# '90's gadgets and dohickeys



## 83stumpjumper (Feb 14, 2011)

It seems like all sorts of products came out in the 1990's for MTB's to improve brakes, gears and protect them. There were rear derailuer guards and rubber boots to keep dirt out. Chain tensioning pulleys, V brake noodle replacement parts, rear derailuer cable thingies. I myself bought into the V brake pulleys and rear derailuer cable thingy. I still run them on my 1997 Stumpjumper Comp. Not sure if they make a difference, but they haven't caused any problems. 
What other little items do you recall being sold 15 years ago?


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## chefmiguel (Dec 22, 2007)

Crud Catchers, Crud Claws, Bullet Bros chain tensioners, bar end brake lever extensions, Acerbis hand protector things and some cable actuated seat dropping seatpost that used a parallelogram. Anything SRP.


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## yo-Nate-y (Mar 5, 2009)

Third Eye chain watchers were handy.


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## fast540 (May 29, 2011)

my fav the onza "anti chain suck thing" yes that was its name and who could forget the hight rite


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## yo-Nate-y (Mar 5, 2009)

That was from Ringle not Onza, and yep, I still use 'em.


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## hollister (Sep 16, 2005)

invented by a friend of mine.he made all the springs for these at home in his garage


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## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

Works great.


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## maxforce (Mar 8, 2011)

This thread needs pictures. Lots of them.


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## 83stumpjumper (Feb 14, 2011)

Here's my V brake noodle replacement. Just a pulley wheel for the cable. I doubt it really helps, but it looks better than the noodle. V brake pulley picture by jg10218 - Photobucket.

Sorry, but I couldn't get the photo to load up here.


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## 83stumpjumper (Feb 14, 2011)

Here's the rear derailuer cable gadget. Never had a problem with shifting in the 15 years I've been using it. https://i1081.photobucket.com/albums/j352/jg10218/mtbthings002.jpg


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## ameybrook (Sep 9, 2006)

chefmiguel said:


> some cable actuated seat dropping seatpost that used a parallelogram.


Power post

DCD chain tensioner

Gorilla headlock

Elastomer hubs!


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

The Hite Rite was not a 90's doo hickey was it? I always thought of it as much, much earlier.

I like the presta valve but I think it was invented in like the 1920s are something.


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## 83stumpjumper (Feb 14, 2011)

Hite Rite was from 83/84 I think.


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## Andy FitzGibbon (Jul 7, 2007)

Shockster add-on rear suspension (had one new in the box, never dared try it)
Aztec Rim Rakes
Grunge Guards rubber derailleur boots
SRAM Bassworm
Moots made an anti chain suck plate too... can't remember what they called it

I found a '91 Nashbar catalog in some stuff at my parents house over Thanksgiving... I should scan a few of the funnier pages and post them up here.


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## jeff (Jan 13, 2004)

Gorilla Nuts. Oversized Ti front axle lock nuts to supposedly stiffen up noodly suspension forks. That's $25 I'll never get back.
Loved my Rollamajig.
Bassworm. Damn thing worked.
Ringle chain jamming device. Sucked, sucked and tripple sucked. The bolt from it saved me though on The Flume Trail when my American Classic,(more junk), bolt snapped on a climb.
Cooltool. See previous thread.
Onza Chill Pills. 2.5 mm allen? Really? Meh...
Nuke Proof stubby bar ends. Another meh.
Mangos de Amores bar ends. Salsa nailed it with these.
Any Grease Guard part I ever purchased. MONEY!!!


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## milehi (Nov 2, 1997)

Not really a bike gadget, but I love my Action Tec Ti wrenches. I won them in a raffle at a MTBR gathering in the late 90's (September by the Sound). 22 grams for those counting.


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## Vlad (Feb 7, 2004)

Sharkfin


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## wxflyer (Apr 30, 2006)

Sharkfin, along w/ Sharktooth, were 80s doohickeys, but we're probably still on bike shop shelves in the 90s


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

I've always wondered why I got Vader and Vlad mixed up. You two posting back to back cleared it right up.

Join date: same.
Post Count: could it be closer?
Rep Power: same
Rep : same

you guys are like soulmates.


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## sgltrak (Feb 19, 2005)

WTB Toe Flips (may have been from the late 80's)


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## MendonCycleSmith (Feb 10, 2005)

Not 90's either, but I'd love to see the Flickstand make a come back....


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## cegrover (Oct 17, 2004)

I used these some - never had a problem with them, but not sure there was any good reason to use them...


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## cegrover (Oct 17, 2004)

These were definitely being peddled in the 90s, and seem to never go away. Did they start in the 80s?


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

MendonCycleSmith said:


> Not 90's either, but I'd love to see the Flickstand make a come back....


I have one missing a part if somebody else has a noncomplete one and want to join forces to make a complete one.


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## Uncle Grumpy (Oct 20, 2005)

Tioga rubber brake lever grips. I have a pair in flouro orange.

The Rollamajig and Bassworm were faves of mine. And any canti brake cable bridge that was purely decorative. Can't remember who made them, but somewhere I have a set of green hands flipping the bird. The peace symbol ones were cool.

What were those seatstay mounted chain lubers? I recall something that would drip lube on your chain while you ride. I think they were Rohloff but could be wrong there.

Edit: here it is: LUBMATIC: www.rohloff.de

Grumps


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## blueyes (Jun 2, 2008)

avid rollamajig:










still using it on my 08 Merida Mission with XTR RD with excellent results


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## halaburt (Jan 13, 2004)

sgltrak said:


> WTB Toe Flips (may have been from the late 80's)


Actually 1983 or so I think... Perhaps the first WTB-branded product?


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## Vlad (Feb 7, 2004)

girlonbike said:


> I've always wondered why I got Vader and Vlad mixed up. You two posting back to back cleared it right up.
> 
> Join date: same.
> Post Count: could it be closer?
> ...


And I drink a lot of beer and see a Coconino 26" singlespeed in my future. Scary.


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## jeff (Jan 13, 2004)

Salsa Fliplock seat collar.


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## cegrover (Oct 17, 2004)

Uncle Grumpy said:


> Tioga rubber brake lever grips. I have a pair in flouro orange.


My Super Comp had some nice, dirty yellow ones when I got it...


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## unicrown junkie (Nov 12, 2009)

I'm going for mid to late 80s and Odysseys Pro-Steer hydraulic dampener that connected to the down tube from the fork legs, wild!


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## Fred Smedley (Feb 28, 2006)

yo-Nate-y said:


> Third Eye chain watchers were handy.


I'll say ,especially for my Fecalized Flag chainset that drops the chain on whatever frame it goes on at whatever chainline I set it up at. I almost gave up on it until I stole the third eye off my Fat to see if it would solve the issue.:thumbsup:


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## GMF (Jan 10, 2004)

The only thing I can add is lizard skins stuff, which often seemed to do more harm that good. Although they are still around, so, does it count? (their leather frame guard stuff looks kind of neat, actually)

I guess the XTR bar end remote shifter was also a signal of the times, too, but pretty late in the 90s.


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## DFA (Jan 26, 2004)




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## marcgabrysiak (May 26, 2009)

*90's Gadgets*

Anyone else remember the Crumpet Spring? An aftermarket rear derailleur spring with more tension than the stock Shimano ones. It really did improve shifting with Gripshifts.


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## milehi (Nov 2, 1997)

How about the S.A.F.E hydraulic shifting system. I never tried it, but I did order some hydro cable guides from them for my Magura Racelines, which I still have. They were alot cleaner than zip ties.

And, aftermarket suspension fork arches, like the carbon Shock Bones for Rock Shox Judy SLs.


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## da'HOOV (Jan 3, 2009)

cegrover said:


> I used these some - never had a problem with them, but not sure there was any good reason to use them...


I've got them on my Amp, a bit tricky for the initial setup but after...no adjustments needed. Solid, sure system. :thumbsup:


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## da'HOOV (Jan 3, 2009)

DFA.....ooh, I like that seatstay brace...I think you need my address


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## Z-Man (Apr 25, 2005)

Brake boosters. I remember a lot of late 90s bikes needing them. The first time I saw the seatstays flex on a homegrown I was building up BITD I freaked. My 98 Indy Fab's seat stays are no match for the XTR V-brakes either. Criminal really. I use an Interloc booster, the Salsa horseshoes looked to damn big...


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## uphiller (Jan 13, 2004)

Gotta agree with daHoov. The Odyssey Straddle Rods were awesome- wish I had picked up a pair in the 90's, cantis went out of fashion before I got around to them. Finally tried em a year or two ago, a serious improvement over the stretchy-a$$ straddle cable. 
How about lame-o Lizard Skins shock boots that filtered the dust out of the air, gluing it to your stanchions? 
Or PowerGrips toeclip replacements?
Hardbody dampers? 
That company that made a hybrid coil spring/ elastomer that you could drop into an undamped fork? 
Avid V-Chip?
Those lame Kona brake lever extensions so you could brake from the bar-ends?
Every linkage brake made in the 90's. 
Brake boosters.
Cannondale Force 40 brake rocker gizmo.


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## datawhacker (Dec 23, 2004)

you haven't lived until you've ridden a trail in the dark with nothing but a mini maglite. These are still available from DKG


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

datawhacker said:


> you haven't lived until you've ridden a trail in the dark with nothing but a mini maglite. These are still available from DKG


That seems like an unnecessary risk of life and limb.


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## datawhacker (Dec 23, 2004)

probably made more sense in the 90s, as an emergency device when bike lights were bulky and inefficient. Kind of a perfect design also.


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## jeff (Jan 13, 2004)

The Mini Mag has saved a lot of hide through the years.


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## sandmangts (Feb 16, 2004)

Here is one of those crazy seatposts. 

And the good old solution looking for a problem Suntour Browning (which actually worked quite well)


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## lowmassmetals (Dec 27, 2010)

That portage pad that fits under the nose of the saddle. Fabric covers to make a spoked wheel into an aero disk wheel. Water bottle lid covers. That silly all wheel drive conversion system. Heated grips. Inflation cartraiges for flats. Behind the saddle bottle holder(was great on my trek Y bike worked well cause I'm not a big fan of under the down tube drink whatever you rode through bottle mounts)


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## gm1230126 (Nov 4, 2005)

more late 80's but carried into the early 90's before the Instaflate hit the scenes....the "Mt Pump" bracket to assist in carrying a Mt. Zefal frame pump.


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## 805MTB (Jul 4, 2010)

how about the drain plug for the bottom bracket by Action Tech. that thing was ridiculous & unnecessary.

I liked the Bullet Brothers chain tensioner


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## lowmassmetals (Dec 27, 2010)

Sticky grips and slide on foam grips by grab on. I love those things, pain in the butt to slide on sometimes, I used rubbing alcohol. What about H2O bottles that are toolkits, robots in disguise!


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## DFA (Jan 26, 2004)




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## riceburner_mario (Jun 11, 2011)

nice cnc job :thumbsup:


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## 805MTB (Jul 4, 2010)

this is pretty neat, the saddle bag clips into the bracket which is mounted on seat rails


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## -Anomie- (Jan 16, 2005)

These are actually from the Aug '88 Bicycle Guide, but close enough


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## -Anomie- (Jan 16, 2005)

More stuff.

Box levers, wish I had a larger photo of these, but I sold them and this is all I have.









Goofy McMahon brake.









Altek levers, similar to Box, almost as nice.









Cook Bros F Crank with single speed chain ring.









Ibis Love Unit, a way to use short pull levers with V-Brakes that mounted under your bar.









One of my sets of Marinovative brakes.









Ringle skewers.









Early WTB roller cam, when Charlie was still making them by hand.

















Speaking of WTB stuff... :crazy:


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## jfactor1 (Sep 22, 2010)

I worked at several bike shops in the 90s and was able to get parts at cost so I loaded my Trek 9200 up with all kinds of gimmicky trinkets.
Avid Rollamajig
Bullet Bros. tensioner
Heavy duty spring then the rear derailleur
Anodized pivot bolt and gears for the rear derailleur
Pauls Crosstop 3 rear brake (huge pain to set up, but man did it work great!)
Brake Booster for the front brake 

Oh and if it was av


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## AlliKat (Apr 28, 2006)

Ha, I have a grease guard hub on my MB-3. Still pump grease into it.


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## SeaBass_ (Apr 7, 2006)

klasse said:


> this is pretty neat, the saddle bag clips into the bracket which is mounted on seat rails


I still have one of those. I put it on my wife's hybrid so she can carry all her sh*t around on path rides. It's even expandable!


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