Fahrenheit531 

Ever tried a component that was supposed to be The Best Thing Ever, according to pretty much everyone who used it, only to find out it wasn't your thing? Let's celebrate some awesome-not-awesome.

After a recent mishap on my #1 bike I needed to replace the bars. Every instinct said "the bike was perfect, just go with what was there." But another voice kept reminding me how I'd been meaning to try the Nitto Noodle for at least a couple of years, and now was my chance to make my perfect steed even more perfect, thus reaching levels of comfort and glory hitherto unimagined.

Yeah, notsomuch. Hand numbness -- once a near-mythical beast that only rarely entered my world at all -- became a regular foe almost immediately. Upside: where normally I spend ~90% of my time in the drops, now I was well and truly motivated to explore a variety of hand positions. Downside: trading hand numbness for wrist soreness isn't my idea of progress. I gave them some time, thinking maybe I just needed to adjust to the wider (440mm vs my normal 420, as recommended by Riv) spacing in the drops. I also wanted to allow for the possibility that the Noodle's, ummm, aesthetic challenges were translating into a psychologically-induced, physical reaction that would be overcome with time. Nope. These bars just plain don't work for me, and I'll officially be back to my Mod 115's in 4-7 business days.

I'm not bashing the Nitto Noodle here, nor looking for suggestions or solutions. Clearly these bars are a panacea for many, and I truly hoped to share in that wonder and amazement. It just didn't work out.

Wileyone 

Yes,

Chorus monoplaner brakes.

Hideous things. Overweight, no cable release. But everyone else seems to love them.

Erzulis Boat

I like them. They just scream "skinny tire!". I distinctly remember the time when super skinny tires pumped up to the moon were all the rage.

Pure nostalgia.

top506

Two, both Campy NR: The RD and that horrid, horrid two bolt seat post.

Top

iab

Any Brooks saddle. Not sayin they're bad, just don't live up up to the hype.

seedsbelize 

Centurion Ironman

Wileyone 

schwinn paramount.

BFisher 

Suntour LD-1500 Power Ratchet downtube shifters.

Fugly.
Downshifts are fine.
Upshifts are not.
Gosh they are ugly!

I much prefer the 1600 Cyclone shifters with the hidden band clamp. They reside in my Grand Jubile. The 1500's are in a box.

seypat

I don't have much love for Campy derailleurs or the seatpost that's already been mentioned. I don't care for the feel of Suntour barcons. As for bike frames, hard to comment because of the differences in dimensions through the sizes. I ride 54-56 frames. A frame in the 58+ range is a totally different bike than what I ride no matter the brand.

ascherer 

Black Cinelli stem
Thompson Elite setback seatpost
Moustache bars

Erzulis Boat

Absolutely LOVE the 2 bolt!

I get to use my special wrench, and savor the time to get the saddle dialed in. It forces one to slow down, and just enjoy the process. I do so enjoy the little tasks when working on vintage bikes. Greasing the threads on the expander bolt within a quill stem for instance, or rebuilding a pedal..............it's great!

Having hundreds of ball bearings on hand, so when I drop one...............who cares! I will grab another. Simple joys.

Lascauxcaveman 

Campy Synchro shifters. Oh, wait a minute, everybody hates those things. Because they suck. Never mind.

Erzulis Boat

I will echo the mustache bars. Black Cinelli stem? I like those!

SwimmerMike 

I have to second (or is the third) the 2 bolt Campy seat post. I even went out to buy the special wrench last week hoping that using the correct tool would enlighten me. Even with the Campy seatpost tool, I have to throw it on the list

T-Mar

Anything with Italian threading. Combining imperial and metric dimensions in a thread standard is is just wrong.

gaucho777 

Suntour barcons.

Too much cables. Never had the right feel. I don't mind reaching down.

Reynolds 

I was a bit disappointed with my Pinarello frame. It's a great ride, but not the hyper-super-ultra many said it should be.

Wileyone 

Brifters...
So much "clutter" in the cockpit.

merziac

Go to Home Depot, and get the Husky straight 10mm box end ratcheting combo wrench, pair it with a Brooks and the 2 bolt will become your friend.

79pmooney

Brooks/leather on steel saddles don't work for me. I rode the (excellent) Fuji America seat on my commuter for three years, When that bike got stolen, the bike loss was sad but I thanked the thief for taking the seat.

I loved the design of the old NR seatpost. (Never had one but raced the similar Zeus post.) Being able to dial in the tilt exactly (and change the tilt for saddle sores by a lot and 2 weeks later go back exactly). Yes. a PITA to reach those bolts but Campy made the special wrench that worked quite well. And yeah, the newer Allen key from the bottom posts are far easier but those old NRs were a Godsend compared to the drought that happened in the '80s when everything was one-bolt. (I rode a Laprade between cliicks 8 years knowing if I ever touched that bolt I would never get that position again. So to this thread, the (then) new, improved, lighter, sexier one-bolt posts.)

I don't jump on fads so a lot has come and passed that hasn't burned me. Oh, one I didn't really choose - the Chris King Grip Nut headset. Came on my custom (threaded steerer) fix gear. Very low stack. Was supposed to the second coming. Well it sort of was. Coming loose is what it did. In 200 miles, a tiny bit loose, 400 and the rattle was back. Yes, it probably was me being a hack, but other hacks include several very good mechanics and the Chris King factory. At 8000 miles I took it off and put on a Tange. Had to mix with el cheapo Tange HS parts to get the stack down and the steerer was not slotted so between minimal threads and no slot, the Tange has never seen a lock washer. Still it is less trouble than the King. Yes, Tanges are only good for ~8000 miles but for $30, who cares? Soon I will have the framebuilder trim the head tube down and slot the fork and then I will be back to threads, lock washer and heaven!

Ben

79pmooney

I have several Miche track hubs. They have a lockring of bigger diameter than the common standard, Campagnolo/Italian? I've had two SunTour 12 tooth bell-shaped lockrings machined to the Miche threading. Very hard steel, Machinist charged me a lot for both the time and wear on his tools. (Did a first class job so now I have the most valuable - but almost useless - small cog lockrings on the planet.)

79pmooney

I love the Power Ratchets. For me, they work so well it doesn't matter what they look like. Raced them with my 5-speed Cyclones in the '70s. Now I did spec a mount for Superb top-mounted DT shifter for my custom and have never regretted it. Sweet, straight friction, about as good as has ever happened, look clean, are the top-mount I never hit with my knees and are so easy to double shift. (I'm guessing the feel is close to the Cyclone you have.)

merziac

Downtube oldschool Campy shifters, love the look, feel and how well they work, don't want to reach down so can't stand serious riding with them.

Maybe I'm not a serious rider, big frames aggravate this so.....

That being said, them a Brooks and a 2 bolt are so cool you can't go wrong, aesthetic wise.

C+V is not right for me without the Brooks and 2 bolt, have them on every rider.

bikingshearer 

Yup. This. It even works with the Rolls saddles I like if you go in through the back. The ratchet means that even the small amount of back-and-forth makes progress. Once you get the bolts finger tight, it does not take much wrenching with the ratchet to tighten 'er up

The Campy two-bolt post is still my favorite for looks and for function. Any single-bolt post with serrations inevitably ends up with me wanting to be in between two indents; no such issue with a Campy two-bolt. My next favorite is the Nitto S-83 two-bolt. It's easier to set up than the Campy, it has the infinite-positions ability, and since Nitto makes it, you know it will be used by cockroaches while they eat Twinkies and ride Varsinentals after the Apocalypse. It looks good, but not quite as good as an old Campy and I have only seen them in 27.2 and 26.8. With a little patience, you can find a Campy in pretty much any size we could possibly have a use for.

On the other hand, I have found the Campy seat post tool to be pretty much useless; the 10mm ratchet works much better for me.

Drillium Dude

I'll say it: Campy Deltas. Don't believe the hype

DD