genejockey 

All the jerseys are now full zip. No more pullovers with zippers that only open to mid-chest.

genejockey 

Socks are taller now.

goose70

So, change in tan line location seems to be the consensus biggest change in road cycling, edging out sock height and the obvious (but not yet mentioned) flames painted on frames.

Atlas Shrugged

Comfort technologies have revolutionized high-performance bicycles, such as those offered by Trek, Canyon, and Specialized. These endurance bikes have made it possible for more people to enjoy long rides drastically reducing fatigue. With the help of modern cycling clothing, handlebar tape, wide-range gearing, supple tires, vibration-absorbing carbon layups, advanced saddle technology, vibration-absorbing seat posts, disc brakes, and electronic shifting, cyclists can ride comfortably without sacrificing performance. This is an exciting era for cycling, as it has made what was once considered unattainable now accessible even to the average cyclist.

caloso

Sleeves are still required for any USAC-sanctioned race, so anyone who regularly races, especially if one belongs to a team, has a closet full of jerseys with sleeves.

shelbyfv

Thankfully! I expect few want to ride near some guy dripping sweat off his pit hair....

delbiker1 

IMO, the switching to wider wheels and tires, including roadies that have gone tubeless, and the wide variety of gearing that is now available. Also, it seems to me, 1 X drivetrains have become more prevalent, and I think that trend will continue. I was a late switcher to wider tires, 28 to 32 mm for road, and about 2 weeks ago, completed changing my Airborne Zeppelin to 11 speed, 1 X, with 44t front and 11-36 rear. I also have an 11-42 that I can switch to if/when needed. I am a bit surprised by how much I like the 1 X.

jonb5

Sharing data on Garmin Connect, Strava, Zwift etc.

goose70

Ooh, good one! This probably has many ripple effects, such as leading to more group events (virtual and in-person), encouraging more people to bike more and get/stay more fit (need those KOMs!) and just meeting other cyclists. As I think about it, I've probably met at least a dozen people through Strava, that I now ride with in the real world, that I would never have met otherwise. It also helps me keep up with many old friends who I would probably have lost track of otherwise. Although I'd like to think I have the discipline to keep up with cycling regardless, I suspect that this connectivity, competition and encouragement has kept me honest about my training even through rough patches, such as post surgeries.

msu2001la

I'd agree that tires are a major change, brought about in part by increased amounts of testing on rolling resistance.

I'd also add to the list power meters. In 2009 they existed, but they were still fairly rare. Now you can add a power meter to almost any bike for just a few hundred bucks. This has changed the game for training and race pace/strategy - and also transformed indoor training.

The other big change since 2009 is aero everything. Almost every new high end road bike is aero optimized now (frame shapes, seatposts, handlebars, integrated cockpits, etc). Deep section aero wheels are used by everyone, not just racers. Pretty much every new bike has some form of internal cable routing. Some of this was happening in 2009, but not like it is now.

One thing that has surprisingly been the same forever is pedals. There's been very little change in road pedal/cleat design in the last 20 years.

SoSmellyAir

Clipless pedals are now available with longer spindles after manufacturers realize that not all of us are as svelte as the world tour pros. As Shakira noted, hips don't lie.

Eric F 

Sir Mix-A-Lot also cannot lie.

SoSmellyAir

Tis true, though the phenomenon that is Sir Mix-A-Lot's stated preference may first need to be addressed by wider saddles.

Eric F 

Valid. However, lack of cushion may not be an issue.

Noonievut

Garmin Varia.

tFUnK

Interesting exercise in reflection. In 2009 I was riding fixed gears on the road on 23mm tires. Most people in that circle (non-traditional roadies) were either doing the "track bike on the streets" thing or bodging builds together to meet their specific use cases. My first road bikes were 90s models bought used. A carbon frame was a threshold deemed too high to cross into (I would only get one if I raced, but if I raced I wouldn't want to crash it).

Nowadays the bikes come from factory spec'ed with these use cases in mind. Seems to be more options now for urban commuter, cargo, gravel, bike packing, etc. The industry finally realized that not everything is a race bike, touring bike, or mountain bike. Nobody rides track bike anymore, not even in the velodrome, it seems.

Technology-wise, things like wider tires, carbon frames and rims for the masses, hidden cables, electronic shifting, frame bags instead of racks and panniers, and better electronics (power meters, LED lights, radar, head units) come to mind. I definitely don't miss changing out batteries on my PB Super Flash or Knog blinkies; modern lights with USB recharging and higher lumens changed the game. 1x drivetrain setups became a thing, it's not for everyone, but IYKYK. Then there's the cheap unbranded stuff on AliExpress (Raccmer jerseys, Roswheel bags, cheap carbon and anodized bits) - something looked down upon in these forums, but plenty to be noticed IRL when I take a look around.

Remember when the free version of Strava limited you to just 5 activities? Garmin units were only for serious cyclists but now everyone rides with some sort of GPS or tracking app.

Indoor training was boring and changing resistance was a manual process, but nowadays it's less boring with smart trainers and training apps.

It seemed that everyone wanted the lightest bike and slam their stems like the pros in 2009. Now people seem to care less about bike weight and care more about aero features and overall comfort. Riding 23mm on pothole-filled roads was routine then, but now there's no shame in riding the fattest tires that can fit a frame.

Someone was sure to get a puncture on any given group ride and we took pride in how quickly one could change out a tube. Now lots of people are on tubeless and flats seem less common. Also see a lot of people riding disc brakes; I've gone decades without them so why now are they a necessity? I know their merits but now they are standard issue, contributing to heavier bikes and higher costs. $5k used to get you a dream bike now it only gets you mid-upper level. Can't help but think that for anyone who's just now getting into the sport will be stuck with these industry trends and will never understand or appreciate the joy of riding a simple, super light, rim brake race bike.

People still love talking about their homebrew lube recipes (motor oil still works for me - fully synthetic only though); now it's about waxing.

Do people still commute in regular shoes and toe cages nowadays?

GhostRider62

Two changes

1, Road racing died in the USA
2. Nobody knows how to ride a paceline efficiently
3. Strava ruined group rides (ok, three)

I have not had toe cages since the mid 80's

chaadster

Barf.

I had my fill of self-righteous, saccharine sentimentality 30 years ago in the sports car world with people bemoaning all-wheel drive, automatic transmissions, traction control, and the loss of the air-cooled engine.

Meanwhile, the kids are out there bolting on huge aftermarket turbos to everything, custom-mapping ECMs off laptops, and figuring out how to make their cars literally spit flames while pulling more horsepower out of a 2 liter 4 cylinder than a whole team of engineers could get out of 5 liter 8s in the ‘80s.

Get grouchy if you want— the world keeps spinning regardless— but truthfully, it’s a bad look.

mstateglfr 

Is it 'barf' though?
- A decade ago, simple bikes were all the rage with young adults during the SS/Fixie years. Old bikes were cool, simple machines were cool, simplicity was cool.
- Many bikes now are designed and marketed as simple- thats their appeal. Surly Preamble- new model designed around simplicity.

When I was a teen, I golfed...a lot. Kinda good at it. We used to geek out on old clubs and golf balls- go play a few holes and try em. It was a nerdy type of fun. I am sure people would have wondered why we wanted to try persimmon woods with leather grips and 1 irons that looked like a butter knife, but the simplicity and understanding how tech was is something that appealed to us.
I ended up swapping out my modern 3 wood for one that was 15 years older because I found I liked the design more.

None of this is meant to wax poetically over how the old days were grand, but it is meant to clearly state that there is no universal way for younger people to enjoy something.
- wired ear buds have made a resurgence and its confusing to me as to why.
- flip phones have made a resurgence and its confusing to me as to why.
- vinyl has maintained a nerd following for this century so far.
Right there are flips to the narrative- the old guy doesnt understand the appeal of the older tech.


A lightweight rim brake bike with mechanical shifting is a blast for me to ride. It may be seen as inferior by some, but it may also feel more connected by others who havent experienced it before.
And I can confidently say that a lightweight rim brake road bike with 2x11 shifting will not give up near the technological ground when compared to modern bleeding edge offerings as an old 3 wood did.

Broctoon

I'll note a few more recent changes over the past fifteen years.

Cassettes have increased from 10 speed max (with 8 and 9 speed still common) to 12 speed. Not really a sudden or revolutionary development, but more of an incremental change and continuation of a pattern going back decades to when 5 speed was the standard.

Something big that has also crept into cycling in this timeframe: electronics. We have vastly better headlights and tail lights today than we had even a decade ago, and Garmin's Varia radar models even alert you to traffic approaching from behind. Really good GPS-based cycling computers are now quite affordable, and they have some amazing features. If you don't want the computer on your handlebar, you can wear it on your wrist. Can also use it to record health data, or stream music right into wireless earbuds.

They're still niche products and may never become wildly popular, but there are some wonderful drivetrain options today: Rohloff 14 speed hubs, and Pinion gearboxes.

msu2001la

I'm not sure if this is what you're getting at here, but I think the urban hipster "fixie kid" track-bike-as-commuter trend has tapered off in large part because of shifts in the bike messenger industry - not really anything to do with changes in bike design/tech. In most major cities now, if something is delivered on bike it's being done on an e-bike, ridden by the same person who also drives for Amazon/Grub Hub/Uber/Etc on weekends and evenings. The entire "messenger" industry is mainstream now and no longer involves a crazy sub-culture of guys hanging around a shop carrying two-way radios and shoulder bags, ready to race across town to deliver packages as fast as they can.

$5k got you a really nice bike in 2009, but there was still plenty of "dream bike" above that number. A 2009 S-Works Tarmac SL2 with SRAM Red or Dura-Ace had an MSRP of $7400, which is $10,400 in 2023 dollars.
$5k in 2009 is equivalent to $7100 in 2023 dollars. You can still get a really nice bike for that budget.

Instead, people just getting into this sport will know and appreciate the joy of riding a super fast, smooth, comfortable bike that is far more capable than anything built in the late 00's - and likely not care that it's 1-2lbs heavier. Also that $7400 2009 S-Works Tarmac seems to be around 16lbs according to the internet, and came with alloy wheels and a 10sp mechanical drivetrain, and also seems limited to 25mm tires. Is that really better?

Broctoon

I think it would be fun to occasionally ride an older road bike, something in really good shape but with 1970s technology: 2x5 drivetrain, friction shifters on the downtube, non-aero brake levers/cables, bar wrapped in thin fabric tape, 23mm tires, etc. I don't have such a bike, but I rode them back in the day. I would enjoy occasionally going out on a machine like this, but for most of my riding, I'll take modern tech. I don't have electronic shifting, disc brakes, or some of the other state of the art tech available today. (I don't even have a carbon fiber frame.) I love my 11 speed cassette, 28mm tubeless tires, and integrated brake/shift levers.

I guess you could say I'm no luddite, though I appreciate older machines. I'm also not a tech geek, but I accept that most of our modern developments can give real benefits.

Broctoon

No one rides track bikes anymore, it seems?

Generally, that seems to be true. But it's not literally so. I have a Cinelli track bike, with aluminum frame, deep-ish carbon rims, bullhorn bar, a front brake, clipless pedals, and a sensible gear ratio. In many ways, it's the dream bike of countless college students/urban hipsters/messenger wannabes circa 2008. I'm 53 and have nothing to prove. I just think it's a really cool toy. I rode it hard yesterday, and two weeks ago, and 73 times total since I got it six years ago. I like it for the same reasons others have mentioned in this thread: it's light and simple. There is nothing really high tech about it, but it is super fun, especially when ridden at high intensity. It is definitely not very versatile; there's no way I would pick it if I were forced to choose one bike as my only option for the rest of my life.

I wish there were more fixed gear riders around me. I wish there were some alley cat races in my city, ideally fixed gear-only (or at least with a FG entry category). I really wish there were a velodrome nearby. Alas, these days there is very little interest in such things, at least where I live.

Eric F 

I have a 1977 Nishiki ONP that I rebuilt with Suntour Superbe a couple of years ago. It's a nice example of a high-end race bike from the era - agile and smooth. However, for a large majority of the road riding I do, I prefer the light carbon fiber rocketship that is my most current road bike.

PeteHski

I'm going with wider gear range choices (12-speed compact double), along with the more obvious wider tyres/rims and disc brakes. Electronic gears are pretty nice too.