What has improved in cycling?
12-16-20, 03:54 AM
#76
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My no. 1 improvement in modern biking is the YouTube how-to video. I can’t tell you how many maintenance conundrums I have solved with a video of how to do it.
No. 2 is SPD pedals... I feel naked if I am not clipped in when I ride.
No. 3, especially for unaccompanied touring, is the Garmin GPS along with downloaded bike routes.
No. 2 is SPD pedals... I feel naked if I am not clipped in when I ride.
No. 3, especially for unaccompanied touring, is the Garmin GPS along with downloaded bike routes.
Lights, cameras front and rear, GPS and helmet 24/7, period.
12-16-20, 07:10 AM
#77
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Broken glass, or lack of broken glass. In the 70's when I started riding, broken glass was everywhere. You could see it twinkling in the sunlite on the tarmac. On club rides "glass" would be shouted out several times on a ride. Then we would all "check" our tires(tubulars of course) with our gloved or sometimes ungloved hand while riding slowly. And occasionally you would hear the pssst of a puncture. And back then it was common to be on a nice set of Clement tires.
Nowdays with plastic containers, the discarded vessels are squashed on the side of the road. Teens dont seem to be driving around aimlessly on friday and saturday nights throwing beer bottles out the window like in days of old. I do enjoy the glass free roadways we have now.
Nowdays with plastic containers, the discarded vessels are squashed on the side of the road. Teens dont seem to be driving around aimlessly on friday and saturday nights throwing beer bottles out the window like in days of old. I do enjoy the glass free roadways we have now.
12-16-20, 07:29 AM
#78
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Broken glass, or lack of broken glass. In the 70's when I started riding, broken glass was everywhere. You could see it twinkling in the sunlite on the tarmac. On club rides "glass" would be shouted out several times on a ride. Then we would all "check" our tires(tubulars of course) with our gloved or sometimes ungloved hand while riding slowly. And occasionally you would hear the pssst of a puncture. And back then it was common to be on a nice set of Clement tires.
Nowdays with plastic containers, the discarded vessels are squashed on the side of the road. Teens dont seem to be driving around aimlessly on friday and saturday nights throwing beer bottles out the window like in days of old. I do enjoy the glass free roadways we have now.
Nowdays with plastic containers, the discarded vessels are squashed on the side of the road. Teens dont seem to be driving around aimlessly on friday and saturday nights throwing beer bottles out the window like in days of old. I do enjoy the glass free roadways we have now.
12-16-20, 07:31 AM
#79
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I can't remember if this was already mentioned but wider handlebars. I love my vintage steel bikes but when I get on my newer aluminum road bikes, I really appreciate the bigger handlebars. At what point did they transition?
12-16-20, 07:45 AM
#80
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I’ll second the wider bars.
my old steel road bike, with 46cm Nitto Noodles is nice!
my old steel road bike, with 46cm Nitto Noodles is nice!
12-16-20, 08:55 AM
#81
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It depends on location. New York State was one of the first to bring back mandatory recycling in the 1980s. I hear some areas still have glass in the streets, but there isn't much in most of New York.
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“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
12-16-20, 08:56 AM
#82
aka Tom Reingold
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I agree with most things listed here, and there are many!
Here is a pretty good article I came across just today in the 13mph Facebook group. The group is based in Columbus, Ohio but has stuff of interest to many cyclists.
Cycling revolutions: 10 brilliant inventions that changed the bicycle forever
Here is a pretty good article I came across just today in the 13mph Facebook group. The group is based in Columbus, Ohio but has stuff of interest to many cyclists.
Cycling revolutions: 10 brilliant inventions that changed the bicycle forever
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
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“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
12-16-20, 01:29 PM
#83
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The improvements that are most beneficial for sport/recreational riders in my opinion are:
1. Dual pivot brakes
2. clipless pedals
3. 8+ speed cassette hubs and corresponding 130mm dropouts
4. Sealed bearings (eliminating the annual/semi-annual overhauling hassle)
Most overrated improvements?
1. Brifters
Downtube shifters work great, and Shimano even makes (made) them for more modern 9 and 10 speed groups. I ride Brifters on a couple of my bikes and I like them a lot. However, if they didn't exist, I would be fine and enjoy riding just as much. For recreational riders, all else equal, the brifters are not going to give you improved speed or performance compared to DT. Most people just aren't used to DT.
2. Compact cranksets.
If you have 9+ speed cassettes there is plenty of gear range available in the cassettes with standard cranks, and if you really need granny gears, triple cranksets work fine.
3. Disk brakes
Completely unnecessary for most riders/riding conditions and they are butt ugly on a road bike.
4. Electronic shifting
Pure novelty, minimal if any performance benefit. These are popular for the same type of people who wait in line for hours every time a new Iphone comes out. Do they really improve riding enjoyment? I guess if you have arthritis in your hand/fingers and it is too difficult for you to move the STI levers without pain?
5. Bike Computer/GPS/PowerMeter/SmartPhone
Seriously you don't need any of these gadgets on your bike to ride or train, they are just a distraction. i can see carrying a mobile phone for emergency communication, and GPS/smart phone if you are doing serious touring. But for general riding and training around your local area this all completely unnecessary.
1. Dual pivot brakes
2. clipless pedals
3. 8+ speed cassette hubs and corresponding 130mm dropouts
4. Sealed bearings (eliminating the annual/semi-annual overhauling hassle)
Most overrated improvements?
1. Brifters
Downtube shifters work great, and Shimano even makes (made) them for more modern 9 and 10 speed groups. I ride Brifters on a couple of my bikes and I like them a lot. However, if they didn't exist, I would be fine and enjoy riding just as much. For recreational riders, all else equal, the brifters are not going to give you improved speed or performance compared to DT. Most people just aren't used to DT.
2. Compact cranksets.
If you have 9+ speed cassettes there is plenty of gear range available in the cassettes with standard cranks, and if you really need granny gears, triple cranksets work fine.
3. Disk brakes
Completely unnecessary for most riders/riding conditions and they are butt ugly on a road bike.
4. Electronic shifting
Pure novelty, minimal if any performance benefit. These are popular for the same type of people who wait in line for hours every time a new Iphone comes out. Do they really improve riding enjoyment? I guess if you have arthritis in your hand/fingers and it is too difficult for you to move the STI levers without pain?
5. Bike Computer/GPS/PowerMeter/SmartPhone
Seriously you don't need any of these gadgets on your bike to ride or train, they are just a distraction. i can see carrying a mobile phone for emergency communication, and GPS/smart phone if you are doing serious touring. But for general riding and training around your local area this all completely unnecessary.
Last edited by deadzone; 12-16-20 at 02:25 PM.
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12-16-20, 01:54 PM
#84
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Threadless headsets, cartridge bearings, cassette/freehubs, stainless cables, and lined housings - - all make the bike more reliable and easier to maintain.
12-16-20, 02:00 PM
#85
Junior Member
Just a fun post for a Friday and don't flame me for talking about the difference between C&V bikes and new bikes but wanted to post the things I am thankful for in new bike technology:
What are your you thankful for with new bike technology?
- Soft, padded grip tape - how did we ride back in the day with slippery, shiny non absorbent bar tape?
- Brifters - gotta admit, they are way more convenient than using down tube shifters.
What are your you thankful for with new bike technology?
Everything!
12-16-20, 08:58 PM
#87
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threadless headsets are better
Threadless headsets offer an overall lighter and stronger combination of headset, fork and stem; the bearing preload is much easier to adjust, and the configuration of the stem-steerer tube joint is much less prone to freeziung up due to galvanic corrosion between the stem and fork.
Nonelheless, six of my nine classic bikes have threaded headsets, because they have forks too good to throw away.
