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Absolute POS Cannondale Jekyll 27.5 bought because of a STW PSA.
Cracked the first one riding at Antur Stiniog, crap compression spiking shock that needed huge pressures and a dedicated pump. Absolute crap geometry even with 2 offset bushes fitted. Non standard 51mm 27.5 offset fork.
Crap 'engineering' - unique headset size, non replaceable threads for rear axle etc.
Took it to Morzine and hated it - sold it immediately on return and quit mountain biking after 30+ years.
Anyone who rode with me at uni may recognise this tail of misery....
A Saracen Protrax SE.
It was purple metallic, it had the first generation of the integrated chainring/spider LX cranks, LX V brakes, Ritchey finishing kit. Geometry was of its time. It should have been a bloody lovely bike for an impoverished student.
Two years I had it. By the time I was done (in) with it I think half of it had been replaced under warranty, including cranks and wheels and then the frame cracked, they lost my headset, sent me a damaged replacement frame, sent me another replacement that had no graphics and still no headset...
I even treated it to a pair of RC36s and managed to get a set with baggy seals so little bits of grit would cause it to seize solid mid ride and you'd have to take them apart half way down a hill to remove the grit.
Oh and Ritchey Alpha and Omega bite tyres. Awful.
Had some great rides on it but just a crap ownership experience.
This is much more fun than reading about dream bikes.
My least favourite would be a tie between the Croix de Fer (winning this thread so far, it seems) and a Ragley Blue Pig.
The Croix de Fer has been covered pretty well already. A huge disappointment.
The Ragley baffled me. Rave reviews from seemingly everyone but I found it awful. Heavy and painfully stiff (I had an early Aluminium Orange which was widely criticised for a harsh ride which felt smooth as butter in comparison). It also absolutely hated going round corners. I've said before that negotiating a tight bend on that thing felt like manoeuvring a ladder through a bus stop. I think I only stuck with it for a couple of months. Got rid when I realised it was making me dislike the sport entirely.
Holy crap that Ellsworth is a minger!
Good God. WTF? Did a child find some scrap metal and randomly bolt it together?
An early ragley (Alu). The geo was horrible. Floppy steering and it felt like I was sat bolt upright.
Early Gary fisher rig. An uncomfortable and unwieldy boat of a bike
quit mountain biking after 30+ years.
Quit? Completely? Cos of a [i]bike[/i]??
P-Jay
Free Member
Worst bike I ever owned was a Lapierre Spicy 516 (2011), they always got rave reviews, but the reality was a 160mm Enduro bike that was pretty unsuited to riding rough stuff quickly.I could blame the reviews, but the test bikes were a tiny bit different, they came with top of the range Fox forks, not the terrible open-bath Talas R the final bikes got, they also got proper Conti tyres (still not great) not the Conti-in-name-only OE ones that didn’t work. Ruined a good bike really, but meant they hit the price point they wanted.
I had one of those – white with blue and black graphics – I bought mine without the stock wheels or tyres, so never tried the crapy Contis. Not wrong about the fork, but I was fond of the bike as a whole, I progressed a lot on it, and I know it’s still being used, so I got one of the non-cracky ones.
I never got to properly 'sort' mine, I was so certain of it's prowess as "one of the best bike in it's sector" that I always assumed it was me, anyway some prick broke into my garage and nicked it, broke and heartbroken I found a cheap 2010 Spicy 316 on eBay. It had the older, but better Float R fork and more basic wheels than the really, really light Fulcrums the 516 had, it was miles better.
I had a Mk1 Ragley Blue Pig and a Gary Fisher Rig that I rather liked...
Genesis Equilibrium was pretty poor - never ridden a steel frame that felt so dead. Didn't help that it was probably too big for me either.
Specialized Pitch. The geometry was amazing. But:
I blew the shock twice (and apparently the new owner disassembled it on arrival and found the seal about to go again).
The Sektor forks were rubbish.
The rear wheel ate bearings. 2 cartridge bearings, one in the freehub, one in the hub shell, the rest unsupported! And as a result, had so much flex in the axle the freehub would jam.
The cranks/bb were rubbish
The stem was actually flexible despite being ~50mm, took a while to figur out why the handling was so bad.
The SRAM brakes I binned as I couldn’t in good conscience sell them even after they’d been back to fisher and failed again.
Made me realise that 10/10 in a magazine test means nothing, journos just send them back after a few days and they get a full service and sent out again, it’s not the real world where you expect a £1400 bike to at least get through a weekend without falling apart.
A handful of my friends bought those, I think there was two versions of it (not including the HT version) they managed a week in Whister BP on them without too much drama, but they were basic bikes for their type, and they were half the price of the entry level Stumpjumpers and Enduros at the time, most ended up being upgraded way past their original spec I think
After running my old Voodoo Wazoo fatbike with 29er wheels for a few years as a commuter and second bike, allowing me to run it as light as ~10.5Kg and quite fun to tackle local ramps including Dell Rd that hits ~20%, I'm finding my ~10 month old Voodoo Marasa quite weighty (~13Kg) and dull... Taking it for rides outside commutes and pop to shops, when the weather is a bit damp for me to be happy to take my road bike out, isn't appealing at all.
Recently fitted a 50mm Schwalbe Century on the rear and a 2.35" G One Speed to the front, to see if extra comfort appeals over the extra weight and increased aero drag, to get me using it more... It's never going to be whippet.
Sadly options were very thin on the ground when I needed a new commuter last summer.
Can I change my least favourite bike to that Ellsworth please?
Intense M1. I suspect there was nothing inherently wrong with the bike itself, it just didn't suit me. Previously I had ridden a Norco 4by which was light, perky and easy to manoeuvre. It was such fun to ride. Riding the M1 felt like sitting on a charging elephant – it went fast in a straight line, but cornering was slow and heavy … and getting it in the air (which I tried to avoid) made me feel like I was sitting atop a flying tank – terrifying. Maybe I just wasn't strong enough to get the best out of it. It was good for the rougher, steeper stuff which I would have bottled on the Norco, but I prefer light and swoopy. I'm a scaredy custard at heart really.
Bloody loved my Dare - was an absolute tank with acres of travel. Was hard getting on uplift trailers as it was sooo heavy, but the thing was a weapon going down. Mine was anodised black and don't think it looked that bad.
Least favourite bike would probably have been my Scott Endorphin. Looked great, looked fast, flexed more than a mastercard and felt like I was never in control. It really was dangerous at speed.
Honourable mentions also go to my GT backwoods that was nicked when I was at Uni (96 model in bright pink...) Thing was a complete barn door of a bike. So stiff it was unreal.
Modern bikes are just awesome in comparison.
The Croix de Fer must be a love it or hate it, I love mine. Did the haters have the 725 frame?
I'd like to add another to my Ellsworth ID - Proflex 857. For: Very light. Against: Everything else.
How about a 1998 Klein Mantra. I tried desperately to love it given the amount of cash it cost me, but it was an absolute death-trap. Unified-rear-triangle "suspension" meant that whenever you stood on the pedals and un-weighted the seat, the whole thing shortened and tried to tip you out the front door.
Interesting to see both the Dialled Bikes Prince Albert and the early Ragleys on the list...I got on really well with mine until I cracked both of them.
The Mk1 Prince Albert had quite a low BB,I think it was raised for subsequent models including the Love/Hate singlespeed, I had one of those too and it was defo higher.
The Mk1 Ragley Blue Pig was more difficult to love. Long chainstays, steep SA and slack HA for the time. You could winch yourself up pretty much anything and bomb down anything. The BB was a bit on the high side and it certainly wasn't massively stiff.
One thing to note is that as forks have got longer and CEN came in Steel and Ti frames lost their twang/smooth ride quality as they had to get stronger to meet new requirements.
2001 Specialized Epic with rim brakes I think. The brain never worked and I punctured at least twice a ride (or so it felt). Probably because of the ridiculous things that the suspension did or didn't do as it should.
Kona Explosif.
ticked all the boxes, lightweight steel, Kona (when they made decent bikes) I was hugely excited to have it. In all honesty It couldn’t have ever lived up to my expectations for it. It was dull and stolid, was expecting liveliness and skip, but it was boring and lifeless
My least favourite bike too. Should've been perfect but was an incredible disappointment: heavy, dull and just didn't excite me to ride it. It was such a letdown as I'd desired a nice lightweight steel Kona since a mate bought his Kilauea in 1993. I replaced it after 12 months with a mk1 Soul which was everything the Kona wasn't (and still the bike I most regret selling).
For me its an easy choice: 2009 Pace RC305.
I bought it on a whim without testing it. It had good reviews, I’d always wanted a Pace and fancied a hardtail again.
Built it up with a 140mm
PikeFox and some other nice bits. It pretty much disappointed the whole time I owned it. It just felt uninspiring and dead. If I had to sum it up in a word it would be “Meh!”.
Had plenty of bikes over the years but this is the only one i was glad to see the back of, to make matters worse it was a 40th birthday present from Mrs boggy
I know I am going to get flamed for this but mine is a Bird Aeris.
I did appreciate it on occasion, rode things without giving them a second thought which I would have chickened out of on my Soul.
Despite being a small it felt massively too big for me and was super sluggish uphill.
I don't think it was a bad bike at all, just didn't suit me, and I know loads of people love them.
To be honest, I don't think it was ever going to work out. Sold my Soul in order to fund it. Never quite got over parting with the Soul.
Sold my Soul in order to fund it
Bloody hell the Bird must have been expensive 😉
You are Faust and I claim my five pounds.
The Croix de Fer [...] Did the haters have the 725 frame?
In my case, yes. The whole thing was flexy in the wrong directions and sapped energy. It definitely wasn't 'zingy' like it should have been, but worse than that it was actually pretty uncomfortable on longer rides with a lot of vibration through the rear triangle.
I suspect the problem with mine - bought as a full '20' spec bike in 2015 - was that the wheels were complete garbage and the fork is a horrible heavy lump. I should have changed them both, but as it happened, someone ran over it. I didn't shed a tear.
2007 Scott Scale in Alu. Very quick bike but show it some roots/rocks it was a really uncomfortable ride. I sold it to my mate to fund a Cotic Soul (awesome bike) the Scott (not so awesome, hated it tbf, mate still likes the bike so all cool)
I really like the look of that Ellsworth and would be proud to ride it.Mind,I like the look of my Carrera Banshee X 2008!Others seem to like it as well.
I had the pink 456, fun bike, but harsh and heavy. Bought the carbon 456 to replace it. I only ever rode it if the full suss was broken. The C456 was just dull, flexed in the wrong directions, lifeless to ride, horrible thing. Bought a 2nd hand Mk3 Soul as replacement and it was significantly better
Gary Fisher Fat Possum.
like riding a jelly on a paper plate. rear tyre touched the chainsatay on pedalling out of the saddle. flex in the frame under use.
I really like the look of that Ellsworth
Takes all sorts 😀
Salsa Horsethief, the non DW version. My first 29er full sus. Good in a straight line but that was it. I sold an Independent Fabrication Steel Deluxe (straight steerer, 26 inch wheels) to pay for the Salsa and wish I hadn't.
2 stand out for me:
Whyte 905 - award winning trail big that always just felt dead/slow/harsh on long days and bored on the type of trail thrash I'm capable of giving it.
Specialized Allez - ok, in fairness this was bought as a winter bike and so was never going to give a best bike type joy, but by 'eck it was harsh to ride and all the cables buzzed/rattled all of the time. rode it as little as possible thru the winter and got the best bike out again by early march. Then I sold it and took up running November - Feb
I don't like alu bikes...
Specialized Allez – ok, in fairness this was bought as a winter bike and so was never going to give a best bike type joy, but by ‘eck it was harsh to ride and all the cables buzzed/rattled all of the time. rode it as little as possible thru the winter and got the best bike out again by early march. Then I sold it and took up running November – Feb
Was that a recent model Allez?
richmtb Full Member
Go on then, I’m fed up hearing about everyone’s awesome new bike. Tell us about the crappy ones you were glad to see the back of.For me its an easy choice: 2009 Pace RC305.
I'm sensing a theme here... In my case it was a 2006 Pace RC303. It could have been a good bike, but the sizing of my large frame was not generous so it spent a lot of time feeling small and awkward. There really needed to be an XL option but there wasn't. It cracked, as most or all of them did, after about a year. I got an RC305 under warranty and sold it on pretty much as soon as it arrived.
I also had an ETS-X, but I liked that at the time. It cracked not that long after I'd sold it on, unfortunately the guy who bought it gave the game away with the LBS about it being second hand so wasn't able to get it replaced under warranty.
In my case, yes. The whole thing was flexy in the wrong directions and sapped energy. It definitely wasn’t ‘zingy’ like it should have been, but worse than that it was actually pretty uncomfortable on longer rides with a lot of vibration through the rear triangle.
I suspect the problem with mine – bought as a full ’20’ spec bike in 2015 – was that the wheels were complete garbage and the fork is a horrible heavy lump. I should have changed them both, but as it happened, someone ran over it. I didn’t shed a tear.
My CdF was a 725 too. I did change the wheels. And the fork. And... pretty much everything else.
It never stopped being a heavy lump.
Giant anthem approximately 2012, it was supposed to be such a good xc bike, I just hates it so much. This was not helped much by stupidly selling a Santa Cruz blur to fund it which I loved just got drawn in by searching for better value, and could get a new bike for less than I could sell the blur for.
As it turned out as I hated it, it was rubbish value.
I went from being someone who passed people on the descents to bring passed, no matter what I did it did not inspire confidence at all. Looking back now I can't help wonder if maybe it was quite short. At least it lead me to 29ers and suddenly finding bikes that actually fit me.
In no particular order:
1997 Marin Mount Vision, heavy and horrible. It replaced a GT Zaskar which was stolen. I wish I’d been more careful.
Genesis Day One, lifeless. I fitted an Alfine rear in the hope that some gears would make a difference, they didn’t!
Geared TiNBRED, left me wondering what the big deal about titanium was!
A '99 FSR XC Stumpjumper I reckon. Destroyed rear shocks, SIDs on the front rarely worked, chainstay kept cracking, BETD linkage helped a bit but was happy when I swapped the frame for a Sub 5.
That Ellsworth Dare really is something.
Its like some unholy congress between a Y-frame BSO and a Josh Bender era DH bike occurred in a skip somewhere.
It looks like it's really proud of itself though. Like a dog that's eaten all the slippers in the house.
That Ellsworth Dare really is something
I hadn’t even taken in the bike, I was too shocked by the tyre brand mismatch
Here’s mine. Not awful but the incessant nagging thought just a tiny bit more effort could have made it so much better
Saracen Kili Cromo from 2008. It promised a similar geometry to my much loved On One Inbred but with supposedly springy 853 tubing. I think that the CEN regulations had robbed the frame of any feel and I subsequently sold it for a loss only a few months later.
Other than that one, most of the frames from my retrobike phase. Modern geometry, disc brakes and functioning suspension really do ride better than nostalgia. Who would have thought!
Carbon Salsa Beargease. The idea was a fast and light fat bike, unlike the tanks I'd tried before. Unfortunately it was stiff as a board and no fun at all. My first carbon frame IIRC. Well overbuilt with huge tubing. Very uncomfortable to ride, even with fat tyres at low pressure. Wide q factor didn't agree with my knees. Couldn't get it set up tubeless satisfactorily. Big waste of money and soon sold for about half what it cost.
Giant Defy. Thinking back I'm not sure there was much wrong with it compared to similar alternatives. For some reason I wanted to get into road riding at the time but hadn't appreciated a few things. Such as driving a car or riding a mountain bike I had no idea the roads were so horrible with tiny tyres heading towards 100psi. Uncomfortable, rim brakes were crap, poor grip from tyres, wasn't even particularly light or quick. Sold after 2 rides.
Proflex 550, the steel one with a Flexstem (which just wobbled) and 1/2" of rear elastomer (which didn't even move). It was an much appreciated 18th birthday present, but it was a huge disappointment, the suspension just didn't work at all, and I absolutely hated it. I persevered with it for a while, but in the end I apologised to my parents and replaced it with an Kona Cinder Cone.
Dad still has the Proflex and has always liked it. The rear elastomer disintegrated, and got replaced with a some kind of rubber bushing from a Landover about 20 years ago.
I had (still have languishing in the shed actually) a Genesis Day One from 2015. Same feelings about it as the CdF haters above. And probably the same steel grade. Heavy dead lump. It served a purpose as a commuter and occasional on/off road hour or so blast bike but I replaced it with a custom steel frame build that isn't wildly different in geometry or purpose but is a lovely lovely thing and feels beyond comparison to ride, albeit at over twice the price.
Maybe the earlier CdF/D1 frames were very different and got the love?
Rubber_Buccaneer
Full MemberI hadn’t even taken in the bike, I was too shocked by the tyre brand mismatch
Dunno what you mean, it's a nice matchign pair of CSTs
Surly pugsly, my only venture into fatbikery, lasted a few months.
"Early Gary fisher rig. An uncomfortable and unwieldy boat of a bike"
Pretty much sums it up.
If someone wants to give me that Ellsworth I'll relieve you of that burden. Great looking down and top tube,rock solid,industrial looking rear suspension as well.Plenty of stand over height would be useful as well.Would be great for crashing downhill and surviving .Unlike most of the Jerry built carbon rubbish you folks ride.
monkeycmonkeydo
Free MemberWould be great for crashing downhill
Yup, 67.5 degree head angle, tiny wheelbase and high BB on a DH bike does have that effect. Seriously, it was just really really bad.
And it's not like that's an unfair modern view on it or that time's been unkind, because I replaced it with a 224 Evo that's literally 1 year newer, which is still a good bike and which I'm taking to fort william next week. The Orange's a wee bit dated, the Dare never dated because it was shit when it was brand new.
Head angle fine for all round riding.High bottom bracket is perfect to avoid rock strikes.As for a tiny Wheelbase that blue Ellsworth looks absolutely massive to me.
monkeycmonkeydo
Free MemberHead angle fine for all round riding.
Um, it's a downhill bike?
My least favorite has been a 2004 FSR expert. I was really excited about it, saved for a while, and when I got it I couldn't get on with it. It was my first and only FS. It had a comically small amount of mud clearance with a 2.1, and I could never get the suspension set up to feel quite right. I still have it though and it may get rebuilt to serve as a 'gravel' bike for no other reason than idle curiosity. It got replaced with a 07 reissue Clockwork which I love and only recently replaced.
I could ride that Ellsworth uphill like the god of Gnar I am.
I had a Yeti SB66 just felt slow and dull to ride, swapped it for an ASR5 and that was awesome. Been put off by the switch thing ever since so no more Yetis for me.
If Yeti did a modern 29er version of the ASR5 it could be amazing.
They're obviously not interested in selling bikes to plebs though.
Evil the following.
Great reviews, well hyped, bargain 2nd hand price, just felt so right the minute sat on it.
But was not good pointing up or down. Whether it was the fork or shock don’t know but just couldn’t get on with. Sold after 4 or 5 rides.
Proflex 550, the steel one with a Flexstem (which just wobbled) and 1/2″ of rear elastomer (which didn’t even move).
I really, really, wanted one of them.
My worse bike was a Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo around 1996/7 ish. It was meant to be an upgrade from my loved 93 Lava Dome but it was just rubbish, heavy, poor quality and had no soul. Made me fall in love with my Lava Dome all over again.
Salsa Fargo and Surly Krampus.
Both had good points but overall just didn't work for me.
I've been lucky I've mostly loved all my bikes, I had a GT bmx for a while that was fun, but riding it to the bmx track was endlessly painful
I got rid, then regretted it and later bought a felt brink cruiser dirt jumper which is a way worse bike, heavy and hard work, 0 fun
I absolutely loved my 2002 kona bear deelux (got frame discounted after I snapped my munimula) I loved that bike, did the mega on it - long travel plates taking it up to a mighty 120mm, Spain, alps, 7 stanes, Wales, local xc, snapped the chainstay and since then its been kept on as a relic, few years as go crc were selling off the chainstays for £20, so bought one and built it up.... My god its awful, short, steep, twitchy, bobs all over the place,generally lethal
We are spoilt these days
If Yeti did a modern 29er version of the ASR5 it could be amazing.
Yeah. I had an ASR-5 and loved it - possibly my favourite ever bike. Just great for ripping both up and down anything. I suspect it’d feel horribly flexy compared to something more modern though.
Id say that the new crop of ‘Downcountry’ bikes are essentially modern versions of the ASR-5. Perhaps that’s what the SB-130 is? But they’re hardly a bike for the masses at that price.
Orange Evo8. Weird sizing/angles, so felt like a gate, and was the stiffest thing known to mankind. Could barely ride it for more than 30mins before the pain became too much.
Unlike most of the Jerry built carbon rubbish you folks ride.
Nothing for it but to *swoon*
If Yeti did a modern 29er version of the ASR5 it could be amazing.
They’re obviously not interested in selling bikes to plebs though.
Agreed
Yeah. I had an ASR-5 and loved it – possibly my favourite ever bike. Just great for ripping both up and down anything. I suspect it’d feel horribly flexy compared to something more modern though.
Id say that the new crop of ‘Downcountry’ bikes are essentially modern versions of the ASR-5. Perhaps that’s what the SB-130 is? But they’re hardly a bike for the masses at that price.
I have a V3 Blur and I love it, good bike but it just doesn't give me that feeling the ASR5 did that thing felt like a rocket ship. Only reason I sold it was I should of been on a medium but had the small.
Maybe the SB100 is the new ASR5 but the switch infinity on it seems too complicated and bound to go wrong, and I personally think it makes their bikes look ugly..
Was that a recent model Allez?
Nope, 2015ish IIRC Allez Smartweld (with not overly smart welds)
Would have made a great crit bike...
Totally agree about the croix de fer, mine was just dull.
Early ‘90s Muddy Fox. Too big a frame (I never grew into the 21” seat tube), steep angles and stupidly narrow flat bar. The bike before was my 1988 Peugeot 24” wheel MTB (I got it when I was 9 hence the little wheels) with “dated” geometry. I now know it wasn’t dated, it was that better klunker geometry with big riser bars and slacker angles, before MTBs became way too much like road bikes.
In the end I found myself pumping the Muddy Fox’s tyres to 65 psi and mostly going on road rides! Gravel before its time...
I’ll buy those Talas forks off you!
Never owned a bike I really didn't like. If pushed it would have to be my Cotic BFe. Nothing wrong with it, but I was having a small bike phase at the time and it was too small for me. Trying to do the off-season Alps hardtail thing and it was just too twitchy.
Sold it and replaced with an Orange P7 with bigger wheels and a bigger frame and that was a huge improvement. Loved that bike. Eventually decided I'm getting too old to ride hardatails in the Alps though!
Huh, I did exactly that- I had a medium soul before, the internet said small bikes were flicky and fun, so I got a small bfe (off Mboy I think?). Yeah didn't fit, small bikes are small it turns out. Every time I rode it it just made me wish I still had the Soul
I would say the least popular bike in my shed would be a wasp bike.
Rubbish to sit on, terrible for rolling over terrain and if you break it it's going to sting.
Very cool though.
On One 456 Summer season, they were all the rage at the time , ended up throwing it in the skip after a failed attempt to remove a seized seatpost, never had a hardtail since.
had a Yeti SB66 just felt slow and dull to ride, swapped it for an ASR5 and that was awesome. Been put off by the switch thing ever since so no more Yetis for me.
My SB66 was the best descender I've ever had, and wasn't particularly slow on the ups or trail stuff either.
I just got fed up with the cracks.
Other than that one, most of the frames from my retrobike phase. Modern geometry, disc brakes and functioning suspension really do ride better than nostalgia. Who would have thought
I'll go with that. Over lockdown I restored my 1996 Marin. It's great for what it is, but retro bikes really are rubbish in comparison to modern bikes.
It's quite funny putting it next to my Jeffsy which fills the same niche, but would have been a DH bike when the Marin was built, but probably climbs just as well even though it's heavier and is FAR comfier
The Marin is my fire road and nostalgia piece.
The one I’ve been waiting since January for 😢
On one inbred can't remember the exact one as blanked it out my mind. Bright red colour build up with brand new drive train and the moment I went off road the chain sucked straight up. Did 4 rides pretty much wrecked the chain stay and gave it away. On one or planet x whatever they were didn't want to know as not an issue. Pretty sure their next range came with loads of chain ring clearance.