The Stuff You Couldn't Be Bothered With (Until You Couldn't Live Without It)
09-05-20, 06:46 PM
#1
52psi
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The Stuff You Couldn't Be Bothered With (Until You Couldn't Live Without It)
Alternate Thread Title: The Luddite Confessional.
I tend to scoff at advances in tech when this thing I've already got meets my needs just fine, thank you very much. Phones. Cars. Microwave ovens. Whatever it is, I generally stand pat until there's a clear and undeniable need to change something up, meaning it was all but inevitable that I'd land in the C&V while most of the world is awash in indexed shifting and carbon. But there are some cycling-related things that I absolutely did not need... until I tried them:
Clipless pedals, for example. I still have flat pedals on my utility/commuter, but for anything resembling a "real ride" it's absolutely a clipless world these days.
Camelbak Podium water bottles too. I have said more than once that any old bottle is fine, and anyone who spends fifteen bucks on one is insane. Nope. Gimme those valves.
Probably other things too, but these are the two items that inspired the idea for the thread.
(And let's leave helmets out of this one, up to and including helmet tech advances. We all know the worms in that can are relentless and predatory, devouring all that they encounter.)
I tend to scoff at advances in tech when this thing I've already got meets my needs just fine, thank you very much. Phones. Cars. Microwave ovens. Whatever it is, I generally stand pat until there's a clear and undeniable need to change something up, meaning it was all but inevitable that I'd land in the C&V while most of the world is awash in indexed shifting and carbon. But there are some cycling-related things that I absolutely did not need... until I tried them:
Clipless pedals, for example. I still have flat pedals on my utility/commuter, but for anything resembling a "real ride" it's absolutely a clipless world these days.
Camelbak Podium water bottles too. I have said more than once that any old bottle is fine, and anyone who spends fifteen bucks on one is insane. Nope. Gimme those valves.
Probably other things too, but these are the two items that inspired the idea for the thread.
(And let's leave helmets out of this one, up to and including helmet tech advances. We all know the worms in that can are relentless and predatory, devouring all that they encounter.)
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A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
09-05-20, 07:16 PM
#2
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I'm gonna go with tubular tape. Glue isn't difficult, or even that time consuming. It is tedious. And that tedium finally overcame my cheapness, tape ain't cheap.
That said, it's not like I'm a luddite. I just happen to enjoy new stuff and old stuff and am lucky enough to have both. Platforms - got them. Clipless - got them. Friction, ergo, got them. Haven't done disc nor electronic yet, but I'll probably give it a go at some point.
That said, it's not like I'm a luddite. I just happen to enjoy new stuff and old stuff and am lucky enough to have both. Platforms - got them. Clipless - got them. Friction, ergo, got them. Haven't done disc nor electronic yet, but I'll probably give it a go at some point.
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09-05-20, 07:20 PM
#3
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Speedplay clipless, double sided pedals.
STIs...some people on C&V may still be on down-tube shifters...no more for me.
Bar End Shifters...second preference to STIs.
CO2 and Air Chuck in toolkit vs. Hand Pump.
Bibs vs Bike Shorts.
STIs...some people on C&V may still be on down-tube shifters...no more for me.
Bar End Shifters...second preference to STIs.
CO2 and Air Chuck in toolkit vs. Hand Pump.
Bibs vs Bike Shorts.
09-05-20, 07:30 PM
#4
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SPD pedals
Campy ergo brifters
carbon forks
disc brakes
fat tires
Campy ergo brifters
carbon forks
disc brakes
fat tires
09-05-20, 07:39 PM
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N = '96 Colnago C40, '04 Wilier Alpe D'Huez, '10 Colnago EPS, '85 Merckx Pro, '89 Merckx Century, '86 Tommasini Professional, '04 Teschner Aero FX Pro, '05 Alan Carbon Cross, '86 De Rosa Professional, '82 Colnago Super, '95 Gios Compact Pro, '95 Carrera Zeus, '84 Basso Gap, ‘89 Cinelli Supercorsa, ‘83 Bianchi Specialissima, ‘VO Randonneur, Ritchey Breakaway Steel, '84 Paletti Super Prestige, Heron Randonneur
N = '96 Colnago C40, '04 Wilier Alpe D'Huez, '10 Colnago EPS, '85 Merckx Pro, '89 Merckx Century, '86 Tommasini Professional, '04 Teschner Aero FX Pro, '05 Alan Carbon Cross, '86 De Rosa Professional, '82 Colnago Super, '95 Gios Compact Pro, '95 Carrera Zeus, '84 Basso Gap, ‘89 Cinelli Supercorsa, ‘83 Bianchi Specialissima, ‘VO Randonneur, Ritchey Breakaway Steel, '84 Paletti Super Prestige, Heron Randonneur
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09-05-20, 07:47 PM
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Park chain link connector tool
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Life is too short not to ride the best bike you have, as much as you can
(looking for Torpado Super light frame/fork or for Raleigh International frame fork 58cm)
Life is too short not to ride the best bike you have, as much as you can
(looking for Torpado Super light frame/fork or for Raleigh International frame fork 58cm)
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09-05-20, 08:54 PM
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I'm in on both these. Good stuff. Although I'm just as happy on an old hard plastic saddle of the kind that mimics the firmness of a Brooks Professional. I have only found one that does this to my complete satisfaction - in service for 46 years now 
but the new Unicanitors are pretty good too (Just a little too stiff).
I should be all over the CO2 inflators, as well, but I somehow lost the one @iab gave me at Cino a couple years back, so I continue to struggle on with a #@%#*& mini pump.
but the new Unicanitors are pretty good too (Just a little too stiff).I should be all over the CO2 inflators, as well, but I somehow lost the one @iab gave me at Cino a couple years back, so I continue to struggle on with a #@%#*& mini pump.
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● 1971 Grandis SL ● 1972 Lambert Grand Prix frankenbike ● 1972 Raleigh Super Course fixie ● 1973 Nishiki Semi-Pro ● 1979 Motobecane Grand Jubile ●1980 Apollo "Legnano" ● 1984 Peugeot Vagabond ● 1985 Shogun Prairie Breaker ● 1986 Merckx Super Corsa ● 1987 Schwinn Tempo ● 1988 Schwinn Voyageur ● 1989 Bottechia Team ADR replica ● 1990 Cannondale ST600 ● 1993 Technium RT600 ● 1996 Kona Lava Dome ●
● 1971 Grandis SL ● 1972 Lambert Grand Prix frankenbike ● 1972 Raleigh Super Course fixie ● 1973 Nishiki Semi-Pro ● 1979 Motobecane Grand Jubile ●1980 Apollo "Legnano" ● 1984 Peugeot Vagabond ● 1985 Shogun Prairie Breaker ● 1986 Merckx Super Corsa ● 1987 Schwinn Tempo ● 1988 Schwinn Voyageur ● 1989 Bottechia Team ADR replica ● 1990 Cannondale ST600 ● 1993 Technium RT600 ● 1996 Kona Lava Dome ●
09-05-20, 09:30 PM
#10
Ellensburg, WA
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Maybe not completely modern/newer but dual pivot brakes. I didn't really care about them until I put a set on one of my Gitanes and decided it was time to slowly upgrade the rest of the fleet after experiencing the increased braking ability on a downhill.
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1984 Gitane Tour de France; 1968 Peugeot PL8; 1982 Nishiki Marina 12; 1984 Peugeot PSV; 1993 Trek 950 mtb; 1983 Vitus 979; Colnago Super, mid-80's Bianchi Veloce, 1984 or 85 Vitus 979
1984 Gitane Tour de France; 1968 Peugeot PL8; 1982 Nishiki Marina 12; 1984 Peugeot PSV; 1993 Trek 950 mtb; 1983 Vitus 979; Colnago Super, mid-80's Bianchi Veloce, 1984 or 85 Vitus 979
09-05-20, 09:53 PM
#12
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Quick links
Two-bolt stem
Two-bolt stem
09-05-20, 10:13 PM
#13
Hoards Thumbshifters
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Rock n Roll gold. There is said it. It's wonderful, cleans chains too easily, and works wonderfully. East to use.
Koga Denham Bars. They are awkward and weird but setup correctly they are a godsend on my hands.
Koga Denham Bars. They are awkward and weird but setup correctly they are a godsend on my hands.
09-05-20, 10:15 PM
#14
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A floor pump with a pressure gauge in it. When I was a kid, I would just pump up the tires for my Schwinn Typhoon with a floor pump. They either didn't come with gauges or they were too expensive. You could get a feel for how much pressure was in the tire by how much effort it took to pump. You could also squeeze the tire. Then I got a 10 speed (that was 5 speeds on the freewheel back in the bike boom days) and got a frame pump. It wasn't until much later in life that I got a floor pump with a gauge built in.
I could go back and use a pump by feel, but having a gauge makes me feel so much better about having the correct pressure in the tires. I can even put 5 or 10 psi more pressure in the rear. When I put the bike on the car to get to a place to ride, the floor pump comes with me. It is not even a well regarded or expensive floor pump. It is an all plastic Zefal
I could go back and use a pump by feel, but having a gauge makes me feel so much better about having the correct pressure in the tires. I can even put 5 or 10 psi more pressure in the rear. When I put the bike on the car to get to a place to ride, the floor pump comes with me. It is not even a well regarded or expensive floor pump. It is an all plastic Zefal
09-05-20, 11:18 PM
#15
Bike Butcher of Portland
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And fat
tires
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If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
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09-06-20, 12:34 AM
#16
www.theheadbadge.com
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Hooked bead rims.
Square taper cranksets.
Modern, upright 3 or 4-finger brake levers.
00 grease in Sturmey-Archer hubs.
-Kurt
Square taper cranksets.
Modern, upright 3 or 4-finger brake levers.
00 grease in Sturmey-Archer hubs.
-Kurt
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09-06-20, 03:10 AM
#17
señor miembro
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Rustines hoods. Newbaum's tape. Padded half-finger gloves.
09-06-20, 05:03 AM
#18
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At first, this was a difficult one to answer, but then it came to me...
Bigger tires!
My Jamaica Bianchi taught me this. My NOS vintage hoops (700x25) failed, big time, in Jamaica a couple of years ago. Where I live, there, there are few places to find bicycle stuff. One, in fact, and only one that I know of and it is a twenty mile ride away. Conrad is the shop owner and we have become friends in the past twenty or thirty years. Anyway...
I NEEDED tires! He had a set of 700c 32 on hand but they would be too big to fit, or so I thought. Long story made short, the 32 tires did fit, clearing the chain stays by, as Maxwell Smart would say, "that much".
After a few rides, I found out that the ride quality had improved dramatically. I did have to work a bit harder, to get from here to there and back again, but that is just fine with me. The point is that I learned about something I had been poopooing for many years.
Bigger tires!
My Jamaica Bianchi taught me this. My NOS vintage hoops (700x25) failed, big time, in Jamaica a couple of years ago. Where I live, there, there are few places to find bicycle stuff. One, in fact, and only one that I know of and it is a twenty mile ride away. Conrad is the shop owner and we have become friends in the past twenty or thirty years. Anyway...
I NEEDED tires! He had a set of 700c 32 on hand but they would be too big to fit, or so I thought. Long story made short, the 32 tires did fit, clearing the chain stays by, as Maxwell Smart would say, "that much".
After a few rides, I found out that the ride quality had improved dramatically. I did have to work a bit harder, to get from here to there and back again, but that is just fine with me. The point is that I learned about something I had been poopooing for many years.
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"98% of the bikes I buy are projects".
"98% of the bikes I buy are projects".
09-06-20, 05:10 AM
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09-06-20, 07:36 AM
#20
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My contribution is caliper brakes with centering screws.
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N = '96 Colnago C40, '04 Wilier Alpe D'Huez, '10 Colnago EPS, '85 Merckx Pro, '89 Merckx Century, '86 Tommasini Professional, '04 Teschner Aero FX Pro, '05 Alan Carbon Cross, '86 De Rosa Professional, '82 Colnago Super, '95 Gios Compact Pro, '95 Carrera Zeus, '84 Basso Gap, ‘89 Cinelli Supercorsa, ‘83 Bianchi Specialissima, ‘VO Randonneur, Ritchey Breakaway Steel, '84 Paletti Super Prestige, Heron Randonneur
N = '96 Colnago C40, '04 Wilier Alpe D'Huez, '10 Colnago EPS, '85 Merckx Pro, '89 Merckx Century, '86 Tommasini Professional, '04 Teschner Aero FX Pro, '05 Alan Carbon Cross, '86 De Rosa Professional, '82 Colnago Super, '95 Gios Compact Pro, '95 Carrera Zeus, '84 Basso Gap, ‘89 Cinelli Supercorsa, ‘83 Bianchi Specialissima, ‘VO Randonneur, Ritchey Breakaway Steel, '84 Paletti Super Prestige, Heron Randonneur
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09-06-20, 08:03 AM
#21
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Index shifting. In 1986 my wife and upgraded from our Sears Free Spirit bikes and Shimano 600 SIS had just come out and I had it installed on my wife’s bike. In 2015 I installed SIS downtube shifters on my bike. Now I wouldn’t go back to friction... well at least the rear shifting that is.
John
John
09-06-20, 08:41 AM
#23
Edumacator
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Repair stand...
Headset press instead of the long bolt method...
Seconded on dual pivot, centering screw stuff.
Headset press instead of the long bolt method...
Seconded on dual pivot, centering screw stuff.
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1987 Crest Cannondale, 1987 Basso Gap, 1992 Rossin Performance EL, 1990ish Van Tuyl, 1985 Trek 670, 1982 AD SLE, 2003 Pinarello Surprise, 1990ish MBK Atlantique, 1987 Peugeot Competition, 1987 Nishiki Tri-A, 1981 Faggin, 1996 Cannondale M500, 1984 Mercian, 1982 AD SuperLeicht, 1985 Massi (model unknown), 1988 Daccordi Griffe , 1989 Fauxsin MTB, 1981 Ciocc Mockba, 1992 Bianchi Giro, 1977 Colnago Super
1987 Crest Cannondale, 1987 Basso Gap, 1992 Rossin Performance EL, 1990ish Van Tuyl, 1985 Trek 670, 1982 AD SLE, 2003 Pinarello Surprise, 1990ish MBK Atlantique, 1987 Peugeot Competition, 1987 Nishiki Tri-A, 1981 Faggin, 1996 Cannondale M500, 1984 Mercian, 1982 AD SuperLeicht, 1985 Massi (model unknown), 1988 Daccordi Griffe , 1989 Fauxsin MTB, 1981 Ciocc Mockba, 1992 Bianchi Giro, 1977 Colnago Super
09-06-20, 08:46 AM
#24
With a mighty wind
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A hat under the helmet. I've been mostly bald for a while, I think it was like 2 years ago when I realized I didn't need to slather my scalp with sunscreen.
Full frame pump. 6 months ago I had never used one. Now I have two. Look great and fit great, and can pump a tire quickly. I still have CO2 for my newish bike but on gravel where I might actually get flats, it's been a welcome addition.
A mini grease gun. It's not like I can't lube without it but it sure is clean.
A ratcheting screwdriver.
Full frame pump. 6 months ago I had never used one. Now I have two. Look great and fit great, and can pump a tire quickly. I still have CO2 for my newish bike but on gravel where I might actually get flats, it's been a welcome addition.
A mini grease gun. It's not like I can't lube without it but it sure is clean.
A ratcheting screwdriver.
09-06-20, 09:16 AM
#25
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Bikes: 1984 Miyata 310, 1986 Schwinn Sierra, 2011 Jamis Quest, 1980 Peugeot TH8 Tandem, 1992 Performance Parabola, 1987 Ross Mt. Hood, 1988 Schwinn LeTour, 1988 Trek 400T, 1981 Fuji S12-S LTD, 197? FW Evans
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Another one for Brooks saddles. It was a leap of faith to spend $100 on the first one, now I have four. I let my son ride one of my bikes before he went back to college. He couldn't believe how comfortable it was. Maybe I'll get him one for graduation.
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