Waste of Money! The Worst Mountain Bike Products Ever

Over the years, the bike industry has had countless good ideas for products that improve riding, ride quality, durability, safety and of course, aesthetics. But the story doesn't stop there... Unfortunately, the bike industry sometimes keeps going, beyond rhyme and reason, pausing not to ask if just because they can, does it mean that they should? When they do just that, we're left with some of the products in this list.
⏱ Timestamps ⏱
00:00 - Intro
00:21 - Rockshox Disc Brakes
01:45 - Proprietary Shocks
03:04 - Extremely Short Stems!
04:11 - Gripshift
05:26 - Shimano Dual Control
06:01 - Anything Made From An Elastomer
06:40 - Truvativ Hammerschmidt
07:41 - Suspension Stems
08:47 - Bar Ends
09:30 - Cheese Grips
10:25 - One Piece Bar And Stem
Useful Links:
Watch The UCI MTB World Series Elite Racing On GCN+ 👉 gmbn.eu/mtb23
NEW GMBN XC Kit! 👉 gmbn.eu/XCKit
Racing Highlights & More On GMBN Racing 👉 gmbn.eu/GMBNracing
Watch Shorts on GMBN 👉 gmbn.eu/GMBNshorts
Ride with us at the Global Bike Festival 👉 gmbn.eu/GBF2023
Submit your Photo and Video to us 👉 upload.gmbn.com/
Sign-up to our newsletter 👉 gmbn.eu/newsletter
Have you ever purchased something for mountain biking that you regret? Is that even truly possible? Let us know down below 👇
Watch more on GMBN...
📹 Watch Blakes adventures at Swatch Nines! gmbn.eu/SwatchNinesBikes
📹 Watch our Editor’s Choice Playlist 👉 gmbn.eu/EditorsChoice
📹 Watch our weekly show, The Dirt Shed Show 👉 gmbn.eu/dirtshedplaylist
🎵 Music - licensed by Epidemic Sound 🎵
Elektro Sunset - Forever Sunset
#GMBN #GlobalMountainBikeNetwork #MTB #MountainBiking
📸 Photos - © UCI Mountain Bike World Series / Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & © Sprint Cycling Agency
The Global Mountain Bike Network (GMBN) is the world’s largest and fastest-growing online mountain bike channel and community - and your destination for the best mountain bike content in the world.
GMBN is dedicated to inspiring and unlocking your riding potential. Our videos cater to fans of every mountain bike discipline: from mile-munching cross-country (XC) riders, through adrenaline-fuelled dirt jumpers, gravity-hungry downhillers or aspiring enduro racers, and beyond.
Every day of every month, our ex-pro presenting team are on hand to entertain and inspire you while also providing a uniquely qualified insight into the world of mountain biking. Every week we deliver original daily videos that include:
Adventurous and entertaining features
Mountain bike skills coaching
Technical advice and guidance
Mechanical know-how to keep you rolling
A place for the riding community with our weekly Dirt Shed Show
Thanks to our sponsors:
Canyon Bikes: gmbn.eu/Canyon
Nukeproof Bikes: gmbn.eu/nukeproof
Orbea Bikes: gmbn.eu/Orbea
Park Tool: gmbn.eu/ParkTool
Smith Helmets & Eyewear: gmbn.eu/Smith
Crankbrothers Pedals: gmbn.eu/crankbros
Shimano Footwear: gmbn.eu/ShimanoShoes
Ergon: gmbn.eu/ergon
Vittoria Tires: gmbn.eu/Vittoria
FSA: gmbn.eu/fsa
Spank: gmbn.eu/Spank
Topeak: gmbn.eu/topeak
Garmin: gmbn.eu/Garmin
Peaty's Products: gmbn.eu/Peatys
Wahoo: gmbn.eu/WahooTraining
Worx Power Tools: gmbn.eu/Worx
CamelBak: gmbn.eu/CamelBak
Watch our sister channels:
GMBN Racing - gmbn.eu/GMBNracing
GMBN Tech - / gmbntech
Electric Mountain Bike Network - / embn
GMBN auf Deutsch - / gmbnaufdeutsch
Global Cycling Network - / gcn
GCN Tech - / gcntech
GCN Racing - / gcnracing
Global Triathlon Network - / gtn
GCN Italia - / gcnitalia
GCN en Espanol - / gcnenespanol
GCN auf Deutsch - / gcnaufdeutsch
GCN en Francais - / gcnenfrancais
GCN Japan - / gcnjapan
GCN Training - / gcntraining

[@andymiller3889]

I used Onza bar ends back in my NORBA days, and can wholeheartedly say they were great for climbing. Modern geometry has done away with the need for them, but back when you were rocking a triple on the front of your 26er hardtail, they really helped!

[@durango1487]

100% agree with @andymiller3889 - and I'll add that my 1991 Klein Rascal still sports them (Onza of course) and I still ride the bike when my other is in the shop. Bar ends were not just for climbing, but great on the flats as well. They allowed us to move our hands around a bit when we had ZERO suspension, or at best maybe an inch and a half up front. I'll also swear by the FIRST generation of Grip Shift (3x6). The aforementioned Klein still has the first gen Grip Shift. The bike was relegated to the second tier when I got a full squish bike a couple of years ago, but the first gen Grip Shift, after all these years and hours of abject ABUSE, still work reasonably well considering their age (kinda like me). Some of the things on your list are spot on, but some of those mentioned were built back in the early days of MTB when everyone was trying to solve problems, and we knew pretty quickly they didn't work. Just my opinion as a guy whose first mountain bike was an1987 Diamond Back. You guys are great, keep up the awesome channel.

[@artao5]

Not to mention other hand position options to reduce hand and wrist strain.

[@stephenkeeling]

Absolutely: I’ve always had bar ends on my XC mountain bike. I especially use them when climbing. Really useful to have another position.

[@ivanjednobiegowiec7656]

...or on single speed bike. Absolutely ace on mashing uphills whilst busting your knee caps off xD

[@ephraimki7783]

yeah. i had a kästle bike back then and they had this nice shaped handlebar with bar ends on them. for climbing it was perfect. used it A LOT. because it was in one piece you could also hold at the curvature for a more comfy position. loved it!

[@ewxlt]

Gripshift was excellent! Loved it for almost 10 years. Avid mechanical disc brakes were adequate also.

[@Skyum123]

Blake finding that cheese in his bar, had me genuinely laughing 😂

[@miker4926]

I had gripshifts on my first mountain bike. To be fair I quiet liked them, having said that I wouldn't go back to them now. As for bar ends, I have them on my hardtail. I tend to do long cross country rides, and I find being able to change my hand position onto the ends gives me a bit of relief when fatigue sets in. I'll carry on using them.

[@daniellarson3068]

I had bar ends on a bike for 30 years to prevent that hand numbing from that dumb straight bar. After 30 years I finally changed the handlebars on my bike to further avoid hand numbness.

[@Seppster58]

Oh Martyn. I installed suspension stem and seat post on my gravel bike to help me in an 250km ride last summer. I tell you it was the best investment I would say I did for that bike. It helped me endure those rough roads I hit. I am still a MTBer at heart and use my MTBs mostly, but for those odd gravel rides, that upgrade was great.

[@twillyspanksyourcakes]

These 2 won't understand that. They're elitist mountainbikers who only ride trails and thinks other forms of cycling is shit. No different from an elitist roadie

[@alexrhughes]

Which products did you use?

[@fademasterfade227]

Ditto. Redshift stem on the gravel/adventure bike is a win for me. Would not want on my mtb of course.

[@TheIainternet]

Definitely one of the few, but I quite liked gripshift back in the day! 🙊🤣 Always seemed to be people who never actually had them that ragged on them 😅

[@JIMMYHIBBS1]

Adult grip shift isn’t too bad I guess - but they always stick it in kids bikes, and it’s too stiff for them to change gear - awful thing (on kids bikes)

[@JoeJoe-C137]

My mate spends stupid money on bikes and he always puts a gripshift on it, first upgrade.. his a nutter

[@Yoda-em5mt]

Grip shift wtf is the dumbest things ever the reason they were popular is they are super cheap compared to shimano shifter i was sponsored by a company that had grip shift on all there bikes and the hole team refused to use the crap.

[@johnmarsland3442]

I had sachs ‘wavy shifters’ like a low rent gripshift. Loved em.

[@AaronHendu]

I dont mind grip shifters on certain bikes...not MTB though.

[@enlin]

Shimano Biopace, inverse rear derailleurs, and Spengle wheels come to mind. I've been in the bicycle business for 27 years now, and we've seen some odd trends over time. I love the innovations that have endured, like Azonic's idea of a hollow crank, where the bottom bracket bearings were outside of the frame-a concept that eventually evolved into Hollowtech II. Or take telescopic seat posts; we used to have springs that never really worked well. All hail the single front chainring; it was like Christmas for mechanics when we finally got rid of the front derailleur. And don't get me started on disc brakes-amazing. I'm also a big fan of tubeless tires and adjustable high- and low-speed damping [Tim Allen-style grunt] Urr-urr-urr!

[@jeffv.1743]

I love my bar ends, BB7's. Also used and loved Gripshift for many years but now have a 10spd thumb shift. Might be old tech, but won't leave you stranded.

[@isitafox]

Cable disc brakes are class if you set them up right. Had some TRP Spyres on a CX bike with XT Icetech rotors and they were unbelievably powerful, also the right pads and cables in a set of Avid BB7's can be amazing

[@fademasterfade227]

Same here, still using Spyre's on my adventure bike and they are fine. For riding in remote areas , days away from any bike shop, simplicity has it's upsides.

[@donkauer6744]

I agree. Have Hayes cable disk on one of my mtb's and they are awesome.

[@shawnwells5719]

I have BB7 on a vintage Ventana Pantera and they are great for trail riding. Hydros are only advantageous for sustained downhill riding, or extremely technical stuff. For a long backcountry ride, cable discs are trailside repairable.

[@SamMilsomJediMaster]

I still run a set of recycled BB7s on my skinny tyre commuter Frankenstein bike and love em. On an MTB though, have to be hydraulic now.

[@madmax2069]

Yup, my cable disc brakes will toss me if I pull the handle too hard. They provide all the braking power I could ever want in brakes. But not all cable brakes are made the same, my friends cable disc brakes on his bike are nothing in comparison to mine, even putting a lot of force into the brake handle I can barely get the rear tire to lock up, but I guess it can be a good and bad thing. I've tried cleaning the rotors, changing the pads, aligning, adjusting the cable and stationary piston, scuffing the rotor and pad and try rebedding and they just won't improve.

[@Kim_Miller]

When my son turned 16 he decided he was too cool for his old BMX bike and I bought him a new mountain bike, and decided to also get one for myself so we could ride together. Mine had GripShifters and it was a useless system. However, my son loved it so we swapped shifters between the bikes and were both happy.

[@NatCurrier]

I actually liked GripShift... I still have it on my old SuperV with Sram 9.0 and XRay with Gortex Cables.... never had trouble with unexpected shifts. I am not sure I would put it on a bike now, but they worked great back when they were fresh and new.

[@Greg41982]

Definitely have loved Grip Shift for many years. I just only recently switched with my newest 1x12 bike. I've never had much of a problem with inadvertent shifts. At least they didn't break every 5 minutes like 90s STI. Bar ends were great too. And yes, one piece bar and stem combos are a nightmare, but it's hard to argue that my green Klein Adroit doesn't look amazing (even with the little cable guide macaroni.)

[@InsanercYT]

sram has 12 speed gripshift just so you know

[@mathias5171]

I have the eagle grip shift on my casual/light trail bike I love them. The feedback is super clicky and I love being able to dump and gain tons of gears with the flick of a wrist. Also just shifting in general with so many gears is more effortless and easier on your wrist with a grip sift. Works well with Jones bars as long as you’re willing to sacrifice a grip.

[@rcLawnDartPilot]

I liked bar ends back in the 90s. Great for steep climbs and such. But it only works with the narrow bars of the era. Couldn't imagine how awkward it would feel with 800mm handlebars. Lol

[@paule4204]

Once the bars are wider than 660mm it gets strange. On a 580mm bar you can tuck into an aero position and hammer

[@artao5]

Not to mention other hand position options to reduce hand and wrist strain.

[@futebolguy84]

LoL I tried it on a 760 bar. I just never used them because the position wasn't right. Then I shifted them to inboard of the brakes and that's been really good for long rides or headwinds. It puts them roughly in the same position as hoods on a road bike. They still have a place, just not at the ends of the bars 😂

[@eternaloptimist2840]

You can mount bar ends not on the end of the bar for a longer narrower position, like Cinelli Spinaci.

[@JeremyLawrence-imajez]

Bar inners like SQLabs ones or even bar ends that you can mount inside brakes/shifters work really well. Having a variety of hand positions on long rides or when going faster and you can get more aero makes a big difference on a big ride. The SQLabs ones are basically mimic riding on the hoods of dropbars, which is a the most comfy position on drops.

[@johnbodenchuk514]

I tend to disagree on the cable disc brakes. I run Paul Clampers or TRP on all my bikes. Ease of maintenance, yes some adjustments are required but easy to do. For long XC rides and especially bikepacking, crash, damage or unforeseen issues are easier to fix on the trail with mechanical.

[@pmiller7886]

Alot of cyclocross guys around here run TRP hy/rd brakes, that's how I found them. Never going back to full hydro.

[@rident]

I like mechanical brakes on commuter bikes and for traveling. I think changes in frame/fork designs for disc braking and the evolution of bike disc brakes themselves has come a long way since those early Rockshox versions and mechanical is actually pretty good 95% of the time. Try some newer, cheap TRP Spyre or similar mechanical discs sometime - they won't be as good as hydraulic but they are just fine for most riding, much cheaper, and less of a hassle for air travel as they don't need spacers and there's no worrying about the levers getting pulled, lines getting damaged, or fluid leaking/bleeding.

[@eternaloptimist2840]

I have TRP Spyke on my e-bike which is a heavy beast even before I get on it, and with slick tyres on good tarmac I can stop as hard as I want with no drama. Not really cheap though.

[@ArtanisKizrath]

another option is the middle ground between mech and hydro - cable-actuated hydraulic disc brake. That's what I use in my commuter.

[@rosserobertolli]

I had the shimano-dual-shifter-thingy's and I loved them! Mainly because of the room for your hands, thumbs not rubbing against shifters, but I get how they can be a nuisance for rough rides

[@colinl2908]

SQ labs innerbarends are awesome if you ride on road or fire trails!

[@iepekiepe]

Absolutely loved (and still do) the xtr dual controls. Important to uninstall the thumb knobs - dumb knobs- . Never miss shifed. Super reliable even in the roughest terrain.

[@jimwing.2178]

That describes my experience with them. Loved 'em.

[@jzab]

I miss the dual shift controls after I upgraded my bike too. They are great.

[@ZillaYT]

Specialized “Brain” proprietary shock.

[@pcpwcail]

I really liked bar ends I still have them on my commuter bike, and ergon makes them as for the one piece bar stem set up I've got the bontrager version 150mm stem with a hyperlight bar epoxied and riveted in place.😊

[@johnmarsland3442]

1998, bought a Spin 3 spoke carbon wheel for the rear. 3 months of it rattling and rumbling and being generally heavier than the sunn mammoth I took off I cracked the carbon from one side of the brake surface to the other. Proper waste of money that one.

[@burningatthetrailhead]

I love grip shift 😅 the next bike I get will be "downgraded" to grip shift.

[@chrisburn7178]

Have to disagree about cable disc brakes! They are maligned because most often they're not set up well (particularly one piston ones where the non moving pad needs to be as close as possible to the disc) and have cheap cables which are mushy. I've had a set of twin-piston cable discs on my gravel bike for about 5 years and they have not needed any maintenance at all besides occasionally screwing out a barrel adjuster. Quality ones have great power as well.

[@madmax2069]

Yup, my cable disc brakes will toss me over the handlebars if I apply too much force into the handle, and honestly that more than enough braking force I could ever want. And mine are the single piston, single stationary piston calipers. Now the cable disc brakes on my friends bike is nowhere even close to mine. I've tried everything short of replacing the braking system and the brakes on his can barely lock up the rear tire, and that's applying a lot of force into the handle. I've tried cleaning the rotors, scuffing the rotors and pads and rebedding, replacing the pads with new, realigning the caliper, adjusting the stationary piston, adjusting the cable and they just won't improve. They'll stop you, but don't offer nowhere near the amount of braking performance as mine do.

[@CMZPICTURES]

I had a Ridgeback with integrated barends, gripshift and a flexstem. I loved that bike! I do remember being amazed at how much faster the flexstem made me because my eyeballs weren't bouncing up and down as much. Magic carpet ride. :-) Apparently you can still get a 2 speed chainset that you shift by kicking the crank bolt. Schlumpf drive. Popular on Bromptons.

[@Jayneflakes]

I had Gripshift and even tried the top end X-Rays, but every single one was awful. I went back to Shimano Deore Thumbshifters in the end and ran them on my old bike until two years ago. However, there was one product I craved and was thoroughly disappointed by when I got them. Campag Stheno rims. They came polished and were super narrow, but flared out for the tyre, giving a horribly curved brake surface. I built a set onto Deore LX hubs, back in 93 when the new XTR Looking groupset was released and on the very first ride, they rolled the front tyre and bent the rim, which locked in the brakes. I ran Scott Pederesen SE brakes and Ritchey Z-Max tyres and the only way to keep the tyres on the rim and running through the brakes was to run them at near road pressure. I swapped back to Mavic pretty quick.

[@David-bw7is]

I had bar ends on a GT Avalanche in 92/93 and I thought I looked like a pro....I then had Grip shift on a SCOTT in the late 90s and once again thought I looked like a pro....I even had a chrome derailleur "protection" cage, that used to get caught in everything and bring half the countryside home with me ....And now because of GMBN I've come to realise for the last 30 years my "You look like a Pro" thoughts were all a lie!!! :-D

[@curtvaughan2836]

My 21 year old Klein has bar ends, and they still make sense for the shorter wheelbase bicycles of the 90s and early 2000s. They help in climbs, and also allow for a slightly better aero position on flat terrain.

[@Kim_Miller]

Martyn's going to hate me for this. I've had RedShift suspension stems on two bikes (one road one gravel) and they are great bits of kit. They take a lot of road buzz out of my wrists. And to add insult to injury, the suspension stem works with a choice of hard to soft elastomers. Oh dear, now I've done it. I've also got a Spesh Roubaix from 2017 that has elastomers in the seat stays and the front forks. Double whammy. The later Roubaix has their Future Shock suspension stem and it can be a bit of a dog.

[@simonrook5743]

Still using a grip shift, but it’s on my Hybrid commuting bike and I like the reduce bar clutter and risk of damage in bike racks the grip shift gives.

[@artao5]

I have Grip Shift and LOVE IT!! I've been using 'em for over 20 years (same set, tho I had to replace the left shifter after it broke in a crash against a tree.) When set up well it works great. You can rip through gears up or down smoothly in one full rotation or less, flat, downhill, or uphill under tension; even front and rear at the same time. Even in sub-freezing temperatures with the gears and derailleurs covered in snow and ice. I've not used lever shifters that can do all that, particularly in both directions. I also have and love bar ends. I will probably always have them on bikes I own. They 1) Provide alternative grip positions to ease strain and for comfort and 2) They absolutely help with climbing. But then, I'm riding a circa 2001 Iron Horse Warrior 26" wheel aluminum hardtail. With bar ends. And with Avid Single Digit 7 V-brakes. Technical single-track is my favorite sort of riding, but I don't get to do much of it these days. I DO ride year round tho, and I live in Wisconsin where it can get very very cold and very hot. These these days I tend to avoid riding in hot weather as I'm over 50 and heat stroke is a real concern.

[@user-mm6yy1rd2g]

Love my Ergon GP4 bar ends. Great to have an alternative hand position on long rides and they also allow me to get my weight a little more forward on really steep clumps

[@vehicle-stuff]

Grip shifters are not so bad. Especially on smaller handlebars and a city bike or a commuter. Like a cheap MTB or a city bike, especially with 6 speeds. I have one for over 10 years on my city bike and it works like a swiss watch. But I do not come out if it's raining. Also I do believe that they do not have place on a wide handlebars (>70cm).

[@kroee]

Bar ends are great, they give you great control while climbing. Their only disadvantage is they can get caught on stalks and branches.

[@mathewmann7993]

That was a bit of a shock to see my old ParkPre bear the brunt of the bar ends hate 😂 Still have the frame kicking about, but all the other hits got sold. The bar ends were great for commuting though!

[@rogerd9405]

Actually there are a few cable pull disc brakes that work pretty well. Avid/Sram makes one that I'm running on one of my bikes and Pauls makes one that I have not tried but many swear by. They actually prefer them over hydraulic.

[@PereAndreuUbachdeFuentes]

The GripShift, or Shimano's Revoshift, is a great option for the front derailleur. Particularly if it is non SIS or friction.

[@ninefingerdeathgrip]

Hey wow, thanks for that rock shox disc brake bit! I have had weird three bolt front hub for a while now, it came in a parts lot with bike and seller couldn't tell what it was as they had rim brake rim laced to it and for most of it's life it had been used with HS33's. I haven't found any info before this and nobody i have asked couldn't remember who used that kind of bolt pattern. Now that you talked about rock shox brakes, i conducted a new search and bingo.

[@BFD_Bike_Frames]

Fist thing first. Grip shift are awsome. Never had a shift problem with them. But what was a waste was biopace chain rings. Thanks you guys. Keep up the fun.

[@ArtanisKizrath]

I'm also a gravel rider and suspension stems are amazing. They "mute" out tiny vibrations like washboard sensations and tiny gravel. They help lessen the fatigue in your hands. Suspension forks are great at absorbing big impacts like jumps or drops but you'd still feel the jarring vibrations if you go over washboards and bigger gravel. Suspension stems are definitely not for MTBs - even for XC.

[@MarvinWestmaas]

Am I the only one who still enjoys riding with bar ends? I just find it enjoyable / relaxing to be able to switch my wrist orientation now and then, and it actually feels really nice when riding up a gradient imho.

[@andrew_gardner]

recently got a gravel bike to do some extra riding when the forest trails are too muddy. It has the Redshift suspension stem and I really don't notice it, maybe because I didn't have a solid stem to start so I don't have a comparison.

[@alexguiver815]

Hayes SO1E disc brakes were even worse than the RockShox ones you featured; they were hydraulic (DOT fluid) but single piston NON-floating calipers. What you had to do to set them up was adjust the fixed inner pad so it was literally kissing the rotor by means of a 50p piece-sized adjuster nut behind the pad which was then secured by means of an M3 grub screw in the caliper body. These were OEM on a 2006 Orange G2 26" hardtail I bought new and I think I would have been better off with V-brakes but unlike the otherwise identical Gringo, the frame didn't have brake posts. Eventually I upgraded them to Shimano M765s (thankfully without dual control levers) which literally transformed the entire bike.

[@lexington476]

9:07 in an era before camera phones I MAY have had bar ends on a mountain bike... but there's no pictures so I will neither confirm nor deny this 😎.

[@mtbboy1993]

4:37 great points. but I saw No Front Brakes uses grip shift on the left side, as he's was born without a hand on the right.

[@gustavmeyrink_2.0]

One very short-lived item I loved and still do were Mavic underbar gear shifters. I also got a Mavic rear mech which was and still is fantastic.

[@RuiSilvaPT]

My good old revamped 26" has short bar ends and they rock on the climbing position! My Banshee 29er doesn't have them installed.

[@forlorndream1400]

I had bar ends on my old GT Tequesta MB. I took them off when one got snagged in brambles while riding fast on narrow track and I was flung over the bars. I also cut down my bars to 630mm after that incident.

[@turntabillist]

My 1999 Trek 6000 commuter bike has bar ends. Dang, I love em' and use them constantly! But yeah, it still has super narrow bars...

[@dwaynebrietzke]

I got a set of diatech disc brakes in 99. They operated the same as the Rock Shox ones in that they were cable operated and the caliber was floating only pushed from one side. They were barely equal to the V brakes I had replaced them with. However I did taco a front wheel and after repairing the flat was able to finish the ride (taco was not that bad) but if I had V brakes it would have been unrideable. Right after I upgraded to Hayes hydro disc brakes and the difference was astonishing. Loved grip shift though. Used it for years and years.

[@rogerd9405]

As for the GripShift, somehow I broke mine in to where I didn't need to twist my wrist to shift gears. All I had to do is flick my thumb and it would switch gears up or down with minimal effort. That part of it worked really well. But yes, I would accidentally switch gears one in a while.

[@pingwingugu5]

If you loved the idea of Truvativ Hammerschmidt - a 2 gear gearbox in your cranks you cans still get one. It's called Schlumpf Drive and they offer it in Speed and Mountain version (mountain gives you a reduction of gearing, speed version increases the gearing). You operate them by you foot, by tapping a button on your cranks. Apparently it is sturdy enough for MTBs.

[@carlbrain3758]

I've worked in bike shops for over 20 years. Have had some great ones over the years. Customer buying a bike specifically asked for bar ends to carry their shopping bags. Also had a dad ask for some toe straps because he was trying to teach his son to ride but he kept taking his feet off the pedals 🤣

[@bubtheloop]

I have problems with my wrists from work on computers and really miss the barends on my new bike. they are a great relief on straight parts

[@fpeter01]

I had a gripshift on my first mtb. Shimano TY 7speed. It was nice, but the gear change required a lot of force and I had to wear gloves on hot days because shifting with sweaty hands was not easy. I have a xx1 gripshift laying around and I wonder how much it has changed. For bikepacking it can be a really good solution.

[@NoBrakes23]

Onza bar ends helped on those old 80s machines. Even today, the minimal Cane Creek or Ergon bar ends offer marginal assistance. But with 800mm bars they do get in the way. Possible best left to niche things like bikepacking or weird mixed surface events. I currently have both a suspension stem on my gravel bike and those Scott Hixon barstems on my hardtail. Not really a fan of either, but the suspension stem WAS nice on my commuter. (The Scott bars were a super cheap take off deal from my LBS. A relatively cheap and fun experiment.)

[@davidmatthew5246]

I have a vintage GT Team LTS, that sports the GripShift, and the Onza Bar ends. I loved both items. Having said that, you are correct, when wet, the Gripshift are horrible. With regards to the Bar ends, they made climbing WAY easier for me, as I had much better leverage, as I gripped the "Corner" where they met the end of the bars. They worked in either standing or sitting positions.

[@iansingleton]

Just started riding my hard tail a lot again doing 60mile+ track & trail XC rides, the kids call this "gravel riding" even though there's not a patch of gravel in sight! I've recently put some bar ends on so I've got a couple more hand positions while out in the saddle for 5 - 6 hours and they're brilliant! They're a cheap upgrade and give me plenty of comfort! I've never used them before, I certainly wouldn't put them on my full suspension bike but I wouldn't be without them now for those big XC rides!

[@DanyaAnderson]

Had a lefty and hated it, had Gripshift (still do on a retro) and love them 😂. Elastomer Girvin parallel fork felt and looked awesome. Ergo bar ends are 🤟 for bikepacking. They missed the opportunity to rag on the Thudbuster - also in my collection 😅

[@LukasDePraga]

Have you seen the new barStem combo from Giant? It has adjustable “stem” length and also roll. That may solve the issues you pointed out. And they do look cool.

[@johnlschmidt1117]

Love GripShift, even use it for my fork lockout. Keeps it out of the way of the dropper lever.

[@andythomson3379]

Suspension stems: Anything complicated in the headset can get in the sea, but the simplicity of a redshift stem (complete with elastomers....) is easily worth double the money for taking the edge of the vibrations hitting your wrists. Game changer on my gravel bike, not sure why anyone would bother with tyres measured in inches.

[@liquefactionist]

I have ridden with Shimano dual shift/brake shifters for 20 or so years and never accidentally shift when braking. I love not having to move to get different gears. Suspension stems, worst part is down hill, brake, and now you tip more forward and go over the bars.

[@alexanderelia]

The og rockshox reverb dropper post had the fatal air bubble build up which lead to it being squishy by about 2" when topped out. Useless on a full squish but on a hardtail it gives a great comfort ride

[@mr.fatcyclist5836]

Gripshifts and bar-ends were great. Even today I use small bar-ends on my XC/Gravel bike.

[@nigelaston8640]

I used and enjoyed Gripshift back in the day, The low end stuff was a bit naff but i loved the higher end stuff. As far as cable disc brakes are concerned back many moons ago Zoom brought a cable hydraulic system out long before Rockshock and they were quite good, Nowhere near as good as modern hydraulic discs but so much more power than V brakes

[@RoryV01]

I enjoy these more relaxed desk videos. Obviously they're more suited to certain topics but this one was great.

[@ryanknipe2052]

My 7 year old's girls mtb bike came with gripshift. She could drop gears, but going back up? Her little hands didn't have the strength. So I changed it to trigger shifting and she's much happier now :)

[@florenceetalexismartel8365]

1 one crap investments I made : a saddle with "gel" inside to increase the confort, bad product, bad confort for me ! 1 "new" bad investment, a "tubolito" spare tube in case the sealant doesn't fix a puncture. I was happy because it was a "light" spare to carry. But after several month, the first time I had to use it, it didn't work because the valve it too fragile !

[@jennifercrosland9352]

While I agree with most ( especially the cheese grips) I do feel that bar ends have their place. I have seen many MTB vs Gravel bike face offs but the gravels always seem to be tweaked for the ride ( tire size gearing etc) but not the MTBs. I would like to see a fair head to head "vs" video but tweak the MTB, hardtail, narrower bars with bar ends and comparable tires. ( yes I ride my older specialized hardrock comp disc in this set up) oh and I love hydraulic brakes..but have to say my tektro IO brakes are as grabby as my hydraulics on my newer road bike.

[@AnonymousAndy2]

Back in the very early 90s I had a Girvin flex stem and it was pretty good. Remember, back then the tire’s were pretty narrow so anything that helped comfort was a good thing 😂. Obviously now, even basic forks are much better. Bar ends were also useful as the bars were so narrow & the reach was less than todays bikes, so they allowed you to get your weight further over the front on the climbs. As for grip shifts, awful things 😂😂. And elastomer suspension was ok(ish) but you had to service it regularly and if the seals let water in they just locked up & didn’t move.

[@jramirezar]

I used grip shift a few years, a very old 26er , back in 2002-2005, they were great, and bar ends were also great, even considering new ones for my hardtail that I will be using for gravel, not completely sold on drop bars for gravel...

[@Carambal81]

Gripshift is awesome, I still have it on my older hardtail bike and I will keep using it for as long as possible. For modern bikes I don't use it, since it is not really suited to be used with lock-out and dropper levers. I have quite large hands and I keep bumping my fingers into the levers for shifting. This can be very painful and even result in small wounds on my fingers on a long ride. Nowadays especially with added lock-out and dropper levers, there is too much crap around my hand and fingers. Gripshift is simply excellent, I never have unexpected shifts, all the grip on the handlebar I need and no issues with painful and bloody fingers.

[@impaledface7694]

I love gripshift...... for xc. Dumping all the gears on rolling terrain is amazing. However on techie riding it was a little unsettling when you shifted accidentally(kind of a skill issue). My issue is I never kill my shifters so I don't bother buying new shifters, gripshift or otherwise. Never had an issue in the mud but I don't remember riding in much here. Rather have gripshift then e-shift. I still think bar ends are great for gravel or road riding since it gives an extra neutral grip.

[@canardweb]

Huge respect to you Mr Ashton but the integrated stem and handlebars you are talking of is the Clean Kombo and it breaks inevitably.

[@shanold7681]

I feel like the lefty is fine because if it breaks you could just swap to a normal fork. I'm fine with proprietary as long as it uses a standard mount. so you aren't stuck with it.

[@fajrding5879]

Still use bar end to this day 😂. Sometimes i ride long km to get to the trails and bar end offers me comfort in changing hand position while doing it

[@karsnoordhuis4351]

Im still running gripshifts on my touring bike i use as my daily driver. Bought new by my dad in the 90s and the shift is still excellent. I am however glad ive got 'normal' shifters on my mtb with all the mud flying around.

[@MaNNeRz91]

Used the cheapest hydraulic brakes on eBay for years now. No issues at all. No leaking. No bad feedback through the levers. No bleeding problems. No fitment problems. The only thing I would like to have is either adjustable lever throw or adjustable pressure

[@MrStonedraider]

Gonna have to stan the flexistem, I had one on an old proflex back in the day (couldn't afford the girvin forks model) while it was a push to call it front suspension, they definitely took the chatter out of rough surfaces and reduced hand fatigue. brifters were awful , barends were great till you fell on them and got cookie cuttered. my pet peev were proprietary axle sizes, try finding a replacement rear hub for a 25mm rear axle

[@eternaloptimist2840]

Blame the cookie not the cutter: one of the most basic bike safety rules is "No open tube ends". If you don't have proper plugs whittle a stick and jam it in.

[@MrStonedraider]

@@eternaloptimist2840 I was only a kid when bar ends came out and the end caps on onza barends would end up inside the tube the first time they hit the floor, when i was old enough to afford my own bikes I always bought the aluminium hope bar plugs which would get scuffed up in the first week

[@sandiandlee]

I loved my Shimano XT Dual control levers and I even had them for my cable disc brakes. I ran them on my Kona Wo fat bike until 2021!

[@SephGarreffa]

back in the days i had the dual control shifters and i loved them!

[@fredfirth3834]

And I love my bar ends, too. Great for more leverage going up hills. We did call them tree-catchers back in the day.

[@davidbell2490]

I switched over to gripshift when I injured my thumb and couldn't work the shift lever. Never had any problems. They were also great in the winter fatbiking when wearing heavy gloves. Also suspension stem and seatpost are great on the gravel bike when riding the really rough and washboarded roads we have in Idaho, just taking the sharp edge off the ride. Really an entirely different use case than MTB.

[@TheButlerNZ]

Cable disk breaks are BRILLIANT.... for giving you the most scariest downhill ride ever... I rode a bike with a set as clean and well working as I could get them... down a local track called Starfish.... A dark blue with multi small drops.... Riding my Giant with oil soaked pads, or the time I rode it on starfish (and videoed that one) with the front axle loose... still don't compare to the fear I had with cables, mid triple drop, when I remembered I had NO brakes thanks to the wet spaghetti stopping power of cable discs... Did you know they made some motorbikes with cable disks... I had one (for bucket racing, but immediately removed them)... on a Honda CB125T. Some people still try and argue that cable needs less adjustment than Hydraulic... (I'm fairly sure I had to adjust mine before/after EVERY ride yet barely touch my current ones (ok I cleaned the oil off the pads but they're still on the bike in my videos) and they've been on the bike since i got it nearly 5 years ago...

[@Ronald.1Rigas]

use a degreaser and soap and water to fix the oily problem ... even just keep them wet to burn off the contaminant

[@TheButlerNZ]

@@Ronald.1Rigas Never burn off the contaminant, you just leave behind carbon that can be even harder to remove. I've been cleaning brake pads for about 40 years (back to the 80's cleaning drum brakes with similar issues)... I use brake clean (for obvious reasons) and Methylated spirits. ( A jar just big enough to hold the pads, 1/3 filled.. Soak n shake. My channel bike is running 3 year old (already 2nd hand when I got it) soaked pads that I cleaned and have had one finger braking for 4 years since. The feel is brilliant... EVERY set of cable disks I have tried have the feel of bearing boxing gloves to pick up a pin.

[@daleboy557]

Remember my Trans X bar ends

[@adamthompson4979]

I had the XTR dual control shifters. If the conditions were dry, and for 2-3 rides, the shifting was great. Any wet riding and after 2-3 rides, the shifting got awful, I assume moisture, and or dirt/dust, got into the cable housing and just severely degraded the performance.

[@Btothewill]

Almost got a new old stock 2016 cannondale frame last year but glad I didn’t since they have pull shocks that they don’t make anymore.

[@ericrosenburg657]

GripShift X-ray was my first set. I still ride that bike with Shimano XT parts and a pair of modern GripShift. So great! I am probably going to go with SRAM on my next bike just so I can have that one shifter on my right, just like a throttle! Really, use them for a while and give me a real reason why you wouldn’t use them.

[@Filthy_Rich_556]

I remember Blake discovering the residue cheese😂😂 legendary GMBN moment!

[@thievingjoker]

I like the Specialized stem on my gravel bike. Just takes a bit of the edge off. It only moves about half an inch. In my past though I have suffered with Gripshift, Biopace oval rings, and the really bad Thudbuster :-)

[@downeastmtb8091]

My boys 21 & 18 (well men, I guess) still ride my '94 Cannondale Delta V600 and I will die on this hill... I LOVE my Gripshifts! (They don't like them but that's beside the point!) I'm riding a modern bike now (just bought in '19) and I'm still not used to the shifting! I would absolutely love to rehab that V600. But as you say, elastomer effed it all up, as the Headshok is shot.😥 Also, no mention of toe clips? 😉

[@SteveMuir]

I still have a set of Mozo Pro elastomer forks on my GT Timberline. They were a massive upgrade from the rigid forks it came with. It does only get ridden on gravel so that must make it OK.. It is the kayak shuttle bike. One upside is the low cost of servicing. i.e. zero vs the service on the Fox factory 32 mm on the Trance.

[@kevindean9613]

Myself & many use a twist shift /pinion & a suspension stem on my all terrain touring bike .

[@PereAndreuUbachdeFuentes]

Lack of aesthetics cannot be an argument to say something is worthless. That goes for bar ends, which I am fond of, and cannot understand a MTB without them.

[@marcalvarez4890]

Bar ends for the win. More hand positions for grinding long miles uphill! Yay!

[@jonahdewitt8464]

I know a guy who broke four ribs in an otb crash when his jersey got caught on the bar end. I've been scared of them ever since

[@PereAndreuUbachdeFuentes]

@@jonahdewitt8464 I don't quite understand the issue here. Did he break his ribs because going otb, and while doing so his jersey was caught with the bar end? Or his jersey got caught with the bar end and that caused him going otb? If it's the latter, how on Earth did he manage to tangle his jersey with the bar end in the first place?

[@Vanadium]

@@PereAndreuUbachdeFuentes Come one man you can see how bar ends can catch a tree or something. I ride narrow trails sometimes and I need hand guards because the vegetation is to close and hits my hands. There is not enough space to clear them. Bar ends on something like that would be horrible. There is a reason we have 700mm and wider bars so we dont need them. Inner bar ends are something that could be useful. But you could also grab your fork crown if you want another position

[@1312_PV]

​@@VanadiumTry to grab the fork while going 60 Km/h in your long commute home back from the trailhead.

[@ECrapton]

I am still riding Gripshift, XC bike 10 spd most dry conditions. Excellent, simple, clean, reliable, light, never unwanted shifts. You can easily jump 3-4-5 gears with one twist. Not sure why this gets bashed. Only bad thing is the rubber wears out a bit. I do not understand why people would want AXS electronic shifting if a better solution exists.

[@yo_marc]

Grip shift - isn’t it making a comeback now with the gearbox bikes? I’ve seen a couple bike reviews lately that we’re running them. They were never for me - I always liked the crisp double-click upshifts of traditional shifters. I’m also old enough to remember the over-bar single lever shifters. Between those and grip shift? That’s a tough one.

[@izzy1446]

i was given a load of vintage road bike bits , among this lot was a gizmo that " almost " touched the curve of a tyre , it acted like a scraper thus reducing the possibility of punctures , did i imagine this !! .

[@sala6275]

Bar ends integrated directly into the handle bar. Zero angle adjustment, no width selection. I thought they looked cool, but that appeal lasted about 6 months.

[@esoxcycles]

Run a Flexstem bitd, I liked it until the elastomer split landing a jump. Wouldn't have been a big jump if I was doing it. Gravel bikes having suspension segments shows they are filling the void of 90's mountain bikes.

[@jokermtb]

I actually have an Azonic Zero length stem on a early 2000's era Kona Bike Hotrod cruiser!