Planned obsolescence
 

I have both rim brake bikes and disc brake bikes. I have both mechanical shifters and electronic shifting. Beginning soon, Shimano will only offer 105, Ultegra and Dura Ace with disc brakes and electronic shifting.

The development of road and gravel bikes with disc brakes and excellent quality tires bigger than 28mm is a great option. These bikes are comfortable & safer with no loss in performance, in many cases. Disc brakes are a clear advancement over cantilever brakes found on older cyclocross bikes, for example.

I'm not convinced that disc brakes is worth the extra complexity on bikes with tires smaller than 30mm wide. Being forced to use electronic shifting is expensive, but at least early generations of electronic shifting didn't require disc brakes, so updating older rim brake bikes was still an option.

Welcome to a showroom full of very expensive bikes.

Cyclists generally buy what the industry offers, like it or not. I would like to see a backlash of sorts by some manufacturers sticking to tried and true components and materials. I know that some do, but these products are not readily available locally in most places. Personally, I like manual shifting. It's one of the things that I do when I ride. I don't want to simply press a button. It's all a matter of preference, as bike technology over the past twenty or so years have made most bikes solid performers. My son is currently riding a 2004 Trek 2300 with Ultegra components and rim brakes. The bike still performs well, but some of the components are beginning to wear out. It would be good if he could replace them with what he prefers rather than what manufacturers prefer to produce. But that's the way of world.

I always lol when people ask how long 10 speed or 11 speed components will be available. Especially since you can still by down tube shifters and five speed freewheels. I don’t know why everyone is so nervous about it.

Being prepared and being "nervous" are two different things. My collection starts with a 1971 Peugeot PX10 and has three disc brake bikes. Each bike could finish a century ride. I'm not nervous, just informed.

Ultegra and DuraAce were already up there in price. I just see it as electronic shifting is getting less expensive, so it makes no sense to have both a cable pulled model of the same tier group along with a electronic model in the same tier.

While my rim brakes were pretty trouble free, I don't mind the disc brakes and so far, my hydraulic disc brakes have been way more reliable and trouble free than the posts about them here on BF had me imagining. So far no need to bleed and no pad changes yet. Though I did buy some pads last year, just in case.

Where can you still get 5 speed freewheels?

Oh, thank goodness!

I was worried we didn't enough anti-electronic shifting threads today.

Just wait until the electronic dropper posts are introduced! :lol:

There is nothing in the opening post that is "anti-electronic shifting", and nothing in any of the other posts.

For the kind of cycling I do, I simply cannot justify the expense of an update or "upgrade."

You can buy IRD freewheels as 5, 6 or 7 speed. It looks like Sunrace is about done selling 5 speed freewheels, so I’m not sure if there are other options.

Single speed freewheels are still plentiful.

Otto

Your local bike shop should be able to order one for you. Sunrace is the most widely available new option, but Interloc and a couple other companies also offer them. Otherwise search "5 speed freewheel" and you will find many options. Ebay is overflowing with new, used, and NOS options.
Brent

When I buy a road bike I don't justify the expense in any logical sort of way. I buy one because I want it. Not because I need more gears or whatever. I just want a new bike. Still, haven't bought a road bike in 10 years but I'm getting the itch.
Now a mountain bike is a different story. Mountain bikes changed dramatically in about 2018. I did buy a new mtb in 2018 and I certainly justified that expense with the technology.

I’m still riding bikes with 10 speeds, triple cranks, and rim brakes. I do all my own wrenching, and for me, any improvement offered by hydraulic discs, electronic shifting, or some of the proprietary components simply isn’t worth it the additional maintenance hassles.

It’s already hard to find triple brifters, but I’ll hold out as long as I can. At that point, I’m gonna have to suck it up.

The one bike I have with a triple still shifts. I don't ride it very often but if it quit working I wouldn't mind switching to a compact.

Yes, I accumulated Campagnolo 9 speed parts that will keep my vintage steel De Rosa and Pinarello on the road for another 10 years or so. I also have complete sets of 10 and 11 speed Shimano for rim brake bikes that I'll keep in inventory.

5 years ago, I built up a new rim brake Ridley Helium SLX with electronic shifting for a 2x11 drivetrain. If I had installed Shimano on this bike, I'd be unable to get replacement parts once inventories are exhausted. I installed SRAM eTap and it looks like replacements are still available.

I can't help thinking about all the carbon fiber rim brake bikes sold in the last 15 years. At some point in the near future, these bikes won't have replacement parts available. Shifters and derailleurs will become scarce in less than 2 years.

As I said to my son yesterday, non-performance bikes will retain mechanical shifting and rim brakes for some time to come. Only performance bikes will have electronic shifting due to the cost. Enthusiasts are most always happy to adopt the latest technology, it is their hobby after all. For those that simply ride a bike without the enthusiast point of view, electronic shifting is not necessary, and some will go so far as to state it is unwanted. Simply the evolution of the bicycle.

Rumor has it Elon is working on a self driving e-bike that even automatically puts down the kickstand for you.

Planned obsolescence usually refers to items designed to require replacement more frequently than should be necessary. Which I don't find to be the case with bicycles. I ride 40 year old bikes and they aren't at all obsolete. They serve the purpose quite reliably after all those decades.

New bikes or anything else are rip-offs and are for chumps.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...16be540ba.jpeg


agree

it's been all downhill since we moved on from high wheel bikes

you have a Seven Ti road bike (?) - sweet bike ... might be tough to top that one (?)

how is the weight of the MTB ? some of the look like tanks - and I've heard some comments that might support this observation

Next year the BIG new thing will be TWO chain rings on the crank set!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!