Bianchigirll 

'brifters' People shift too much and most are afraid to take their hands off the handlebars to wave Hi

Chombi

Nike Cycling shoes as sold in the 80's....
I was excited to get the then just release first Nike branded cycling shoes as they look marvelous with their perforated uppers and newish-tech design.
Problem was, they never felt comfortable and even after a couple of seasons using them, they were the right size, but my feet were always killing me every time I rode.
i think the problem was, because of what I think was 100% synthetic material construction, the shoes never really broke in to one's feet like leather or leather/mesh combination cycling shoes did.....never mind their lack of breathability so your feet overheats in the summer, despite the perforated design (or were they just fake perforations?, I don't remember). We don't see Nike Cycling shoes in our LBS's anymore, maybe for a good reason.

Chombi

I dunno,.....Maybe Cannondale thought that by the time the bottle flies off the bike when the Velcro finally wears out, it might be time to replace the already well used, manky bottle and "cage" anyway??

John E

Shimano brake pads. I briefly tried a set in my Campagnolo calipers, but quickly ditched them in favor of KoolStops, because the old single-pivot caliper brakes need all the help they can get.

Black anodized rims -- they compromise braking performance and look like cr@p after a few months.

Sixty Fiver

Seems that if you have to carry a spare for a design that blows chunks that one might switch brands...

Sixty Fiver

That was an issue with the Adga clamp being so poor, not the seatpost.

Sir_Name 

Ha.

One in the parts bin
most certainly there to stay
'til thrown on the 'bay

JohnDThompson 

I'll probably do that when I run out of spares.

squirtdad

early shimano bikes shoes designed for clipless pedals....with the bolts attached to the sole. Instead of using a screw through the cleat into the threaded insert, the bold came through the clear and you used a nut to secure the cleat.

the bolts got mushroomed and pulled out. Big bummer be otherwise they were the most comfortable shoes i have had.

Wildwood 

I love it.
What's the feminine of RetroGrouch?
RetroGrouchess?
And the darned new-fangled brakes - who needs two pivots per brake, anyway? One pivot weighs less and works just fine in most situations.

John Hood

How about those old Wald goosenecks.

Combine one of those necks with some ape hanger bars, (like they did on just about every Stingray knock off), and within a week they'd be shifting all over the place.

And a lot of the early caliper brakes seemed to be just for looks.

Velognome 

I would have responded earlier but I just got back from a ride on my Brifter equipped bike and my fingers were two exhausted to type. They're rested now, so here goes..... "But that's what they're for!"

hockeyref

Was gonna mention the Simplex derailleur.... Wasn't it plastic\nylon?

CV-6 

Shiba Western plastic seat post

John Hood

I think the main reason brifters are so popular is because the modern cassettes have so many gears on them. Back when you only had five or six gears on your freewheel, friction shifters worked pretty darn well. Once you get 7 or more gears in back though it becomes harder to find the right one without indexing. I kind of prefer friction shifting for the front derailleur though.

CroMo Mike 

Campagnolo Valentino RD's. The shop that sold me the new bike said it would break in and work better. It never did.

What could be worse? Those crazy Huret RD's like came on Varsities and Continentals.

JohnDThompson 

Maybe the Campagnolo "Gran Turisimo?"

Velognome 

Those crazy Huret's gave this boy gears to get over hill & dale and into all sorts of adventures. Crazy?....like a fox maybe!

What was worse you ask? how about the combo of a 3spd IGH, banana, seat ape hanger bars & a Springer fork! You didn't look very cool pushing the beast up the last half of the hill.

SJX426 

Hey, be careful, all center pull brakes are dual pivot and they are certainly C&V!

jacksbike

I have to second most of the already mentioned : Huret Allvit rear derailleurs/ Plastic Simplex front and rear derailleurs/ Mafac center pull brakes that are a pain to adjusted the brake shoes/ French diameter and threaded anything- Gee the Japanese sure solved that problem/European cottered cranks where the cotter pins get stuck and it becomes a 2 hour drilling battle/ front chainwheel steel chainguards/steel spoke protectors that get slightly bent.

Beic

Cotter pins and maybe Raleighs 26 tpi.

oldbikenewbike

OH YEAH! What dim bulb at Simplex thought that PLASTIC was a good idea on a derailleur??!!

CroMo Mike 

When I bought my bike with Campy Valentino mentioned above, the Campys were a $20 upgrade option - the basic offering was a set of plastic Simplex derailleurs. Should I be glad I opted-up?


Also remembering when I was 8 and got a new Raleigh 3-speed with hand brakes. Well-meaning adults stood around and told me not to use the front brake because it would "throw me over the handlebars". Most of them probably hadn't ridden a bike since the great depression. They assumed the caliper brakes actually worked well enough to present a hazard. What next - shoot your eye out? Life was tough for kids back then.

JohnDThompson 

Dual-pivot brakes are nothing new:

Wogster

I am surprised nobody thought of this yet:

Chromed steel rims with any kind of rim brake, a little damp and you hit the brakes, and speed up.....