Most important bicycle improvements of the past twenty years.
#1
Most important bicycle improvements of the past twenty years.
So like how important was the jump from 7 speeds up through 12 speeds? When I ride an older 8 speed system I like how it seems to feel a little more solid with the thicker chain. But also the thinner chains of ten speed and up seem to be able to go at more extreme angles.
it seems that triple front derailleurs are gone now.
through axels do feel more solid though I’m not sure how much they really matter unless you’re putting a lot of weight on it.
Cheap carbon seems to have won out in frame design.
disc brakes are better at stopping but with some rubbing issues and slightly more complicated maintenance.
maybe my favorite advancement has been suspension seatposts and improved saddles like vulcanized rubber and new leather designs.
it seems that triple front derailleurs are gone now.
through axels do feel more solid though I’m not sure how much they really matter unless you’re putting a lot of weight on it.
Cheap carbon seems to have won out in frame design.
disc brakes are better at stopping but with some rubbing issues and slightly more complicated maintenance.
maybe my favorite advancement has been suspension seatposts and improved saddles like vulcanized rubber and new leather designs.
#2
Banned
Staggering insight but didn't we do this a few weeks ago?
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#3
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...marketing has seen great progress. No way you could have sold bikes for 5 to 10 grand back in the ancient times.
...marketing has seen great progress. No way you could have sold bikes for 5 to 10 grand back in the ancient times.
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Greater selection of "adventure type bikes" is probably the best thing that has happened in the last 20 years....Not much improvement in components or anything else.
Here is a list of things I don't like:
- newer cranksets with direct mount chainrings...I hate those and I am still using the older 4 and 5 bolt designs
- internal cable routing...I just hate it
- thru axles... I am still using nutted axles and quick release axles
- different axle spacing standards...I have two bikes with 135mm spacing and one with 120mm spacing.
- way too many different styles of disc brakes and each one has different pads... It's a jungle out there for brake pads.
- tubeless tires
Here is a list of things I don't like:
- newer cranksets with direct mount chainrings...I hate those and I am still using the older 4 and 5 bolt designs
- internal cable routing...I just hate it
- thru axles... I am still using nutted axles and quick release axles
- different axle spacing standards...I have two bikes with 135mm spacing and one with 120mm spacing.
- way too many different styles of disc brakes and each one has different pads... It's a jungle out there for brake pads.
- tubeless tires
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#8
Motors.
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#9
With a mighty wind
I’m not super impressed with road bike progress. E shifting is a game changer. Aside from that, it’s not a huge deal. Remember that 20 years ago Shimano had 9 speeds and Campy had 10. American Classic had super light carbon or magnesium wheels. Frames were available in aluminum, carbon, ti, scandium, and magnesium. This isn’t the dark ages. New super bikes are amazing but they aren’t fundamentally changing the sport.
The huge leaps IMO are in mountain bikes.
66 degree head angles, true refinement of suspension, dropper posts, 29ers, 27.5, mullets, tubeless, wider tires, and wide range 1x, clutched derailleurs. All combined this fundamentally changed mountain biking.
Mountain bike progress trickled into road and especially gravel with disc brakes, slacker geometry, clutches, and 1x. Basically it created all road bikes that aren’t CX racers.
The huge leaps IMO are in mountain bikes.
66 degree head angles, true refinement of suspension, dropper posts, 29ers, 27.5, mullets, tubeless, wider tires, and wide range 1x, clutched derailleurs. All combined this fundamentally changed mountain biking.
Mountain bike progress trickled into road and especially gravel with disc brakes, slacker geometry, clutches, and 1x. Basically it created all road bikes that aren’t CX racers.
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LED lights
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#11
Senior Member
Greater selection of "adventure type bikes" is probably the best thing that has happened in the last 20 years....Not much improvement in components or anything else.
Here is a list of things I don't like:
- newer cranksets with direct mount chainrings...I hate those and I am still using the older 4 and 5 bolt designs
- internal cable routing...I just hate it
- thru axles... I am still using nutted axles and quick release axles
- different axle spacing standards...I have two bikes with 135mm spacing and one with 120mm spacing.
- way too many different styles of disc brakes and each one has different pads... It's a jungle out there for brake pads.
- tubeless tires
Here is a list of things I don't like:
- newer cranksets with direct mount chainrings...I hate those and I am still using the older 4 and 5 bolt designs
- internal cable routing...I just hate it
- thru axles... I am still using nutted axles and quick release axles
- different axle spacing standards...I have two bikes with 135mm spacing and one with 120mm spacing.
- way too many different styles of disc brakes and each one has different pads... It's a jungle out there for brake pads.
- tubeless tires
Beans in my Chilli
Snakes
Loud chewing
Self serve gas stations
Paper cuts
Cauliflower
Moochers
People who use the express checkout with more than 10 items.
I like all of the newer tech with the exception of integrated bar/stems and hidden cable headsets.
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#12
Senior Member
e-Tap wireless shifting is the bees knees
#13
No one has mentioned the ability to cary golf clubs?
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#15
Clark W. Griswold
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Here is a list of things I don't like:
- newer cranksets with direct mount chainrings...I hate those and I am still using the older 4 and 5 bolt designs
- internal cable routing...I just hate it
- thru axles... I am still using nutted axles and quick release axles
- different axle spacing standards...I have two bikes with 135mm spacing and one with 120mm spacing.
- way too many different styles of disc brakes and each one has different pads... It's a jungle out there for brake pads.
- tubeless tires
- newer cranksets with direct mount chainrings...I hate those and I am still using the older 4 and 5 bolt designs
- internal cable routing...I just hate it
- thru axles... I am still using nutted axles and quick release axles
- different axle spacing standards...I have two bikes with 135mm spacing and one with 120mm spacing.
- way too many different styles of disc brakes and each one has different pads... It's a jungle out there for brake pads.
- tubeless tires
Yeah proprietary sometimes sure but if you just always keep it in the same place it won't be a problem. The only time you lose stuff is if you just place willy nilly every time I am working on a thru-axle bike I just put the axle right back with a couple turns which is a second or two and never lose anything. No springs to lose or anything just a single quite large axle.
#16
#17
My 2001 Colnago built with DA was probably north of $5K in today’s dollars.
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Awesome >>>
LED lights
Rohloff14
SA XL-FDD dyno drum brake
Stainless 2.3/ 2.0 spokes
Far better tires that go 10,000 miles
Sealed bearings, especially for BBs
Old style chrome swept handlebars
NonSenSe >>>
Bare alu anything, especially stems and rims
Thru axels/ nutso 142+ mm dropouts
Pie plate 46T+ Rear cogs
Eyelet rims
Plastic/ Alu fenders, that are seldom long enough to be anything but decorations.
Hydro brakes
4" tractor tires LOL
Crazy slope top tubes inline with seat stays. LOL.
Grips now all have the feel of used car tires. LOL.
Tubeless goop
LED lights
Rohloff14
SA XL-FDD dyno drum brake
Stainless 2.3/ 2.0 spokes
Far better tires that go 10,000 miles
Sealed bearings, especially for BBs
Old style chrome swept handlebars
NonSenSe >>>
Bare alu anything, especially stems and rims
Thru axels/ nutso 142+ mm dropouts
Pie plate 46T+ Rear cogs
Eyelet rims
Plastic/ Alu fenders, that are seldom long enough to be anything but decorations.
Hydro brakes
4" tractor tires LOL
Crazy slope top tubes inline with seat stays. LOL.
Grips now all have the feel of used car tires. LOL.
Tubeless goop
Last edited by GamblerGORD53; 06-18-23 at 03:58 PM.
#19
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Because they require a frame and fork which is designed for use with thru axles and nothing else. I have a lot of wheelsets at home which are in perfect condition some of which I build myself, and my 3 bikes which I own wouldn't be compatible with thru axles.. TBH I never had any issues with installing wheels with quick release or nutted axles even on disc brake bikes...Many thru axles are also proprietary which makes it even more complicated if you want to have extra wheelsets, or if one ever got lost or damaged. I just see it as a pointless upgrade which wouldn't benefit me in any way.
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#20
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The new design of the bicycle made it increasingly popular. So did a drop in price. In the 1880s, the selling price of ordinary bicycles averaged $100 to $150, about six months' pay at the time. Safety bicycles started at a similar price, but their price dropped through the 1890s, until bicycle sellers in Minneapolis in 1898 could advertise basic models for sale at thirty dollars.
https://www.mnopedia.org/event/bicycling-craze-1890s
https://www.mnopedia.org/event/bicycling-craze-1890s
I have not included the various BB standards in the work, because I refuse to lower my standards.
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#21
Clark W. Griswold
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Because they require a frame and fork which is designed for use with thru axles and nothing else. I have a lot of wheelsets at home which are in perfect condition some of which I build myself, and my 3 bikes which I own wouldn't be compatible with thru axles.. TBH I never had any issues with installing wheels with quick release or nutted axles even on disc brake bikes...Many thru axles are also proprietary which makes it even more complicated if you want to have extra wheelsets, or if one ever got lost or damaged. I just see it as a pointless upgrade which wouldn't benefit me in any way.
The thru axles don't have any bearing on the wheels you can swap wheels quite easily with other thru-axle wheels the proprietary-ness of that is not going to change anything.
I can understand not always being compatible with the hubs but a lot of modern hubs have replaceable end caps so you can run them on a 135 or 142 axle or whatever at the front. Not really a problem on that front.
Yes having parts already is a reason not to upgrade to something but to not like it for that is a bit silly.
#22
The GMC Denali.
#23
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#24
Senior Member
Disk brakes. Hands down.
Keep all of the other tech. I'll never buy another rim brake bike again.
Through axels are a distant second. I would purge my skewer QR's if it were practical.
Keep all of the other tech. I'll never buy another rim brake bike again.
Through axels are a distant second. I would purge my skewer QR's if it were practical.
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