Originally Posted by
beng1
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All super-light materials and patented and copyrighted "aero" technology do is make cycling expensive and it destroys perfectly good older equipment by putting it in danger of no longer being supported in the way of spare parts by manufacturers who have to jump on the lightweight aero bandwagon that exists for no good reason at all...
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If you insist upon writing rubbish like that you are going to get replies you don't want to see...
You wrote that you finished 40th out of over 400 in a TT 25 years ago. You say you are 60 now so that made you 35, a man in his prime still. Given the bike you say you had then, it wasn't that bad at the time for a TT of that type; amateur average level. But a lighter, more agile bike might have possibly helped you to a top 35, maybe top 30 depending upon the course.
40th is not a great result if you are trying to impress - you basically finished with the riders aiming for PB's and those just taking part for fun but weren't in any way among the fast guys in contention, not even close.
So you would have benefitted from a faster bike back then, and most certainly now. Just as you are benefiting from airing your views on this Forum...on the internet...via the keyboard of your computer...that didn't exist when you did that time-trial...because...technology has improved in all areas and an acceptable consequence of that, is that it makes older stuff eventually out-of-favour for the majority. Just as you are driving a car and not getting around on horseback.
However, don't fret, keep your older equipment in good condition and it will last a lot longer yet - indeed, if it is something desirable, the 'cottage-industry' will always ensure spares are available for the few who want them.
Cycling can be expensive, yes. If you opt - because it is optional - to chase speed. The very vast majority of cyclists don't. They want comfort and cycling fun and there are plenty of good quality affordable bikes out there. However, start chasing speed or just having a machine to match your sporting hero's and things will get expensive quickly, and the more expensive, the more all you are getting is increasingly marginal gains. This can only be justified by the person paying the money - do they need it? Can they afford it? What are their cycling goals? Some of us deem it worthwhile.
Just as you want manufacturers to stagnate and stay with old tech, a far greater majority are pushing them to innovate and do exactly what they are doing.
Still...if you do want old tech that is newly supported, look to China and get yourself a Flying Pigeon. Their most popular bike, sold over 500 million around the World, it is largely unchanged since 1950 and still in production today. Your dilemma solved.
