Those were the days when ten centimetres of downhill suspension travel was still considered "excessive", when it was a matter of luck whether the frame and components could withstand the strain, but the athletes were still sure to throw themselves down the mountain as if the devil himself was after them.

One of the most infamous races at the beginning of the 1990s was the Kamikaze Downhill in Mammoth Mountain (USA). The course was nothing more than a dry ski slope with lots of loose gravel. That didn't stop stars such as Jimmy Deaton, Philippe Perakis, "Earthquake" Jake Watson and Myles Rockwell from pedaling at full power into the oversized chainrings to chase the best time at speeds of over 90 km/h.

This film may offer less resolution than the 90s bikes in terms of suspension travel, but the 23-minute pixel party from 1995 is still extremely worth seeing - it makes for smiles and amazement in equal measure.