Originally Posted by
rossiny
I always wondered about how the design has not changed much. Just the materials the frame , etc is made from.
This is a direct result of 1934 UCI regulations, which were intended to eliminate racing advantages based on technology like aerodynamic fairings, unconventional rider positioning, etc. (i.e. recumbents). UCI felt that competition should be between riders and not tech magic. Of course there have been tech developments that have provided a real advantage, but these were within the scope of the UCI rules. These include the requirement that a bike frame have a main triangle with 3 tubes.
It would be interesting to see what might have been if the UCI never adopted these restrictive rules. I'd guess that we'd be seeing a lot more bent riders.