2009 when I decided I wanted to do something new...


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## mtbnozpikr (Sep 1, 2008)

bitewerks said:


> When did dual crown forks & slacker geo start? Is there one bike/one company that sort of started it all & led to what DH bikes are today?


I'm pretty sure it was the mid to late 90's. The picture I posted is a 1998 model I think.


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## Jason B (Aug 15, 2008)

That was insane. The bikes look like they have pretty steep head tube angles.
Thanks for posting the link. 

What's up with the drive train in the Missy Glove bike mtbnozpikr posted?


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## mtbnozpikr (Sep 1, 2008)

Jason B said:


> What's up with the drive train in the Missy Glove bike mtbnozpikr posted?


That's just the way the Cannondale Fulcrum was engineered. I'm not positive what's going on there as the pictures I have found don't show everything I want to see.


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

I remember doing a 6 foot drop on a mtn bike was huge...then you had =Bender hitting huge stuff to lead where we are today


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## oakhills (Mar 30, 2004)

bitewerks said:


> When did dual crown forks & slacker geo start? Is there one bike/one company that sort of started it all & led to what DH


I had a Foes LTS with Hanebrink dual crown forks in 1994, 6" travel front
and rear. I think the forks were the first on the market with that much
travel


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

a1rports said:


> LiveLeak.com - Downhill back in the 90`s


at the end...look how big the crowds were


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## vaelin (Sep 3, 2009)

Then again, there were way more spills and chills back then. Aka people like watching train wrecks as they happen.

You would think that someone would've said, "Hey, maybe we should lower our seats.."


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## Jason B (Aug 15, 2008)

vaelin said:


> You would think that someone would've said, "Hey, maybe we should lower our seats.."


Ha ha - no doubt. 
I've never seen so many endo's.

Looked like some of them were wearing football shoulder pads.


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## bermluvr (Aug 2, 2006)

Awesome.. Remember that stuff from when I was growing up. I started getting into riding in the early-mid 90's and that still brings back memories that's for sure. My first DH experience was on rim brakes and an RS Mag 21 fork. (hardtail of course)


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## carspidey (Aug 1, 2011)

Jason B said:


> Ha ha - no doubt.
> I've never seen so many endo's.
> 
> Looked like some of them were wearing football shoulder pads.


I know. Lol

There is a guy in the so cal thread that says fs are bot needed. Heshould look at this thread and see why fs were invented.


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

... That was WAY BETTER then Danny Hart run :thumbsup:

But seriously, was that Dion riding at some point in that video ? 

David


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## MidNight_Rider (Mar 12, 2011)

No kidding on the seats comment. Those cats were ridiculous! In my younger days I rode a 20" BMX for everything, with no helmet or brakes. Ok ok my brakes were shoving my foot between the frame and tire.(front or rear, depending on the girl that was watching.) That old Dh tech was just unreal, the days of using whatever you could get your hands on! Now we cry if we dont have 203mm rotors or an handlebar adjustable seatpost. Way cool vid.

-Chris.


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## codename47 (Oct 20, 2008)

Steve Peat- Worlds Number 1 Downhiller in the 1993 7UP BMBF DH Final, Eastridge Forest Shrewsbury - YouTube


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## gurp (Jan 20, 2004)

X Games DH 95 (last year of DH at X Games) - Rob Naughton '95 X-Games Downhill Mountain Bike - YouTube


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## sodak (Oct 10, 2006)

Holy crap that was intense!! If all of them would have lowered their seats some, there would have been way less OTB's. Some of those guys are troopers, took some serious hits and bounced back up. Thanks for posting! That stair section.... brutal!!!


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## The Beater (Aug 17, 2008)

This was the first full dh full suspension I remember, I know I thought what the hell did they need 3 inch's of travel for.


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## mtbnozpikr (Sep 1, 2008)

The Beater said:


>


Holy cow how big do you think his chainring is?


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## The Beater (Aug 17, 2008)

I remember running a 48 tooth big ring on my Xc bike so that is going to be close to 60. The Judy DH was the bomb for DH at the time nice old elastimer shock


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

The Beater said:


> This was the first full dh full suspension I remember, I know I thought what the hell did they need 3 inch's of travel for.


Better lower that seat post if you don't wanna go OTB


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## Levi707 (Nov 5, 2004)

wasnt that Giant one that Tomac raced at Mammoth? Dang I feel old looking at this stuff


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## Scarier (May 13, 2011)

rigid is too hardcore........my god, especially with them pink knee pads lolz.


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## VTSession (Aug 18, 2005)

Brings me back to when I used to DH in the 90s. My first real mountain bike was a C'dale hard tail with 2 inches of travel. I remember grabbing onto the cantilever brakes for dear life and nothing happening when I grabbed them. I would go through a set of brakes pads after one day of lift served riding. Holy jesus that was scary.


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## mtbnozpikr (Sep 1, 2008)

VTSession said:


> Brings me back to when I used to DH in the 90s. My first real mountain bike was a C'dale hard tail with 2 inches of travel. I remember grabbing onto the cantilever brakes for dear life and nothing happening when I grabbed them. I would go through a set of brakes pads after one day of lift served riding. Holy jesus that was scary.


That's really funny. Rep for making me smile.


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## hozzerr1 (Feb 26, 2005)

The Beater said:


> This was the first full dh full suspension I remember, I know I thought what the hell did they need 3 inch's of travel for.


Holy Time Trials Batman!!! I hope your not planing to pump your bike for speed with that ring or your gonna be catapulted.


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## techfersure (Dec 17, 2010)

Most entertaining video I've seen in some time! how about all the vibrant colors.I still have a bunch of purple components laying around.


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## jtnord (Jun 5, 2010)

Some times I wonder about the people who pioneered this sport. Pretty insane!!!


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## Deerhill (Dec 21, 2009)

mtbnozpikr said:


> Holy cow how big do you think his chainring is?


Giant! Those gummer tires were the worst, hated trying to get those steel belted ones off! Think those were carbon rims too


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## Secace (Sep 8, 2004)

My early DH days were on a xc hardtail with rim brakes, steep angles and skinny tires. So were all my friends' bikes and I never remember anyone riding as sketch as the dudes in this video! Some of these riders went on some serious joy rides. The guy at 4:46....holy **** man...brutal. The neon takes me back and cracks me up. I think the temper tantrums and throwing bikes is hilarious. Great sportsmanship.


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## mtbnozpikr (Sep 1, 2008)

jtnord said:


> Some times I wonder about the people who pioneered this sport. Pretty insane!!!


Josh Bender comes to mind...


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## Craw (Feb 10, 2004)

Back in the day I had a 1998 red Specialized FSR Elite, with Z1's. I miss that bike a lot. It was stolen out of my truck in SF. 

At the time, I was debating whether or not to increase travel using one of those aftermarket Mountain Speed links. For the ultimate in downhill awesomeness.


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## mpaulb1386 (Sep 21, 2011)

I remember when disk brakes started to pick up at the amateur level. Coker Creek like 99 or 00...the two guys that showed up with disk brakes dominated the downhill run.

Wild times!


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## dansMTB (Aug 12, 2004)

That was great. Bikes and bodies flyin everywhere!!!!! Wow
There were a couple guys really hauling and looking smooth, some great skills there.
Gotta love the gear too. The pads and helmets, and neon stuff..
Another throwback like this is watching the first kranked movie. If you haven't seen it, take a look. Get to see the freeride bikes and moves from back in the day.


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## byknuts (Aug 9, 2008)

gt RTS's, rigid bikes, proflex's with rigid forks, tioga tension disc wheels, bar-ends... and the days when a 2.2" tire was a "hefty downhill meat".

wooooow. need us some old school mammoth footage!


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## Hangtime (Jan 25, 2006)

Great old footage of bikes and trends long forgotten. I started out on a Rocky Mountain Equipé back in 92'. Long since gone but I do still have my neon saddle bag for some reason. It might be time to bring that trend back. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Mike H. (Aug 28, 2006)

I started mtn biking in 1984... when true cantiler brakes hit the market place they were a major upgrade from sidepulls we started out with.
I ran a 56 tooth front ring and "huge" 2.1" tires to soften the ride... guess that was early suspension.
The seats were a benifit being high as the courses were not nearly as steep and often times had long sections where a "big" ring and seated hammering made up significant time.
The hardest thing about riding a full rigid bike at very high speed was that you litterally could not see due to all the vibration. Back then we used to "ghost ride" just in order to get a visual... then let 'er roll and ghost it again... repeat.

I so wish they made bikes then like they do now... then again, I'd likely not be near the techincal rider that I am had they... hmmm.


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## genemk (Sep 15, 2009)

It's funny how much the bikes have changed and how the body armor looks pretty much the same. We should make a special category of DH racing: rigid bikes, narrow handlebars, and bright neon outfits. I think we could really get more spectators and sponsors this way.


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## Iceman2058 (Mar 1, 2007)

Think about it. any newb on a modern DH bike could bomb that section comfortably today. Just point-and-shoot. Back then, it was like point-and-hope-not-to-die...we sure have technology to thank for a lot. 

Thanks for sharing! Awesome! The outfits cracked me up. Stormtroopers on acid trips. Loved the bike throwing tantrums as well. Like, what, were you SURPRISED that your bike imploded? Didn't that almost happen every time you rode it?


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

They should use some fatbike and redo that run


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## B-Mac (Oct 2, 2008)

While you can forgive the lack of technology, the fact that no one lowered their seat is flat-out mystifying. 

Then again, XC guys today still wrestle with this enormous issue & occasionally fly over the bars as a result. At least their indecision and failure to internalize astounding volumes of evidence produces some great entertainment.


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## Mike H. (Aug 28, 2006)

It's amusing how a video of pee poor riders highlighting only the wrecks has everyone thinking that example was the norm.


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Mike H. said:


> It's amusing how a video of pee poor riders highlighting only the wrecks has everyone thinking that example was the norm.


It is not ??

Awww...


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## Mike H. (Aug 28, 2006)

well... I guess it was more the norm than it is now (ok, by a large margin)... but dagnabbit there were guys that could rock the rigid...


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## IntenseMack10 (May 16, 2006)

Just in case there are any doubters about what suspension, geometry, and disc brakes have done for the sport. Great vid.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

My first mtb bike was a 1992 Wheeler. I used it as a commuter in downtown Toronto. I rode with the seat post hiked up because it was easier to pedal that way. I never dreamed of riding it off road because of the geometry. After a few years I lost interest in riding my heavy Wheeler and switched to road bikes because they were lighter and faster (on the road) . For years, I was unaware that cyclists were riding trails. Until I was introduced to DH! 

I quickly learned to drop my seat post  FS was also a blessing


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