The ideas were good, but the world wasn't ready yet: BIKE testers have already praised many of them as revolutionary. Some became bestsellers, others fizzled out.
A sentimental look back at the biggest misfires in BIKE history.
Cannondale Delta V 4000, 1994
Space glider! Sensation! THE step into the next millennium! The bike scene was almost breathless with celebration when Cannondale presented its prototype rasped from aluminium blocks: Full suspension, disc brakes, 9.1 kilos in weight. And the best thing: company boss Scott Montgomery promised to eat his hat if the bike didn't hit the shops next spring. The BIKE forecast: "Sensational! THE future!" (Then the author probably fell off his office chair from hyperventilation). And then? Montgomery chewed his hat, which he had previously garnished with salad, to great media effect.
Shimano Airlines, 1997
The cream siphon must have served as a model: Using compressed air, Shimano tried to pneumatically blow the gears into position. The Japanese aptly named their invention "Airlines". The extremely elaborately built part worked, but suffered from air shortage after a thousand shifting movements and had to be resuscitated with cartridges. The BIKE forecast: What else but THE sensation? And then? A few collectors marvel at the bike in their showcases today. Otherwise: Gone with the wind.
Wendler/Starbrake, 1997
Anyone approaching Jochen Wendler's stand would already have the sticker "Subb'r Wendler!" stuck somewhere on their textiles. The stickers soon ran out, because everyone wanted to see the hydraulic V-brake. The BIKE forecast: What's the next best thing to a sensation? "Wow!" was how the tester summarised the first braking sessions, followed by an exuberant: "Subb'r Wendler!" And then? Loading, singletrack, barrel: the hydraulically controlled cycle was an extremely short one. The quality of the hastily applied standard brake was anything but "subb'r". Wendler spoke of rip-offs by the production partner and bad deals. What exactly happened took the brake to its grave.
Koppelberg "One-Arm", 1995
The judgement of district judge Günter Koppelberg was merciless: The function of tele-forks was a personal offence to him. So he went to work himself after work. The result: a strange-looking single-arm fork with a proud 70 millimetres of suspension travel, on whose axle the wheel rotated via a huge plain bearing. Koppelberg boldly announced that he could guarantee 100,000 kilometres of perfect function. The BIKE prognosis: "Test passed with honours", praised reporter Eddie Wagner and put the title "best fork in the world" in the air. In any case, he was certain: "Sensation! Koppelberg for President!" And then? Fork and inventor disappeared from the scene - without 100,000 kilometres, without the presidency.
Noleen Smart Shock, 1998
Never before has bike sport seemed so closely linked to Formula 1 as at the gigantic presentation of "The Brain". This is what the Noleen engineers called their new shock absorber because it was electronically controlled to adapt to the road surface. Sorry: should adapt. The BIKE forecast: The control electrodes lit up nicely, otherwise there wasn't much to feel and certainly nothing to measure. But what can you do when the entire expert world has supposedly never travelled as fast and comfortably as with the supposed miracle damper? Logo, it's better to feel something first. Namely that "this thing could cause a sensation." And then? Sales of R6 batteries soared for a short time. Then the useless, gluttonous LEDs went out forever.
(Text: Henri Lesewitz)
