Originally Posted by
genejockey
This thread has more straw men than a scarecrow convention.
...speaking of which.
Originally Posted by
Atlas Shrugged
Over the past decade, the S-Works Tarmac has made significant progress in terms of design and features. In fact, the current version is vastly different from its earlier counterparts, with a lighter frame that weighs 250 grams less, a completely new design and layup, significantly improved aerodynamics, internal wiring including cockpit, 12-speed wireless with wider gearing range, tubeless tires, and disc brakes, among other features. So other than the name, there is no real comparison between a 2014 and 2024 S Works Tarmac.
Compare this with a 1970 Cinelli SC and a 1980 Cinelli SC, and the two bikes are almost identical.
Why anyone would expect Cinelli (as a company) to have much in the way of an R+D department is beyond my comprehension. Sure they were expensive, but they were still small, limited in numbers of production, and generally made by a company that was primarily earning money by selling components like stems, bars, and saddles. They did change out the stem designs periodically, often producing a stem that worked less well than their original 1A.
Here's the Cinelli timeline. 1970-1980 were not especially innovative years. The steel frame tech was a relatively mature one by then. As technologies mature, that happens. They did do a time trial funny bike in 1974, but the Cinelli SC was a boutique product that was selling well in small numbers. Why change it ? Columbo (of Columbus tubing) bought into the company in 1978. Columbus tubing was in constant development mode for new and different frame tubing sets.