I grew up around a machine shop but was a little too young to remember the CNC craze. I am tentatively planning a road build with as many cool parts from out of business companies as possible. I was thinking along the lines of: topline cranks, a proshift dérailleur, nuke proof hubs, possibly some ringle or kooka and other stuff like that. Even suggestions for the frame are appreciated. The problem is I simply don't know what was out there and what i should be looking for. So if you have any input or leads on nifty parts let me know! Im a huge fan of billet stuff but just curious in general. Thanks a ton

Couple of small but cool doodads I had in the day......

1. Tire saver. Ther were small rings of wire that mounted onto your brake caliper bolt and rode on top of the tire to help clean off debris.

2. Back in the day of toe clips we would point the toe clip down and use it as a kick stand. Problem was the bike would roll and fall over. Someone came up with this little device that mounted under the bottom tube that when flicked down, would keep the front tire from rolling and the bike from falling.

Not exactly CNC type of stuff but they popped into my mind.

rhode gear flickstand- neat doodads

Yea Thats it.

Rhode Gear also made a water bottle holder that I have that's a sleeve with a V notched out of it, which goes on the seat tube or downtube, and then the water bottle has a corresponding protruding V to fit into the holder. It's works pretty well though if you lose the bottle, you're out of luck.

I also have a neat Blackburn water bottle cage/clamp that fits over the handlebar stem and clamps up from below. Kind of hard to describe.

Both items I purchased new around 1983.

Neal

T.N.T. made some super light hubs during the era I believe you're thinking about (early '90s). If you were building a mtb this would be easier, because that was my main focus then. Fast Feather made some nice looking seatposts and quick release skewers. Machine Tech made hubs that looked like little barrels, but I don't know if they made them in a road size. The also made a crazy CNC stem. More cranks: Caramba, Hershey, Grafton, Magic Motorcycle, Sampson, Cook Bros., Onza (titanium and may not come in a road version). That's all I can think of at the moment.

European tire savers:

American Classic bottle cage. I was thinking about this the other day. Very tidy installation.

Also, who can forget the Cannondale bottle "cage" (velcro!)

Tubular tire socks,

Eclipse handlebar bag (& Transcontinental panniers)

Zeus components (campy or simplex clones sometimes)

Silca frame pumps with Campy heads.

Spenco seat covers (ugh!)

I've got two of the Blackburn bar cages. I can't understand why they aren't made anymore. They were great for the third bottle on century rides.

Still have my 20+ year old Silca w/Campy head. I just can't find the little blue tips for the pump head anymore. They used to be in the Campy catalog and in most shops.

I think he is looking for some type of old BMX parts. I am sure the makes he listed are BMX or MTB stuff.

Like, oh my god, tubular with a spoon. Gag me with a double edged razor blade. Narly to the max. Knock my gizza witha nizza. Zippy to Miami dude.

Do you mean the rubber tips for the chrome fingers that straddle the tube? I lost mine to entropy long ago, and have substituted small lengths of silicone tubing. If anyone wants some, I'll be glad to provide, in clear. If you go to a hobby shop, you may be able to find it in green, pink, blue, what-have-you.

I use what I believe are called "Thread Protectors" or something of that sort. Usually sold in Home Centers and basic hardware stores, they are soft flexible rubbery plastic caps, sold in different colors and different diameters. Usually found in drawers among various screws and bolts. I don't know their "correct" usage, but they make fine replacements for the Campy pump head "socks" and you can sometimes even match them to your bike's paint color (sort of).

Try pressing presta valve caps onto the pegs. Sometimes the caps will split, some will stretch to fit.

Um...Paul. Paul Brakes, or Ringle, or Marinovator if you have access to really esoteric stuff. Paul Derailleurs, if you have a gazillion dollars. Ringle anything, from that era. White, Nuke, maybe Mavic Paris/Dakar hubs. Cook anything, from any era. Syncros was very trendy. More than likely Mavic rims, or possibly if you are really lucky, some hand-rolled Bontragers - not that goofy Trek crap, but the Mavic roadies rerolled to mountain bike sized.

You are talking about a mountain bike, right?

Oh. A road build. Well then, don't try to find the bontrager rims.

Ironically I was looking at an old Bicycle Guide where they build a "US" bike with a lot of those components. I dunno where the magazine is now since I put it back in one of the many boxes of bike junk I have.

Sounds like fun, good luck.
cdr

I like the Paul derailleurs too, but of course Paul is still in business. You don't see Hi-E hubs every day.

I remember pauls derailleurs in the mid 90s for MTBs. I think...

But you'll have to get syncros hardcore titanium BB, seatpost and stem.
Ibis seatposts and stems are rad.
Ibis bikes are pretty awesome as well.

Home Depot, Lowes and most other large hardware stores carry vinyl caps in their fastener departments.often available in black, white, yellow , green and brown - tho no campy powder blue, tmk.

They look like the ends that they sell for wire closet shelving. Not sure about the size though. And I have only seen white and grey.

lots of middle to late 90's stuff here:

https://www.bikepro.com/

earlier stuff here:

https://www.classicrendezvous.com/USA/USA_parts.htm

Zeus had some nice stuff

And a few of my fondest old bike memories included my first pair of Bata bike shoes and my grab on foam "grips". I recall how hard they would get after a Maryland summer rain shower.

I found an old pair while cleaning up over the holidays... I wish they were still available!!!

Nuke proof hubs are awesome, if you get them dialed, they are smoother than campy.

I have a rhode gear v-notch waterbottle and cradle that are virtually unused. if anyone is interested PM me