Originally Posted by
CheGiantForLife
Is a consumer better off riding a 1978 steel road bike that's maintainable with simple tools I bought 40 years ago? Is much of the recent "innovation" is a bad bargain for anyone not pushing a competitive racing edge. Eg, Is carbon anything as an anti-feature. ?
In terms of comparing a 1978 bike to one from 2021...you don’t have to be a competitive rider to appreciate indexed shifting, better brakes, more gearing options, more/improved drop bar options, better shifter ergonomics, and better tires,
When you adjust costs for inflation, I don’t think there has ever been a better time to buy a bike than now (once the shortage is over). Turn that 1978 bike into 2020 dollars and look at what that buys you just before the pandemic hit.
Oh, and think threadless steerers are a vast improvement over threaded.