Bike Check: Brodie's 2002 8-Ball & the Case for Incremental Improvements

Sep 14, 2018 at 19:57
by Mike Levy  


Depending on how old you are, 2002 might not sound like it was all that long ago. And in the grand scheme of things, it wasn't, but the early 2000s were effectively secondary school for development of the mountain bike in that they were polished turds at best but things were getting better. Kinda. I guess that means that we're all in university now?

Anyway, those were the early days for big-hitting bikes like this 203mm-travel 8-Ball from Canadian brand Brodie, and as its 68-degree head angle underlines, geometry had yet to stray far from dated numbers.
2002 Brodie 8-Ball

Intended use: freeride / downhill
Travel: 203mm
Fork travel: 190mm
Wheel size: 26''
Frame construction: aluminum
Head angle: approx. 68-degrees
Reach: approx. 400mm
Weight: 47.5lb

Hate getting scorpion'd after catching a pedal at speed? Who doesn't, but with a 15.5'' high bottom bracket, the 8-Ball is just the ticket if you struggle with that. However, if you have the bare minimum upper body strength of a life-long cycler like me, ya might struggle with this thing... It's 47.5lb! Eeesh.


photo
Time has a funny way of making some things look silly, doesn't it?


We laugh at those numbers now, but I remember when I saw the 8-Ball for the first time; it was in the glossy pages of some magazine, and 22-year-old Levy knew that he needed every last one of those 203 millimeters for drops to flat that made zero sense. And for wheelie'ing off loading docks to uphill landings, too. What a dumbass.

No one knew any better at the time and, for the most part, no one is going to know any better when we look back at today a few decades from now. The world is going to be an even more messed up place, I'm sure; Elon Musk will have been ''elected'' as America's Supreme Leader after the robot uprising, and we'll see today's carbon dream bikes as junk that makes us inhale sharply and say things like ''How the hell did we ride those things?'' Or maybe not... I'm not entirely sure about the robot uprising part.


photo
photo
Freedom! But not from kneepads because those cable guides are going to tear you a new one.


Back to our chunky friend, the 8-Ball, where there are a few interesting things to point out, especially in the suspension department. The pocket-sized Fox Vanilla R, a shock that's undersized and overworked on the 8-Ball, is still alive; it's full of oil and has a functioning rebound dial! At the other end, we have one of the most storied downhill forks of all time: Marzocchi's 190mm-travel Shiver. It's funny how these are so revered now; we talk about the Shiver in that ''Oh man, those were the days'' kinda tone that lets us feel special because we were around then. The truth, however, is that the Shiver was severely under-damped, held oil with all the reliability of an air-cooled Beetle, and had a tendency to twist itself up in the crowns.


photo
The single pivot, linkage-activated design delivers 203mm of travel, all of which was controlled by that poor little Fox shock. Remarkably, it's still holding oil and pressure.


What'd the Shiver have going for it? Despite those issues, I vaguely remember that it was one of the few reliable options sixteen years ago. Hell, the BoXXer had 32mm stanchions, the internal hex for the rebound adjuster was plastic, and the axle clamps stripped out if you so much as raised your voice while tightening the lil' suckers.


8-Ball vs Levy
I was humbled badly when I tried to lift the 47.5lb 8-Ball off the ground.


Despite the 8-Ball's now obvious short-comings, it was a serious rig back in 2002. And like the other fancy bikes of the day, it was also the result of small change after small change after small change. And then a bunch more small changes. Forks and rear suspension got an extra inch every few years, disc brakes and thru-axles were real things, and damping was kinda on its way to getting better. Geometry was apparently lagging behind and was still scary, though.

Is the 8-Ball a terrible bike? Maybe not in 2002 and, depending on what you care about, maybe not even in 2018. But a modern mountain bike of almost any kind is more capable than Brodie's heavy hitter in every way, bar pedaling over three-foot-tall parking barriers. The 8-Ball would win that one.

Over time, smart folks learned that bikes usually corner better when the bottom bracket isn't multiple feet off the ground, that our handlebars don't need to be so close and so skinny, and that moving the fork's axle way out in front of you really lowers the chance of getting tossed out the front door. Bikes got stiffer as materials, design, and standards changed and then changed a bunch more times until we ended up where we are now.
photo
This won't cause aaany trouble. None.

Whether it's axle standards or language or cooking or cars, that's just how this kind of thing happens - incremental and slower than we'd prefer. But it works because, well, look at the bikes we're on today: They're pretty dang light, their reliability makes the early 2000s look like a joke, and modern suspension and geometry has us feeling like heroes. Yeah, I think I'll take all those small changes, thank you very much.


There are sixteen long years between the 8-Ball and my current carbon fiber dream bike that's in for testing, but I suspect that you'd be pretty damn grateful for all the incremental changes between the two if you rode them back-to-back. Unless wheelie dropping loading docks to uphill landings is still your main thing.

Video presented by the Sundial Boutique Hotel in Whistler, BC


Author Info:
mikelevy avatar

Member since Oct 18, 2005
2,032 articles

192 Comments
  • 77 3
 Still running my 2006 Banshee Scream with 2003 Monster T. 56lbs of reliability! After several trips to the Alps the bearings are all running fine despite having basically no maintenance in the 12 years I've had it.
  • 30 0
 Retired my 2000 scream this year. With monsters, 3" gazzo's, and double tracks it was 63 pounds. Even after i put 40's on with lighter wheels and tires it was no light weight. Cant really say much though, not many dh bikes will last nearly 20 years. It's currently hanging on the wall in my shop but I could throw some parts on it tonight, ride it tomorrow and for many more years to come. Although I really enjoy my new 2018 enduro comp 29er! So light and fast even with my grumpy old ass on it.
  • 6 0
 2002 darkcycles scarab, about 38lb singlespeed tubeless with loads new bits. Been to alps ever year and booked in for next...
  • 13 0
 Huck to flat machines FTW!
  • 1 0
 @bat-fastard: now that was bike
Porn! That was somewhat like the Keewee cromo 8, another great steer!
  • 3 0
 Sold my 06 a couple years back. Couldnt break the damn thing but it sure broke me a couple times
  • 5 0
 @cunning-linguist: loads new bits but love it not looking to change as suits me www.pinkbike.com/photo/15045610
  • 2 0
 Still ride my 2005 Kona Hoss Dee-Lux more than any of my other bikes. Although to be honest the only part of it that was there in 2005 is the frame itself, and even that has had a full rub down and re-spray a couple of years ago. But hey, it's still an awesome frame!
  • 2 0
 monster T was my favorite fork of all time, i had a used '99 model that i eventually parted with after many years of hucks, i dinged the stanction to a point it leaked oil
  • 4 1
 @lacuna is this the opinion of an experienced bike mechanic, or your own?
  • 7 0
 I don’t know how anyone could hang out on a bike website with constant bike porn solicitation and remain impervious for so long. Well done.
  • 2 0
 @cunning-linguist: I've still got my Cromo 8 hanging in the garage. Still a great bike and way ahead of its time. 470 CS FTW.
  • 3 3
 Yea Brobie that was a pizza shit back in 2002, today thats a turd sandwhich.
  • 1 1
 Throw away culture... TT
  • 1 2
 Monodramatic much!??!
  • 2 1
 Sold my original V10 decked out for peanuts... Sad...
  • 3 0
 Holy flashbacks Batman! Had a few beasts bitd...the standout being an '02 V10 with '03 MonsterT(yeah, the extra heavy one), Avy remote rez shock, cromo cranks, Mag30's, 26" rear but 24x3.0 front.....Heavier than the 7Deadly sins but oh so fun, so fun!
  • 58 1
 Cool article on an old bike - definitely brings back similar memories! In seeing this tho - I was hoping to see the old bike get ridden on today's trails!

It made me think - why doesn't pinkbike do a series (monthly?) where they do a back to back comparison of an old bike vs. a new bike - but to make it interesting to watch, make it a race against the clock. Have a retired pro ride the new bike down the trail and compare times with one of the fastest up and coming racers riding the old bike down the trail - add in some highlights about the (lack of) performance of the old bike with slo-mo corner and rock garden clips and voila!

Might be a liability for the young racer's career - but would be fun to watch them try and wrangle the old beasts down the hill!
  • 5 1
 GMBN does stuff like this.
  • 3 1
 After riding a new era bike these are hard to go back too, especially monthly!
  • 23 1
 It's interesting that people don't look at old cars (for example) as "silly". Most car enthusiasts would happily restore a 60's muscle car if they came across one. With bikes though, it's like "eww, look at that six year old thing. So silly!"
  • 37 0
 Give it time. nobody is looking at a 2002 Mustang with any kind of lust. They're after muscle cars much, much older than that. The Fox body Mustangs are just now starting to gain a following in the resto-mod circles, that's a 30+ year old car, sort of like the old Bridgestones and first generation Stumpjumpers that people actually are starting to buy, restore and collect. A few weeks ago I found myself staring at a Cannondale Super-V Raven some tweeker was riding with a bag of cans, I was very tempted to offer him a brand new Pacific from Target in trade, as that was my mid 90s dream bike, but alas, I didn't feel like talking to a tweeker. Had it had a Headshock Moto, I would have bought that sucker.

I have an '03 Monster T and an '04 888 squirreled away for when people starting getting nostalgic about huck bikes and I can sell them for all the money.
  • 8 0
 There is a decent market for classic road bikes in original or restored condition. You can find some incredibly expensive, period correct Campagnolo and Shimano stuff online for the purpose of restoring an old frame.

Mountain bikes, on the other hand, are fairly new in the grand scheme of things. Like @maxyedor says above, give it some time. Also, it doesn't help the classics market that mountain bikes tend to self-destruct when ridden hard.
  • 5 1
 I absolutely love old cars, but riding in one terrifies me. www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPF4fBGNK0U
  • 8 0
 There are old ten speeds and cruisers that look beautiful. These look like shit. The 8ball was never a bike that i lusted after. The santa cruise Bullitt and super 8 were nicer but not much haha. The real beauties were the Rocky mountain DH and Kona stinky at the time.
  • 3 0
 That's the exact analogy that I was thinking of.
  • 1 0
 Oops I meant DH race
  • 5 1
 Classic cars are objectively good looking and hundreds of hours were spent deperately tweeking every panel to look beautiful. Zero hours went into making these bikes attractive. They will never be beautiful apart from to people with serious sentimental attachment.
  • 1 0
 This post is funny. I literraly have an early 00's stumpy that I am about to grind, rebuild and give the SS treatment
  • 1 3
 Good point, but it depends on the era, especially with cars. A Porsche 914 is ugly no matter what. Sorry, it just is. Pinto bodied mustangs? Blech. I think that modern dual sport bikes are pretty ugly what with their rectangular headlights and such, but who am I to critique?
  • 2 0
 I had a ’68 Mustang. Its four drum brakes were always silly.
  • 1 3
 @makripper: Brodie is junk, they had no idea what they were doing hahaha
  • 1 0
 I wouldn't say that is entirely true. There are folks that enjoy the old school bikes. One of my favorite bikes is a 2002 Bianchi Grizzly that I threw some wider rubber, bar and stem on. It rips as a get around town bike. The tubing is smooth and the thing shifts flawlessly. I'm always on the lookout for retro mountain bikes.
  • 2 0
 @maxyedor: that Super V was probably stolen, if not then a bag of meth/$$ would've sealed the deal.
  • 2 0
 Also doesn't help that most people own bikes to ride them and have fun, and after riding any modern bike anything over 10 years old is honestly not that fun to ride. I'm sure there are some people who buy these just to collect them, but I would imagine they are few and far between.
  • 1 0
 I have a classic ti road bike that's beautiful, but it mostly sits in the basement because those beautiful brakes are worthless at actually stopping you and the lowest gear is a 39-21, which is actually a modern cassette since I couldn't ride the stock straight-block 12-19 up anything remotely resembling a hill. It's just not fun to ride
  • 1 0
 Old cars is a niche thing. That and nobody actually thinks an old mustang handles well or is fast, etc. People like them for what they are, they are a different experience than a modern car. But the idea that a old mustang would make a great track car would be a silly idea. Of course you could heavily modify it, to the point where it just looks like an old mustang, and that’s yet another niche in the automotive world!
  • 1 0
 Mountain bikes are relatively much much newer than cars. Cars changed shape a lot in the first few decades as we have seen in mountain bikes. The performance of a early 1900s car would have no match to a car from the 40's or 50's for example.
  • 2 0
 @BikeEveryDay: The performance of almost anything mechanical in early 1900s wouldn't match what was available in the 40s or 50s.

Mtbs on the other hand have been largely been developed with much of the groundwork already done in other industry's (particularly automotive/motorcycles). It's honestly shocking how long it's took for bikes to have quality geometry. It's equally shocking how we're still messing around with derailleurs hanging off the back end of a bike, routine flat tires, and a disgraceful lack of high quality economic bikes for your average person to afford.

The bike industry is outrageously slow moving, convoluted, and determined to constantly shoot themselves in the foot at their customer base's expense.
  • 2 0
 @maxyedor: I ride a tricked out old Raven everyday. I’ve even done enduro on it. It’s got a custom built shock, (seriously it does) a 140mm lefty max with 2016 PBR internals, 4piston Hope stoppers, hope rear and i9 front hub, spank spike rims, 1x10 Saint setup with one up mods so it runs a 42 cog, and a Thomson dropper. Took it as far as I could. Riding it through PA gnar all day long. I ride the wife’s Bronson for the modern feel when I want. But honestly I’m most comfortable on my “Rad Raven”.
  • 21 2
 If ya had a monster t on the front you would easily break the 50lb barrier. Without a motor/batteries.

Man I miss aspects of the good ole days lol.
  • 10 0
 I don't miss 50 lb bikes one bit! Big Grin The fun, careless times with my friends, and the newness was awesome. I enjoy my 37 lb DH bike and 29 lb 'enduro' bike now. Smile
  • 3 0
 @bman33: I wish I still had mine, to ride every once-in-a-while for laughs
  • 6 0
 My 2000 banshee scream with monsters and 3" gazzo's was 63 pounds at one point. But it swallowed up 10' drops to flat and asked for more.
  • 3 0
 @rellinger: Bet you ran the sun double wide rims and the azonic super fat bars at that weight Smile
  • 28 0
 The biggest thing I miss about the good ole days is that I wasn't old!
  • 4 0
 @omclive: ^^ This 1000 times! I'm 40....something. Big Grin
  • 5 0
 @omclive: I don't crash as often, but when I do it sucks so much more
  • 2 0
 @konacyril: don't forget the love seat!
  • 2 0
 @konacyril: Double tracks actually and three piece steel bmx cranks.
  • 14 1
 Pretty sure this was the epitome of a bad bike even back in 2002 ... unless your name was Bender.
  • 5 1
 Yeah, I should have clarified that this was more of a BC-focused freeride bike that people had the hots for. Of course, there were the M1 and others at the same time that were much more desirable.
  • 2 0
 @mikelevy: i never liked the 8ball or even 9ball for that matter haha
  • 2 1
 @mikelevy: this was considered a horrible bike by everyone beyond hardcore Brodie fans. IMO Pinkbike missed a good opportunity to write an engaging article by using this awful beast as an example. Brodie made some amazing hardtails but their FS bikes were always considered to be sub-par.
  • 1 0
 @mikelevy: yeah not in the interior of BC, iirc Brodie was a bad name in those days as far too many broken bikes left many riders without their rides. I once saw a BB shell broken off the tubeset on one of these lumps.
  • 3 0
 @bogey: Agreed, I owned a Brodie Evolution hardtail (with a Z1 MCR) that I abused, loved and put away wet. Good memories.
  • 2 0
 @gdharries: I still have a Brodie Bruuza hardtail that I love to thrash on, and doubles duty as my winter bike. Still lots of fun, and plan on trying it on the local Dual Slalom course next year too
  • 10 0
 This video/article is kinda unfair.
Saying this Brodie is a turd compared to a modern bike?
Nah, it was a turd in 2002. Problem is so were most DH bikes then - but not all.

Look at a Yeti DH9 or a Specialized Palmer replica and you'll find reasonable weight, long wheelbase and slack head angles.
Those bikes will be at least 95% as fast as any modern bike.
See the timed comparison Neil Donoghue did on his 15 year old GT iDrive for example.
  • 6 0
 47lbs is light. I sold my 03 Banshee with 04 Shivers just last year. 56lb beast that I was still riding up Fromme. People made jokes about bringing the heavy artillery and I was gassed but it was still fun. I don't miss it much. Fun fact: I'm photographing their 2019 bikes tomorrow and Sunday!
  • 10 1
 @mikelevy is a good presenter.
  • 6 1
 Smile
  • 9 0
 Ok so what new standard will be announced tomorrow?
  • 4 0
 "However, if you have the bare minimum upper body strength of a life-long cycler like me, ya might struggle with this thing... It's 47.5lb! Eeesh." ... But somehow eMTBs that all weigh around that, gets a pass in almost every article.
  • 3 0
 the argument of "slow iterations are better than no iterations" is pretty ridiculous. Bike companies, actually all companies, will soon need to change their processes to Scrum. Why? Simply, to unlock fast iterations. Tesla has on average 30 production iterations per week. Traditional car companies take years to release 1 iteration. This simple differentiator will render other car companies obsolete if they don't adapt soon - they are scared and they are changing. Big block releases is old, small iterative releases is the future (now for software). This is good news for consumers :-)
  • 7 0
 That little shock had a bad day, every day.
  • 2 0
 2002 was the year I got my first DH bike, the Brodie Devo! Man I longed for that 8 ball. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I had to settle for the Devo due to budget. I was sure I would have this bike forever hahaha. It never made it past that first season...
  • 4 0
 I still ride my 04 rmx with shivers and it weighs just about the same. I dont ride er all the time but I love it every once in awhile.
  • 4 0
 It's good to remind yourself how it used to be, right?
  • 1 0
 Nothing compares to the old stuff. The bike I miss the most is my schwinn straight 8 with shivers, 24x3.0 tires, profile racing cranks and 3" azonic riser bars. That thing could plow thru a brick wall! Dont get me wrong, new Dh bikes are incredible. I even still have a 2004 monster t I like to put on my 2010 demo just to get people asking questions.
  • 7 0
 #26aintdead
  • 10 8
 The difference I see is: It's still rideable after 16 years and you can still throw a new fork, rear shock, breaks and tires on this and confidently huck yourself into oblivion and have no concerns what so ever about the bike failing.

You absolutely cannot say the same for ANY of these current plastic bikes after only 3-5 years...

I'd rather have this bike in my garage than a carbon bike any day.
  • 1 0
 I've got an '07 Uzzi VPX ...
  • 1 0
 @schofell84: hehe, I have an Uzzi SLX =)
  • 2 0
 f*ckin eh! I had this bike but the champagne coloured one with the shiver and purple hayes. I remember trading the shiver to Cove bikes for a Boxxer right away because I knew how janky the Shiver was (Thanks Chaz) and being in absolute heaven. Bikes now are Sick, no doubt, but my 8 Ball actually brought tears to my eyes when I owned it. I miss those days. Paul Brodie lives up the road from me and I got him to sign my issue of his book that I bought. I recommend everyone to purchase the book, it's amazing. Cheers
  • 2 0
 The bike that screamed, we are getting there in 2000...2002 was the Turner DHR. it was long and low, carried the suspension lingage and shock low. seemed slack...not so much today...and the reach was mniscule. but it was sooo close. I would argue in many ways, along with the M1, it was clearly the best North American DH bike of the era.
  • 2 0
 I remember the good old days when Levy was still working at Pedal Sport in Chilliwack and I was just one of those shop rats that'd come in staring and drooling at the 8 Ball they had on the floor when all I was riding was a Brodie Force. Great trip down memory lane!
  • 2 0
 Wow! that is some vintage hardware. Please add a piece to these videos with someone riding a segment on the vintage wonder and a modern marvel. Then get some footage of both with your new track walk guy giving his down low on the whole situation.
  • 2 0
 great read...actually my new delirium weighs more than my old bike. my 1st gen Nomad cracked up in Nelson this year and trails in Canada are feckin burly in some many ways...so i needed stout bike. lightweight aint my thing and never was. the heavier sleds just feel better carving and negotiating lines.
  • 1 0
 and i thought my 2004 brodie hurricane was a bad bike. also i thought that my 53 pound 2006 jamis diablo was bad. and now i ride a 2006 reign X0... somehow my upgrade system is too slow to give me a real comparison to this one 0
  • 5 0
 Mike, since when do you look like a 200 pound football player
  • 11 0
 when he's on the cusp of a hernia
  • 11 0
 I workout my neck a lot.
  • 2 1
 daddy thiccc
  • 4 0
 He just photoshopped his head onto Richie Rude's body. Sorry @mikelevy, didn't mean to let your secret out... sshhh, tell no one. Wink
  • 4 3
 Oh and Mike I disagree agree with you on the forks being under damped.
In my personal opinion modern forks are harshly over damped.
I like having fresh arms with no aching pains at the end of a day.
I keep reading about how tough it is to get modern suspensions dialed . Almost every bike test same problem.
Why? Forks are over damped.
  • 3 2
 Modern forks you can tune the damping very easily. The shiver was totally underdamped. The worst part of the shiver was too much flex and squirm for me in hard hitting corners. Just felt like mush.
  • 3 0
 @makripper: the 'mushroom bolt' for the axle was not able to be tightened enough as the alum would strip out for the 6mm hex. changing this for a regular steel bolt, (which allowed proper torque) this fixed all torsion issues. Issues with damping? your doing it wrong! many folks ran heavy and x heavy coils as their oil levels were too low. the oil height was like adding tokens on current air sprung forks.
  • 1 0
 @lifted-d: My new "over damped" bike rides over gnarly stuff faster, but man does it beat you up. Wish I could have it in the middle... probably why "MX" tunes sell so well.
  • 1 0
 @schofell84: modern dampers are quite effective and folks often set them up to run too slowly, I run my 380c2r2 wide open for hsls comp and a click or 2 of hsls rebound. feels almost as good as my shiver used to. and nearly 3 lbs lighter!!
  • 1 0
 I like old bikes. I have a few road and classic commuter bikes. One of them is a Postal Service bike from 1960 restomod. She got more attention on the street than any other bike I own.Compared to modern hybrid bikes is long&slack,wheel base is huge and very stable,most rewarding bike to drift I ever ride...
  • 2 1
 Rightly or wrongly I had always lusted after a Demo 8ii so when I could finally justify having a DH sled I ignored the new breed, bought an as new 2008 frame and built my dream retro rig (with modern drive train and brakes haha). It's still more bike than I'll ever need and probably always will be. It satisfies my inner teenager even though the head angle terrifies the f#@k out of me on the rowdy stuff.

Annoyingly my 2016 AM 29er is a much more capable bike but I just don't care when dropping into a free ride line ????
  • 1 0
 i got a giant atx1 that ive owned since 05 which i recently fully restored and a current glory and whenever i hop on the atx after riding the glory it feels soooo terrible but i appreciate its history and its still going after 18 years! my glory wont last 18 years!
  • 3 0
 Let’s see some timed comparisons. See how bad/ good they are. I would watch that video. But I guess I watch all the videos anyways ,so...
  • 1 0
 I have a 2014 Knolly Podium with 2004 Monsters on them that I have had on the front of a bike for 13 years trouble free. By far the best fork ever made. Too heavy? Get to the gym. Erases the relativity comparison. One thing I will say about that era though is that bikes were built to a much tougher standard than today; yes the Banshee Scream was heavy but could you imagine a bike company today offering a 10 year warranty, jumping encouraged? I still wish I had my 2001 Dare from that time. Don't know if it would of lasted this long but it was tough. My 2006 Foes Fly is on my wall; finally gave up the ghost in 2014, and that is 8 years of Shore riding. Pretty good. I realize that bikes back then were heavy but most companies probably did so to prevent many warranty claims, I don't blame them. Still miss the Gazzloddis though. Could run ridiculously low PSI on them and just float over things. Nice to see big tires are coming back.
  • 1 0
 Pivots carry a 10 year warranty. Trek, Yeti, Santa Cruz, Specialized, Giant, and Knolly all have lifetime warranties. I still think bikes were tougher, but just sayin'...
  • 1 0
 on the topic of reach, whick Mike pointed out...it doesnt matter that much...maybe on an AM or CX bike...but really, most all of your riding on bikes like this is out of the saddle, pumping the susp...you create and adjust the " reach". And when you need to get low behind the saddle, a long reach, a longer top tube can make it more of a stretch, and you want some flex room during the pucker moments!
  • 1 1
 I loved this bike back in the day. it was one of the top bikes to ride on the north shore. That and the Norco RM1? Great to see these old bikes. I want to see a bike reviewed here with Super Monster T's! I have been trying to find one for years to mount on my wall in Whistler
  • 1 0
 Loved my 1998 Santa cruz Super 8, but Im sure if I had it now it would feel similar to the above... I will keep wearing my rose tinted spectacles though, where it was a super plush, fast and awesome bike .
  • 4 0
 Cut and zip tied oury grips for bump stops. Nice.
  • 3 0
 Period correct.
  • 2 0
 Pfft. It was all about using an old tire cut up for that.
  • 4 0
 Those bars look way too wide to be period correct.
  • 1 0
 LOL, I used to ride a BigHit, Stratos S8 fork, 52tooth front ring, Hayes brakes, and Doublewide wheels,with an Azonic LoveSeat... That beast was so heavy, off big drops it would accellerate like it was shot out of a cannon.
  • 2 0
 I have a RM7 Wade Simmons Edition that PB can test. For the person complaining that the old forks were underdamped all you had to do was add thicker oil, problem solved.
  • 3 0
 Mike go for It!! And tell how the bike rides while riding one of the skinnies from 2002 a la claudio caluori
  • 1 0
 Have a 2003 Kona Stinky Nine with the '03 Monster. I ride it everywhere. North of 50 lbs. Also have a Specialized Stumpy 29er Carbon. Amazing bike...but I still love the huck bikes of old.
  • 2 0
 Awesome for bring back those Memmories. I absolutely adored my Brodie Diablo. So much fun. Marzocchi 888 and Vanilla in the back. It was like a chopper. Cheers
  • 2 0
 Riding my 8-Ball off a drop in Kamloops

www.pinkbike.com/photo/773655
  • 1 0
 It was my first dh rig at 17, had it in coffee.
Put the 24" Sun Regal Double wide rear wheel on it for making those wheely drops easier haha
  • 1 0
 yeah, 24 rear wheels was definitely a thing. Ask levy to measure the angles with a 24" wheel on the back - I think the improvement was how it affected geometry =)
  • 1 0
 @rad8: Probably brought the BB closer to our orbit as well.
  • 3 0
 The big news...PB has a hot tub!
  • 2 0
 Ahhhhh! The era of live free and care less...

Do miss it sometimes ????????
  • 4 5
 and all the people who say nay to boost or super boost or any incremental change that makes what they have obsolete should only ride bikes from 10-15 years ago.or even better ride bikes from my youth in the early 90's, like mag 21's, canti brakes, and no rear suspension. see what it is like to never change....
  • 10 0
 True, mostly. Except that we had 150mm DH hubs back then (at least I did in 2004). That's basically super boost with new end caps on your rad Hadley hubs. We all could have just switched to the DH standard and called it a day, instead of incrementally getting there 15 years later. LOL
  • 3 0
 We sent a man to the moon 50 years ago but can't figure out geo on a bicycle? It's all incremental changes so the consumer keeps buying
  • 1 2
 @jaydawg69: Went to the moon lol...
  • 1 0
 My 8 Ball and my RM7 are both cracked at the rear shock mount but my Shivers aren't leaking and my Boxxers have only one stripped thread!
  • 7 8
 I'm from that era . So for you kids. The shivers in 2002 had six inches of travel with a seven inch travel upgrade. If these Shivers have 8 inches of travel then 888 carts were installed. Shivers track beautiful. Take this bike to whistler where it's all DH and chairlifts to the top. A light DH bike is rather pointless if you are not entering a race. These old free ride bikes are bloody strong and feel super plush going down hill. The plusher the bike the better they track. My park bike is a 12 pound framed Giant Faith with Shivers up front. A modern DH bike would be lighter but for riding park the old free ride bikes work great!
  • 1 0
 Yes I had shivers in 2002 and they tracked over roots and rocks like nothing else I have ridden since , And it was satisfying to bleed the air out of the legs after a days hard riding , when I serviced them the legs always had swarf in the bottom ,just put fresh oil in and that was that , you couldn't kill them quickly they just died slowly after 5 years Smile
  • 2 1
 hummm..... You are seriously mistaken..... The shiver came stock with 190mm of travel. from 2001 all the way up to 2005. You also couldn't install the 888 cartridge in the shiver, they are different travel configuration. And to top it off, the shiver is an upside down open bath system so the cartridges are designed differently for that.
  • 2 0
 @jameshealey: It is indeed possible to retro fit 888 carts..
  • 3 0
 My old bike was an '04 Faith (or whatever year it was they were first released) and I put some '03 Shivers on it. Was awesome on chairlift days & the Shivers are still the best forks I've ever had. If they weren't so heavy I'd have put them on my Mondraker when I retired the Faith.
  • 1 0
 @jameshealey: took a tape measure to my Shivers.
190 mm sorry my bad.
They were upgraded from 170mm carts.
The forks came with either 170 or 190 mm travel.
I believe I have seen Shivers with 888 carts.
On Shivers and 888s all the oil sits at the bottom of the fork.
The top part of th fork is essentially an air spring.
I own both forks and have rebuilt both. It's very easy .
Want mid stroke platform? Add oil to decrease air chamber and run 15 weight oil.
Twisting a knob on a modern fork is not going to cure an over damped fork. You need to change shim stacks or drill larger ports.
I have a 2017 Suntour Durolux. Heavy compared to fox or rock shock but no CSU creak.
But I don't like the midstroke platform and knobs and tokens won't solve that. Shim stack change is needed.
  • 2 1
 Looks like a Ses...not in any way. The 8-Ball was a beautiful creation all its own. I particularly dug the tan version that Chris Glew used to ride.
  • 1 0
 Had a Versus Weapon X with Shivers on it - god those were some different times... Still my favorite fork of all time relative to the time period.
  • 1 0
 This perfectly illustrates that while you should upgrade your bikes you definitely don't need to do it every season....unless, of course, you're a dentist Smile
  • 1 0
 Someone make a mini carbon model mountain cycle shockwave already and chrome wrap it. K thx. I've seen how badly it'll pedal in linkage and I don't mind haha
  • 1 0
 It's funny to see years of difference when I stick my 2007 marin quake next to my 2015 niner emd9 and they have almost the same wheelbase!!!
  • 1 0
 Offset bushings, an angleset, decent shock, ghetto tubeless and "Just send it"!

I like restomodding freeride bikes. My wallet and GF ... not so much.
  • 1 0
 I remember begging my dad to buy me some Maxxis Mobster tires, they were complete garbage.
  • 1 0
 You could get them back in the day with a 50a rubber. They were pretty good (for the day) in that config as a rear tire. I did weirdly blow the beads on a lot of them riding Whistler.

Since I'm on the topic of 50a rubber....

>>Start Rant>> Front tires seem to be dialed today. Rears still haven't nailed it. I would prefer a straight 50a as a rear tire over the 3C options of today. Decent wet traction without the fast-kill of side knobs. Modern tires in 3C like MaxxTerra have side knobs die too fast as a rear. 60a is just scary in the wet. If you go up to a Dual Compound like the Aggressor, then you got a hard compound. Great summer (rear only) (trail bike only) tire, but no thanks once it's slightly wet. Bring back the straight 50a. /rant
  • 1 0
 @JustinVP: I'm with you on the 50a for rear tires man!
  • 1 0
 oh, but I love the 2.7 mobster as a front. Still running it on my dh bike actually. I still have two 2.35 slow rezaay mobsters for trials too
  • 1 0
 I clearly remember that people riding Balfa BB7 in 2002 did think that the Brodie 8Ball was indeed a shit bike.
  • 2 0
 Nothing wrong with the Fox Vanilla R. It's still my spare. Butter.
  • 1 0
 Kinda makes me wanna take my Brooklyn race link out today, kinda. Nah, fark it.
  • 1 0
 Took mine out the other day, handles like a fucking dream....
  • 1 0
 @deadmeat25: hearin' ya, they are good even today but pushing up hills is demotivating
  • 2 0
 @watchtower: That's why i bought a Kenevo Smile
  • 1 0
 Nothing wrong with hucking off loading docks... modern bikes with progressive suspension are great for hucks to flat!
  • 1 0
 Damn, that would have been the ultimate back in the day. What should be the anecdote for this? "Time ruins everything"
  • 2 0
 Still got my 1996 Foes LTS, she is a dream!
  • 1 0
 Damn you. It was my dream bike way before. Now i own a mono DHS 2001
  • 1 0
 this bike looks old even for 2002 when it was made.....there were better geo bikes even back then.
  • 1 0
 "It's f#cking scary, that's what it is at bottom out" classic line, better than Shakespears best.
  • 1 0
 Why did Brodie stop making full suspension bikes?
  • 3 0
 Because of this bike!
  • 2 0
 @bogey: hahaha
  • 2 0
 I had a couple of Brodie Devos, I don’t pine for those days at all
  • 1 0
 They sold the company changed focus to commuters and hardtails. I'm resto modding a 2007 brodie dissident right now. The new owners hooked up all the old pieces I needed. Looks like its still a good company and their hardtails look legit
  • 1 0
 Frame looks like shit but this Shiver DC 2003 is the best! Big Grin
  • 1 0
 Where is the action footage?
  • 1 0
 The biggest question is: What is secondary school?
  • 2 1
 It is the school you go to after primary school
  • 2 1
 If you have to ask ....
  • 2 1
 I didn't make it that far either.
  • 1 0
 @BalfaGuy: What is primary school?
  • 1 0
 I just had a heart attack all over again.
  • 1 0
 I threw my back out thinking of picking that beast up.
  • 1 0
 The brakes are not original right?
  • 1 0
 Nope. Probably Hayes originally.
  • 2 0
 Bring back Balfa!!!!
  • 2 0
 Always wanted a Balfa BB7
  • 1 0
 This was my first "DH" bike. Wow, I'm old balls.....
  • 2 1
 This thing is screaming "Downcountry"
  • 1 0
 "Isis is bad now"....hahaha
  • 1 0
 You've got the BB height ride characteristics the wrong way around.
  • 1 0
 lol ISIS is bad now in a few ways haha
  • 2 0
 Ah the good old days.
  • 1 0
 It has similarities to the wolfridge by Marin.
  • 1 0
 Huck to Flat says the Huck Wizard!

vimeo.com/58966987
  • 1 0
 What a classic! Piece of history now tup
  • 1 0
 Looks like you could fit another shock in place of the linkage bar......
  • 1 0
 If it would clear the frame?
  • 1 0
 Reminds me of these good ol days...

youtu.be/2wkfbHFiRjc
  • 1 0
 We neee a ride review video on this!
  • 1 0
 We all thought at the end you were going to go and thrash it ..... shame
  • 1 0
 i donno, air-cooled VW are pretty reliable
  • 1 0
 can we please discuss the plastic wellgo bike shop pedals?!
  • 1 0
 Damn, I miss those days!
  • 1 0
 I still have one ????
  • 1 0
 I still have one! (No question marks) ahaha
Below threshold threads are hidden







Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv56 0.043443
Mobile Version of Website